X Marks Tartan Vote

[Alan H]

Just so everyone knows, we're going with tartan #1 for now.

Hamish, it's going to be close, but it very well might be ready for you.

[Hamish]

Not to worry Ham, I'm sure that if you want some of the Tartan we can figure out a way to get it and send it to you marked as a gift or something.

Jamie

That's very kind of you Jamie - much appreciated. I have also received direct messages from others offering much the same form of kindness. However, we have to pay duties and taxes on "Gifts" if the value is over £36, which I guess this tartan will be.

There was a hope that if the fabric is woven in Scotland (The United Kingdom), sent to the USA or Canada and then sent back to me in England (The United Kingdom), I would not have to pay any duties or taxes since it was being returned to the country of origin. It doesn't work like that however, unless :

1) The item remains exactly as it was when it left Scotland (well, it won't be because it will be a length cut from the whole), and copies of the full documentation, from the weaver onwards, are provided to substantiate the provenance.

2) That I can prove that I will have paid the weaver or retailer for the item myself. The fact that I will have to pay someone in North America for my kilt length, knocks that one on the head!

It's a no-win situation - unless I can bring it back with me from Vancouver on August 13th, and Alan is now saying that this might just be a possibility! Yippee!!

[Hamish]

Just so everyone knows, we're going with tartan #1 for now.

Hamish, it's going to be close, but it very well might be ready for you.

Alan, those two lines of text have cheered me up no end. Thank you.

Now, because I have been absent for so long and have so much catching up to do, do we have a firm price yet for the tartan? What weight have you gone for? How and when would I be required to pay for my kilt length? Sorry to be such a bore over this, but I don't want to miss out anywhere along the line.

Thank you again.

[Alan H]

We're going with a heavyweight wool twill from Fraser and Kirkbright, here in Canada. That's why I'm hopeful that the material will be ready when you get here, but a lot depends on how many people step up and pay for yardage.

Fraser and Kirkbrights minimum order is 25 meters rather than 20, so we need another one or two people to step up. Personally, I'm dying for my two meters so I can send it to M.A.C. Newsome for a box-pleated kilt.

We're in the process of getting the system set up for paying for this painlessly. A long-time X Marks kiltmaking participant is looking into shipping costs and the feasability of using PayPal to pay for them. In fact, it's been a few days since I've heard from hinm, I should nag him again! LOL!! We **ESTIMATE**

ESTIMATE...............

....that the final cost will be around $47 (USA) a meter...shipping to wherever you want it will be on top of that, since we can't predict where people will want their fabric sent. Of course, if you're in British Columbia when it rolls out of the mill, then you can pick it up in person!

[Hamish]

Thank you for that, Alan. It sound just perfect. I'll keep my eyes open to follow progress. I really hope you get the required number of 'takers'.

Thanks again for all your hard work in this connection.

[Alan H]

The opportunity is here. See the latest thread in teh "General Kilt Talk" heading for the information to order your X marks tartan material from Fraser and Kirkbright.

[phil h]

far too much white

[Alan H]

Just so everyone is clear on this, we're going with Tartan #1 for the material from Fraser and Kirkbright, since it's scored a lot higher in the general popularity index than #2 did.

There's nothing preventing anyone from getting a custom weave of tartan #2 and calling it the "X Marks Dress Tartan" though. If you really dig #2, go for it.

[emeraldfalconoflight]

Question, how do we know exactly how different this tartan is from others out there. Im somewhat of an amateur herald and know that being different matters, in not wanting to get confused for something other than you are.

[macwilkin]

Question, how do we know exactly how different this tartan is from others out there. Im somewhat of an amateur herald and know that being different matters, in not wanting to get confused for something other than you are.

Matt Newsome is the designer of the tartan, and I believe he was going to list it with the Scottish Tartans Authority's International Tartan Index (ITI).

Cheers,

Todd