Machine versus Hand Stiched

[Daneel]

I was looking at the workmanship of my kilts and to be honest I think in all fairness machine stiching seems to be better that hand done. So why are we encouraged to buy hand stiched and have a massive markup to pay.

[Geoduck]

Possibly to help support the traditional artisans, I'm not sure though. I'm sure someone has much more knowledge than I do.

[GMan]

Daneel,

I seem to like the idea of the personal touch, knowing that someone put all their soul and heart into it, but you are looking at someone who had on his mothers' side a whole slew of tailors and seamstresses

[zeytoun]

I'm sure one of the makers will give a better answer, but I've read that the pleats on a hand-stitched will hang better because the kiltmaker has greater control to adjust the line of the stitch. From my experience with other garments, I'd say machine stitching will usually look straighter and neater then hand stitching, but hand stitching will hold better and last longer. If that's true, and a hand-stitched kilt will last for many years longer, I'd say it's well worth it. You're plunking down a solid investment for a machine stitched kilt anyways.

But, 'eck, if machine stitching lasts longer and looks better, I'd be happy to save the extra money.

[macwilkin]

I, like Gman, like knowing that my kilt was made by a skilled craftsman who put a lot of their own personality and experience, as well as training, into my kilt. Also like Gman, one of my Scottish relatives was a tailor (who lived in Dublin for a couple of years before immigrating to the colonies), and it is a way to feel a connection to him in a sense.

Cheers,

Todd

[Barb T]

Hi guys

Hmmm, well, I guess I'd have to say that, in a really well-made hand-stitched kilt, you shouldn't be able to see the stitches and the stripes should match perfectly. If you can see the stitches, and the stripes don't match, it wasn't hand sewn very well. What I personally like about a well-made hand sewn kilt is that there's no stitching on top of the pleats. The stitches that are there _don't_ show, and it's hard to tell until someone moves where the stitched part of the pleats ends and the open part begins.

Maybe that's just me.

Cheers,

Barb

[beerbecue]

All of the machine-stitched kilts I have seen, yes, have visible stitches.. Of the hand-sewn I have seen (which has been quite a few counting the myriad I checked out at the last games), you could not see the stitches in the pleats, nor in the front apron edge.

Hand-stitching seems to produce a more refined product. Machine-stitched have the advantage of a lower price, but I don't think I would go so far as to say all machine-stitched are better than all hand-stitched. Just like anything else, there are examples of all levels of skill in both approaches.

I think though, if you want an heirloom quality kilt, a nice hand-stitched is the way to go.

[The Wizard of BC]

Let me throw a couple of pennies worth into this.

Machine stitching does not have to show a stitch line. There are many ways to hide the stitches by selecting the construction method.

Some hand stitching can be downright unsightly.

It is not always the method of stitching that determines quality and/or longevity. It is stitch tension. Consistant tension produces flat, even seams. It evens out stresses. A line of uneven stitches leaves a puckered seam that overstresses the tight stitches causing failure.

The reason that machine stitching seems (stress seems)to last longer is that the machine is controling thread tension. Few people today have the talent or patience to hand sew with machine quality even tension.

If you are evaluating the quality and potential longevity of a new kilt, look at the seams. Pull on the seam slightly. If it opens up to reveal the stitching, with some stitches loose and some stitches tight, pass by and look for another kilt. If, when you pull, do you see small puckers form around some of the stitches and lay flat around others, this seam will fail.

Look at the seam lines. Are they straight where they should be straight and do they form fair curves where they are supposed to curve? If you stress the seam, does it keep the same shape under stress as when relaxed? If it changes, pass it by.

To people who sew, and take pride in their work, it is the seams that matter. It is those thousands of individual stitches that we look closely at.

I can always tell when a person who sews picks up one of my kilts. They don't hold it up at arms length and comment on the fabric, they put on their glasses and look closely at my seams.

[beerbecue]

I should say that I have seen only a few machine-sewn kilts, so my experience with them is limited.
(I must also add here that I have a strong bias towards traditional kilts)
I have seen several hand-sewns that have visible stitches and seams...

I do not mean to cast apersions on either technique, or on any individual's product....

The take home message, in my opinion, is that there are kilts manufactured with machine or by hand that will be of lesser quality than others made the same way....

Once again, it comes down to the practitioner, and not the practice.....

[Jimmy Carbomb]

This is all REAL easy to explain:

When you are using a machine to stitch inside the pleats (and it's VERY easy to do)you are sewing pretty straight for the most part. You are then left to manage the taper with the angling of the pleats. This is very succeptable to pleat wandering and faster wear-out of the thread. There are MANY pictures and examples available.

When you are hand-stitching the inside of the pleats (which is an art, and NOT easy to do) you are sewing with a nicely formed curve. You manage the taper with the process, and this is why hand-sewn kilts hang so perfectly (look at the examples that Barb posted). With modern thread materials, the seams and materials suffer minimal pressure, unlike some kilts from the past.

Then you have to consider the materials:

Wool can be hand-sewn and machine sewn to look great. Wool has the natural ability to be "bent" into shape. As long as the seams are not done too tight, there is some "give" that will alleviate damage. If the seams are done too tight, there is no "give" for the seams to move with.

Other materials are much more rigid due to the fibers and the weaves. It's not always real evident to the fingers or the eye. They do not have the "give" when they are stressed. One easy example of this is with denim jeans. Look how often the knees wear-out. That's what I mean by "give" with the weaves. Yes, jeans form to the body after time... but at the expense of "opening" the weave.

If you're looking at a "casual" or "modern" kilt... machine sewing is really the only way to go. It's tough enough for the materials and makes it so that the price is affordable.

If you're talking about a "real" kilt... hand-sewing is the only way to go. The authenticity of the construction can only be done with the curving and bending. A machine just can't do that. When we say "traditional", that's not a term taken lightly. There's MUCH more to it than a tapered apron and three buckles. There's a manner of construction that goes WAY DOWN DEEP into the thing. You just can't imagine what it takes!

If you're comfortable with a machine sewn, three-buckle kilt... GREAT! The outside appearance is relatively close to the real thing. If treated and cared for properly, they can last for quite a while. Just know that they are NOT like a hand-sewn when it comes to the actual construction.

Two buildings look the same from the outside. One is constructed with wood beams and nails, while the other is made with steel beams and rivets. One is made by guys with a pattern and a cool tool box, while the other is made by HIGHLY trained and certified architects and artisans.

This is why you pay more for a properly constructed garment. This is also why I'm constantly preaching about how we should all respect the companies that make the authentic hand-sewns. Until you see and experience what it takes... you just can't imagine the skill that they have.