Recreating a tartan fabric?

[RockyR]

Tartans are woven according to the 'Threadcount'. Both the Scottish Register of Tartans and the Scottish Tartans Authority will be able to give you the threadcount for McGill.

There must be hundreds of weaving mills in the US and I do not believe that the fabric that they make is in any way inferior to the Scottish product.

Regards

Chas

Let me know when you find them and if they weave tartans!

[RockyR]

Ralph Neilson (scottyguy2003@yahoo) Makes acrylic kilts fairly cheap (inexpensive).
I've ordered one and haven't received it yet so I can't vouch for the quality. I wanted a MacLachlan Hunting tartan.
He needs 100 yards to weave a tartan he doesn't already have. I asked my clan association and posted on this board.
Between the two we got more than enough orders for him to start production (in February ).
I suggest you find other McGills who might be interested. Or non McGills who might be interested and see if you can come up with 100 yards.
When I called Ralph with the xmarks interest, he told me he had another dozen or so orders from elsewhere.
So if you contact him you might find he already has it or is already in the process of getting it or at least will get it when the minimum yardage is met.

THIS Ralph Neilson?

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&expIds=...41562a61b59af3

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...nsman+knitwear

Search the forum threads and do some homework on Clansman Knitwear / Ralph Neilson before ordering.

[Chas]

Let me know when you find them and if they weave tartans!

You, obviously, have me at a disadvantage Rocky and although not wanting to doubt your word, I find it almost impossible to believe. Are you seriously telling me that there are no mills weaving tartan in the whole of the United States. How did the US get itself in to such a position? Are all the twills imported, or is there no market to make it viable?

I had assumed (obviously incorrectly) that with a population of 300 million, that there would be a thriving weaving industry. Where does it all come from - China?

In bewilderment, Regards

Chas

[artificer]

THIS Ralph Neilson?

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&expIds=...41562a61b59af3

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...nsman+knitwear

Search the forum threads and do some homework on Clansman Knitwear / Ralph Neilson before ordering.

I'll add to Rocky's links with THIS little eye-opener

You, obviously, have me at a disadvantage Rocky and although not wanting to doubt your word, I find it almost impossible to believe. Are you seriously telling me that there are no mills weaving tartan in the whole of the United States. How did the US get itself in to such a position? Are all the twills imported, or is there no market to make it viable?

I had assumed (obviously incorrectly) that with a population of 300 million, that there would be a thriving weaving industry. Where does it all come from - China?

In bewilderment, Regards

Chas

The US USED to have a lot of mills, most jobs were shipped overseas in the mid 90's when cheap labor really 'came online'. North Carolina was especially hard hit.

[RockyR]

You, obviously, have me at a disadvantage Rocky and although not wanting to doubt your word, I find it almost impossible to believe. Are you seriously telling me that there are no mills weaving tartan in the whole of the United States. How did the US get itself in to such a position? Are all the twills imported, or is there no market to make it viable?

I had assumed (obviously incorrectly) that with a population of 300 million, that there would be a thriving weaving industry. Where does it all come from - China?

In bewilderment, Regards

Chas

I'll echo Artificer's comments:

The US USED to have a lot of mills, most jobs were shipped overseas in the mid 90's when cheap labor really 'came online'. North Carolina was especially hard hit.

the majority of the material here is imported from China and the like. I've been to "fabric Row" in Philadelphia and NUMEROUS fabric stores here in PA, NY, NJ and VA (different states) and always come across VERY poor quality fabric in tartan... NEVER quality tartan fabric (on par with UK woven stuff). I have seen high quality FABRIC, but never in tartan.

There are a number of mills who shut down due to globalization and cheap labor coming out of the far east. I'm not saying all the US Mills are gone, but I don't know of any that weave tartan suitable for kiltmaking. The closest we have is Frasier and Kirkbright in Canada, though I prefer UK cloth to theirs.

Also, please note my comments in my initial post were sort of 'tongue in cheek' and no malice was intended, Chas. It's sometimes hard to convey subtleties of the spoken word into read-able text.

[gary meakin]

THIS Ralph Neilson?

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&expIds=...41562a61b59af3

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...nsman+knitwear

Search the forum threads and do some homework on Clansman Knitwear / Ralph Neilson before ordering.

Wow!!! I ordered a kilt from him and unfortunately got some members here involved based on my Clan Association's recommendation. My check's already gone so all I can do now is wait and hope.

I guess anyone involved with Ralph should read those links.
Thanks Rocky

[Downix]

The US USED to have a lot of mills, most jobs were shipped overseas in the mid 90's when cheap labor really 'came online'. North Carolina was especially hard hit.

North Carolina only had such a fabric presence by stealing it away from New England. Until the 1960's, New England was the textile center of the US. When the new tax codes of the 1970's, which benefitted companies which relocate with tax reduction, they fled south, the Carolinas mostly. But once you convince a company that moving for tax purposes is a good move, and reward them, they cannot help but have new wandering eyes.

North Carolinas skill in stealing away the fabric mills was also the skill that taught the mills to jump ship, which of course hurt them in the long term.

[BoldHighlander]

I know Pendleton Mill in Pendleton, Oregon does all kinds of quality woolens, but tartan? I really don't know

[Downix]

I know Pendleton Mill in Pendleton, Oregon does all kinds of quality woolens, but tartan? I really don't know

They have Black Stewart and Royal Stewart, but it is not good for kiltmaking, being quite flannelly.

[Hothir Ethelnor]

Most of US cloth comes from overseas there are very few mills here.

In fact there is very little manufacturing of any type here anymore. The taxes became too onerous to deal with here and the cheap labour and highly networked global transportation, available in this age has pushed it all overseas.

I do believe that Woolrich weaves a nice cloth but they mostly make melton and coating fabric which is an entirely different sort of cloth compared to hard tartan.