Comprehensive database?

[Mikilt]

Is there a single, comprehensive database of all tartans from all mills? It's not the Scottish Tartan Authority. I have been trying to find the Prince Charles Edward Stewart Modern tartan and no matter what spelling or syntax I use, it doesn't seem to be known to the STA.
I can find the tartan I am seeking on the Lochcarron site and on Scotweb, but naturally their databases will be limited to what they make/carry.

If I have to settle for the "largest" database, I will. I am simply curious to know if there is such a thing as a truly complete database.

[McFarkus]

If you contact Matt Newsome at Scottish Tartan's Museum, He can arrange for it to be woven for you.

[KD Burke]

I don't think any database can be said to be "truly complete." There are always new tartans that haven't yet been registered (or never will be). That being said, I think the current gold standard is the Scottish Register of Tartans:

http://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/

It is an on-line website database facility maintained by the National Archives of Scotland, an executive agency of the Scottish Government.

[davidlpope]

Is there a single, comprehensive database of all tartans from all mills? It's not the Scottish Tartan Authority. I have been trying to find the Prince Charles Edward Stewart Modern tartan and no matter what spelling or syntax I use, it doesn't seem to be known to the STA.
I can find the tartan I am seeking on the Lochcarron site and on Scotweb, but naturally their databases will be limited to what they make/carry.

If I have to settle for the "largest" database, I will. I am simply curious to know if there is such a thing as a truly complete database.

The tartan you are looking for is in the STA database here:

http://www.tartansauthority.com/tart...n_name_search=

Realize, though, that "Modern" is a color scheme, just as "Ancient", "Weathered", and "Muted" are. The particular shades of colors used to weave a tartan are not defined, rather they are given as red, blue, azure, green, black, etc. Each weaver determines the particular shades of colors used.

The Prince Charles Edward Stuart tartan is an old pattern designed by Wilsons of Bannockburn and looks particularly nice in the WOB colors. Lochcarron produces it as a stock fabric in their modern color scheme, so any kiltmaker should be able to get it.

David

[RockyR]

The STA's database is VERY pick on spelling / syntax. Try looking up the US Army tartan...

If you type "US Army", nothing comes up.

If you type U.S. Army (note the periods), it will come up.

Also, note that you can't hit the "enter" button after typing the name. You have to click on the "find" button with your mouse. A bit cumbersome for a search function.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

The STA's International Tartan Index is currently the most comprehensive database of tartans in existence and is considered to be the industry standard. I assure you that the Prince Charles Edward Stuart tartan is in their index. If you were looking for the "modern" colors in particular, you won't find that, however, because the ITI is not meant to include every possible colorway variation of every tartan.

There is a vagary when it comes to particular tartan colors that most people do not completely appreciate. The common frame of mind that I encounter is that these different colorways equate to different tartans. This is not the case, and never has been. Even in the days before there were commonly accepted color schemes as we know them (ancient, modern, weathered, etc) the colors used by the different mills would vary somewhat. There has never been any attempt to standardize colors.

For example, an Armstrong might say, "My clan has two tartans, a modern and an ancient one," because he sees these two listed as available by most of the mills. I recently had the Armstrong tartan woven in the reproduction/weathered colors for myself -- was I creating a third tartan for the Armstrong clan?

No. There is a single Armstrong tartan, and most woolen mills have it available in two color schmes - the modern (dark) and ancient (light) -- and I chose to have it special woven in a third color scheme (reproduction). But there is only one tartan, and that is recorded in the ITI. You won't see all three versions because they are simply different ways to weave the same tartan.

Likewise you will most certainly find the Prince Charles Edward Stuart tartan listed in the ITI, but you will not find the modern, ancient, muted, reproduction, and weathered versions listed as separate entries, because they are not different tartans. (However, if you were to visit the STA's offices and were able to view their expansive collection of woven samples you would see the tartan in various colorways woven by different mills).

It sounds like what you are looking for is some kind of comprehensive master listing of what all of the tartan mills produce (stock support) which would include variables such as color scheme and fabric weight. This would, obviously, be very handy for the tartan consumer, but that's not what the ITI is meant to be.

The good news is that the STA is working on a database that would be just that! It's called "Who Weaves What" (or WWW), and though it's not currently available online, a quick email to the STA with an inquiry such as "Who weaves the Prince Charles Edward Stuart tartan in the modern colors, preferably heavy weight?" will yield an answer for you.

There are also a few commercial ventures that have something similar on their web sites (obviously limited to the mills they would be ordering from).

Rocky has a pretty extensive listing of what is available from the various mills on his web site, www.usakilts.com.

There is a pretty good index at tartanweb.org, as well.

Lastly, I have a master list of 16 oz (heavy weight) only tartans on my own web site:
http://www.newhousehighland.com/stock_tartans.pdf

[Riverkilt]

While far from a complete listing I really like Tartans by Air since they show the tartan full screen. Gives a great idea of what it looks like for real on cloth. Works for the major tartans and a few obscure ones like Drambuie Hunting.

[Hothir Ethelnor]

Prince Charles Edward Stewart Modern tartan is also available from Marton Mills.