What is Poly Viscose?

[Riverkilt]

Think I'm up to 17 USA poly-viscose kilts now. Check out my video at the bottom of the USA Kilts casual kilts page shows the swing.

It took me a long time to believe all the praise heaped on USA Kilts. Then I bought one...now I have 16 more...not sure, around there, lost count.

Big change for me is that as good as the USA casual kilt is I've switched to the semi-trad for future kilts. Have six semi-trads now...check Ham's video on the USA Kilt semi-trad page and you'll see why. And, for me, I'm enjoying not having to wear a belt with the semi-trad.

And as pointed out viscose is the English word for what's called Rayon in the U.S.A. And there's a LOT of difference between poly viscose and poly cotton as far as "hand." The poly cotton in my Sportkilts feels like the same material they make pajamas out of. Much softer. The Poly viscose looks more wool-like to me.

Ron

[Hachiman]

The question I wanna have answered is: how easy is it to take the hem up, and can you iron the pleats in once you have done so?

cheers
Hachiman

[The Wizard of BC]

I have found hemming a Poly/Viscous kilt no different from any other.

The crease set into Poly/Viscous fabric can, at times be a little harder to remove and get the fabric to crease in the other direction if the heat used to press the kilt was too high and "Melted" the fibers.

The irons I use have a sole plate that is cooler because they have a separate steam chamber, so I do not have to worry about getting the fabric too hot. I simply use the heat of the steam and pressure of the iron to do the work. If you steam the fabric, most times the creases will just fall out. This will allow you to fold up the hem and stitch it up, them baste the pleats and re-press the kilt.

As long as you are mindful of excess heat, hemming a Poly/Viscous kilt is no harder than hemming a dozen pairs of trousers.

[RockyR]

Rayon, or viscose may get harder to find in the future, as there are questions being raised about the amount of toxic waste produced in it's manufacture.

WHere did you hear that? Do you have a news article to read or anything?

[ozone]

From Wikipedia, here's how to make rayon (seems some of the steps are a bit toxic....but no different from salami i suppose )

Regular rayon (or viscose) is the most widely produced form of rayon. This method of rayon production has been utilized since the early 1900s and it has the ability to produce either filament or staple fibers. The process is as follows:

1. Cellulose: Production begins with processed cellulose
2. Immersion: The cellulose is dissolved in caustic soda
3. Pressing: The solution is then pressed between rollers to remove excess liquid
4. White Crumb: The pressed sheets are crumbled or shredded to produce what is known as "white crumb"
5. Aging: The "white crumb" aged through exposure to oxygen
6. Xanthation: The aged "white crumb" is mixed with carbon disulfide in a process known as Xanthation
7. Yellow Crumb: Xanthation changes the chemical makeup of the cellulose mixture and the resulting product is now called "yellow crumb"
8. Viscose: The "yellow crumb" is dissolved in a caustic solution to form viscose
9. Ripening: The viscose is set to stand for a period of time, allowing it to ripen
10. Filtering: After ripening, the viscose is filtered to remove any undissolved particles
11. Degassing: Any bubbles of air are pressed from the viscose in a degassing process
12. Extruding: The viscose solution is extruded through a spinneret, which resembles a shower head with many small holes
13. Acid Bath: As the viscose exits the spinneret, it lands in a bath of sulfuric acid resulting in the formation of rayon filaments
14. Drawing: The rayon filaments are stretched, known as drawing, to straighten out the fibers
15. Washing: The fibers are then washed to remove any residual chemicals
16. Cutting: If filament fibers are desired the process ends here. The filaments are cut down when producing staple fibers

[ozone]

and here's a site touching on the byproducts of rayon production:

http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Rayon.html

and another from Canada:

http://www.unb.ca/che/ioac/projects/2005-2006/rayon.htm

And just for fun, one more (biased just from the title of the website "the greenguide"):

http://thegreenguide.com/reports/product.mhtml?id=32

[ardchoille]

From Wikipedia, here's how to make rayon (seems some of the steps are a bit toxic....but no different from salami i suppose )

Regular rayon (or viscose) is the most widely produced form of rayon. This method of rayon production has been utilized since the early 1900s and it has the ability to produce either filament or staple fibers. The process is as follows:

1. Cellulose: Production begins with processed cellulose
2. Immersion: The cellulose is dissolved in caustic soda
3. Pressing: The solution is then pressed between rollers to remove excess liquid
4. White Crumb: The pressed sheets are crumbled or shredded to produce what is known as "white crumb"
5. Aging: The "white crumb" aged through exposure to oxygen
6. Xanthation: The aged "white crumb" is mixed with carbon disulfide in a process known as Xanthation
7. Yellow Crumb: Xanthation changes the chemical makeup of the cellulose mixture and the resulting product is now called "yellow crumb"
8. Viscose: The "yellow crumb" is dissolved in a caustic solution to form viscose
9. Ripening: The viscose is set to stand for a period of time, allowing it to ripen
10. Filtering: After ripening, the viscose is filtered to remove any undissolved particles
11. Degassing: Any bubbles of air are pressed from the viscose in a degassing process
12. Extruding: The viscose solution is extruded through a spinneret, which resembles a shower head with many small holes
13. Acid Bath: As the viscose exits the spinneret, it lands in a bath of sulfuric acid resulting in the formation of rayon filaments
14. Drawing: The rayon filaments are stretched, known as drawing, to straighten out the fibers
15. Washing: The fibers are then washed to remove any residual chemicals
16. Cutting: If filament fibers are desired the process ends here. The filaments are cut down when producing staple fibers

That's one of those situations in which you say "it's good.. just don't ask how it's made".

[BruceK]

Big change for me is that as good as the USA casual kilt is I've switched to the semi-trad for future kilts. Have six semi-trads now...check Ham's video on the USA Kilt semi-trad page and you'll see why. And, for me, I'm enjoying not having to wear a belt with the semi-trad.

Ron:

How easy is it to care for the semi-trad kilt? Can it be washed in the washing me like their casual kilt which does not have the leather and buckles? It's bad enough to dry clean my tanks - I'd rather avoid that with the kilts I wear almost daily if I can.

Thanks!

[cacunn]

The question I wanna have answered is: how easy is it to take the hem up, and can you iron the pleats in once you have done so?

cheers
Hachiman

Why do you want to hem the USAKilt Casual?

If you can wait go with a Causal USAKilt made to measure. You tell Rocky and Kelly your waist/hips/and length and you get a quality kilt the fits like a glove.

Since there isn't a price difference between a casual made to measure and a casual off the rack you only have the Jones-ing factor to contend with.

[cacunn]

Ron:

How easy is it to care for the semi-trad kilt? Can it be washed in the washing me like their casual kilt which does not have the leather and buckles? It's bad enough to dry clean my tanks - I'd rather avoid that with the kilts I wear almost daily if I can.

Thanks!

I put my casual and semi-trad in the gentle cycle of the washing machine, cool or cold water. I do not over load the washer. Once the wash is done, I hang the damp kilt on a hanger and hand/finer press the pleats. I just run the pleats through the palm of my hands, if necessary for I will run a single pleat between my fingers. Let dry an then wear.

I've had good results so far.