eBay Black Watch Review

[Tartan Hiker]

Continuation of the thread “Somebody had to do it…”

Subject of thread: This offering on eBay -- http://cgi.ebay.com/BLACK-WATCH-TART...QQcmdZViewItem

The Black Watch kilt, size 38, arrived today. Here’s my review:

Material – Medium-weight wool and acrylic (80/20) blend. I have no idea how to go about determining the actual weight of the fabric, but comparing it to my Stillwater Standard it appears to be about twice as heavy. Holding it up to the light reveals a very dense weave with very little light penetrating. It’s no 16-oz. Tank, but it is certainly not lightweight! The quality of the weave is good. There are a few glitches but nothing major. Colors are bright and consistent. Bottom edge is plain woven and not frayed.
Measuring along the bottom of the kilt from apron corner to apron corner I get a measurement of 7.25 yards.

Stitching – A mixture of hand and machine stitching. All of the pleats are hand-sewn down 6.5” from the waistband. The stitching appears sturdy. Both apron edges are hand hemmed, nice and tight. Lining looks to be polished cotton, extends 6” from waist band, and is hand-sewn. The edge of the waist is bound with black satin, machine sewn. The “buttonhole” through which the left belt goes is very nicely crafted.

Construction – The kilt is pleated to the sett, and the tartan lines up nicely across the pleats. There are 22 pleats in all, each 5” deep. (I can hide my entire hand inside one pleat). There is no evidence of tapering in the pleats, but then again I hardly expected to see that. The edges of both aprons are tapered 2.5” top-to-bottom. Length is 23.75”. There are no belt loops.

Hardware – There are three buckles and straps. The buckles are nickel-plated brass (non-magnetic and from southern Asia, so I’m assuming brass) and are cast, not stamped. They are much more attractive than those on my Stillwaters. The pins are, however, pot metal steel. The buckles are attached to the kilt with leatherette vinyl and are quite adequate. The straps are, however, of very thin, brittle leather and are attached in a way that could only be described as minimally durable. They also shed their black surface finish quite readily, and are pretty ugly. I will be replacing these by week’s end.

Shipping and overall buying experience – All correspondence was very satisfactory. Questions were answered and additional photos were emailed by the seller in a timely fashion. The shipping container was very sturdy, the kilt was bagged and padded within, and the basting threads were in place. I did need to press out a few wrinkles upon unpacking it, and I repressed the first left pleat edge for a better fit, but other than that it was good to go on arrival.

The test drive -- I wore the kilt to class tonight with much praise from my students. Throughout the evening it stayed well in place, no bunching beneath the sporran or shifting of the aprons. The mass of material in the rear provides bodacious swing. All in all a very comfortable kilt. I had planned to have one of my students photograph me in the classroom, but the camera’s memory card decided that tonight was the night to die. I will submit some photos when this problem is resolved.

The bottom line – I paid $50 for the kilt, plus $10 shipping, making it cheaper than many of the other budget lines. For the money spent I am very pleased. My only major complaint is the straps, which are easily replaced. I will be ordering at least one more in MacDonald for my son, and perhaps another MacDonald for myself.

I would have to say that if you are looking for a mid-weight kilt that you can use where you’d fear to take your heirloom-quality kilt, this is a very good deal.

[Mike S]

I'm assuming that, since the pleats are not tapered per a bespoke kilt, that the small of the back waist area hasn't had it's inner pleat area cut back?

This would make it possible, if the owner so desired, to redo the kilt's pleated area by hand and adjust for fit and size should the owner wish to basically remake the kilt. Having made quite a few kilts and having a working knowledge to do so, this is what I would do.

Your review is compelling me to buy one of these cheapo kilts and have a go at it. Cheers, and please do post some photos when you are able.

[NancyMan]

Arrrrgh, there's gold in them thar hills, laddie.... I, too am an ebay tramp. My most recent scores.... a Thomas Gordon Fraser tartan 7 yarder for $45 CAN and a yet unreceived Hector Russel Holyrood tartan for about $65.

Bid on,
Vincent

[Riverkilt]

Glad they're talking to you hiker,

Nada to my email yet...but I'm not ebay, and probably never will be, so emailed them on their regular website.

Was interested in what the Ottawa Indian tartan could possibly be since I'm a graduate of Ottawa University....

I love the old adage, "You can have any two of price, quality, or service." So far the later seems to be lacking for me.

Ron

[millar]

Thanks for the review. I am a little concerned about the straps but for the price this seems like quite a deal.

[Tartan Hiker]

I'm sure the straps would last for a long time...I just do all my own leather work, so I'm probably hypercritical.

[Iolaus]

Material – Medium-weight wool and acrylic (80/20) blend. I have no idea how to go about determining the actual weight of the fabric, but comparing it to my Stillwater Standard it appears to be about twice as heavy. Holding it up to the light reveals a very dense weave with very little light penetrating. It’s no 16-oz. Tank, but it is certainly not lightweight! The quality of the weave is good. There are a few glitches but nothing major. Colors are bright and consistent. Bottom edge is plain woven and not frayed.
Measuring along the bottom of the kilt from apron corner to apron corner I get a measurement of 7.25 yards.

What is the surface of the fabric like? Is it relatively smooth? My 2005 SW Nightstalker has a fuzzy surface that I don't care for much, now that I have my Weatherd Lamont.

[Tartan Hiker]

Much smoother than the acrylic fabric you are looking at. Tartan pattern is nice and crisp (as crisp as a Black Watch can be, since it's so dark).

[auld argonian]

This is soooo tempting...I wish that they had some other tartans available, though...they mention MacLean and if they had Hunting MacLean, I'd jump on it in a minnit. I am trying so hard to be virtuous and save up for a somewhat more "major" kilt purchase......

Best

AA

[Kilted KT]

Do you think this kilt would stand up to a week of hard hiking/backpacking in the berkshires of western massachusetts?

Also, how is the sizing? is the 38" kilt waist or pant waist?