alternative fabrics for first kilt

[bubba]

So a heavy wool will not get holes in it from stuff like scale or embers like you might get close to a camp fire? A leather apron is not always practical. During the summer months a tank top and jeans are often prefered. I do have a sheet of leather that just needs to be cut and have straps attached to make a apron. However the leather only reaches from my knee caps to my lower chest.

Yeah, wool can get burn holes, but it will only smolder rather than burn so it won't get holes quite as easily and it won't flame up. The leather apron is to protect your hide from burns and working in a smithy you'll get plenty of them without the apron. Knees to lower chest will prevent most burns. The sparks do fly in a smithy both from the airflow in the forge and from hammering on the heated metal. Smiths have always worn a protective leather apron at the least.

[yoippari]

This still doens't help with the question of tweed, tartan, serge, other forms of twill, (all worsted of course).

I am picturing saving up for a dedicated leather forging kilt. If it doesn't get too beat up in the smithy it might be a good casual kilt to wear with my leather bomber jacket, or is that too much leather. Hmm, I'm getting images of a leather kilt and jacket on a motorcycle.