Review: Stillwater Thrifty Kilt

**cacunn** · 4th August 07, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by cacunn

I got to work a little early and went to XMTS to catch up and saw this thread. I went to StillwaterKilts for another looks see. I saw they had a Thrifty Blackwatch in a 50-54. I got my VA check yesterday and still have some money, so I ordered it. Order sent at 8:45 AM. At 9:47AM I got the email that it had been processed for shipping.

I HAD TO WAIT A WHOLE HOUR AND 3 MINUTES

for shipping.

Do you think it will be at my house when I get home?

and the Jonesing begins.

Ordered on Thursday at 8:45 AM, Shipping notice 9:47 AM, and at 5:20 PM Saturday it was sitting at my front door. It may have arrived earlier but I was down for a nap.
Thanks Jerry

This is my first Stillwater Thrifty and I was not sure what to expect. I have USAKilts causal Scotland National and semi-traditional Army kilts. The SW Thriifty was lighter in weight and the pleats are not sewn down. These were expected and for the cost the quality is excellent.

I am very impressed with the pleating, they are every consistent in size and very evenly spaced. Now I just have to decide if I want to sew them down.

Since I stick out in the front and am fairly flat in the back sewing the peats to the fell should not distort the fit.

I can see a number of Stillwaters in the future. The USAKilts are great kilts and there will be more of them in the future, however, the difference is between jeans and dress p**ts. For around the house, in the yard, some where it might get dirty, Stillwater. If it is a little formal and trying to impress the USAKilt. I don't think the average person would understand the difference with out feeling and looking close.

Now how to convince the wife that a Newsome box pleated "Cunningham" would be great for Christmas?

**ChromeScholar** · 4th August 07, 03:01 PM

I'm expecting my SWK to arrive Tuesday, but hoping for Monday.

**BLAZN** · 4th August 07, 04:12 PM

We ordered my son's SWK Thrifty-kilt Wednesday afternoon. Imagine his excitement when he got it in the mail TODAY.
Jerry must have some connections with the postal service, because I can NEVER get them to ship things as fast as Jerry can.

Oh yeah... the Thrifty is quite a bargain. All the benefits of a kilt, with the speed of the Velcro. My son loves it, and I was amazed that the Wallace tartan is so much better looking in real life than in Still Life. I may have to get myself a SWK Wallace Economy.

**DTrain** · 4th August 07, 04:53 PM

Sorry, but I'm new to the entire kilt thing. What is sewing down the pleats?

**Mr. MacDougall** · 4th August 07, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by DTrain

What is sewing down the pleats?

In this case, we're talking about sewing down the fell... the part of the kilt between the waistband, and where the pleats part from each other, about 3 or 4 inches. The Stillwater kilts don't have sewing in the fell, unlike most kilts. A couple of people have expiremented with sewing the fell, with usually good results.

**fluter** · 4th August 07, 07:56 PM

Originally Posted by DTrain

Sorry, but I'm new to the entire kilt thing. What is sewing down the pleats?

from South Carolina.

We were talking about it over here in the do-it-yourself forum.

Ideally, the kilt is tapered to fit us from waist to hips (the fell). A custom made-to-measure kilt will be made to our exact waist/hip/length.

The SWK standard, like many off-the-rack kilts, has a standard amount of taper built in. The economy and thrifty models don't: the pleats are not stitched down to the hip-line. The result is that the pleats can flare a bit at the top. It does not stay up as well, for me at any rate, because I have a bit of a belly.

**BAM_Belegarth** · 5th August 07, 03:21 PM

I got my Irish National tartan in about a week ago, and could not be happier with the purchase. I too wish for more velcro in the front for better adjusting, but since I work with a little bit of leather, I will most like add some strap to the side of the kilt to make up for the lack of velcro. I have been buying from SportKilt for some time now, and so do my friends. But since we need a couple of kilts a day at events, it makes more since to go with a cheaper kilt, and since we actually fight in ours....they tend not to last as long..lol

**acstoon** · 6th August 07, 01:21 PM

Just ordered my Stillwater Black Watch economy kilt.
Can't wait... this will be my 2nd kilt.

I'm hooked!

Oh, great... 1st motorcycles, then aircraft, computers, skydiving... now this.
Thank goodness for a great wife, who shares my love of life.

**LordKiltClad** · 9th August 07, 09:46 AM

I received my SWK Thrifty MacLaren yesterday in the mail. Would have been here sooner, but I mistakingly put my home zip code in for the shipping address of my office, so there was a small delay. I'm loving the kilt. Only down side is having to iron out the creases it gained from being shipping through Texas at 100 degrees outside. One of the pleats is creased in half, and one big crease down the front apron, but there is nothing Jerry could have done to prevent that. I'll break out the iron tonight and take care of it.

Overall I'm very pleased. Enjoy!

**ChromeScholar** · 9th August 07, 09:54 AM

I ordered an economy. I'm considering ordering a thrifty, just to see what the real difference in quality is. I may also order a standard for the same reason.