so I buried the lead . . .

[Kid Cossack]

Folks, I'm an enthusiast, so I tend to like kilts. I'll make allowances for things that are off, just because I'm so happy to be tartaned and unbifurcated. Rocky and Kelly made my first custom tartan kilt, a casual Farquharson, and then a blue Ramsay semi-trad, and then a US Army semi-trad. (Pittsburgh Kilts made my first custom kilts, but they were camo and not tartan.)

I like those kilts a good bit, I'll have you know.

I've been evolving, from a UK original and a SK up through the SWK line, and I've noticed that the kilts I actually wear a lot tend to be the ones from USAK. So when it was time (thanks to Riverkilt's own custom Leatherneck tank order) to get a Leatherneck of my own, I naturally thought of Rocky and Kelly.

The Leatherneck tartan represents my clan colors, and I wanted a kilt I could wear a goodly bit, so I went with a five yard iteration, and of course its 13 ounce worsted. I chewed over my options via telephone with Rocky about two months ago, sitting in the backyard with my youngest daughter and sipping on Lismore.

Friday afternoon it arrived. I was hot and sweaty and frazzled from a long day of running after clients, so I didn't put it on, just looked it over and hung it up. Ah, but Saturday morning I fit myself into it . . . SHAZAM! One of the reasons I went with Rocky and Kelly's shop (shoppe?) was that the kilts they'd made me fit me to a T, and I expected the same with this one.

As I had expected, so it turned out. The five yarder fits wonderfully. ALthough shipped without basting stitches, it came out of the box neat and sharp looking, and any crease hung out overnight in the closet.

If I was going to pick nits, I'd point out that the waistband doesn't exactly match the tartan sett . . . but I'm not going to pick nits, and that doesn't bother me in the least.

I wore it over to the Polish festival down the street yesterday (referenced in a General Kilt Talk post) on a day touching 90 degrees with some heavy humidity. It's got good swish, strong sewing, and pleated to the sett. Belt loops line up perfectly and are invisible from more than a couple of feet away. It was a good warm day and I felt great in the kilt. Everyone at the festival was sweating, but wrapped in five yards of wool I was sweating less than most people.

Pleating to the sett was Rocky's call. I tend to discuss options with the kiltmaker, and take their advice on things beyond my ken.

When I placed the order, Rocky said it would be about eight weeks, and the kilt arrived at the end of the eighth week. I am pleased. I've now got a Houston-friendly, hard-use custom worsted wool kilt in my gang colors. My interactions with the kilt maker were "the way they should be." Rocky and Kelly did a good job, in quick order, with good customer service.

Folks, I like this kilt. My only gripe is that I keep buying from USAK and that keeps me from exploring the other fine kiltmakers here on the board. And I cannae really say that that's Rocky's fault now, can I?

[cessna152towser]

An interesting review.

My only gripe is that I keep buying from USAK and that keeps me from exploring the other fine kiltmakers here on the board.

I think we do tend to build a brand loyalty and go back to the same kiltmaker because we have discovered they produce good value for money. I have not yet bought from USAK but I do have 4 Union Kilts and 2 Freedom Kilts and have bought 4 budget kilts from the same e-bay retailer, besides which 2 of my traditional kilts were built by the same kiltmaker. That's one big advantage of x-marks - you can read reviews of other kilt products here and decide if you want to try a different kilt maker for your next kilt.

[Riverkilt]

Ooohrah!

I left the pleating of my Leatherneck tartan kilt up to Kathy Lare and she pleated to the sett too. She's a Marine family and has sewn up a lot of Leatherneck tartan kilts so thought she'd know best.

And, I don't know if I'd call it a waistband...but the small top overlap piece on mine does match on the front/apron, but not around back. Don't know that its possible to do both.

Okay, dug out Barb's book...its called the top band. And she also says it won't match the tartan pattern when it comes to the pleats unless by an "extraordinary coincidence."

Hope that helps,

Ron

[Kid Cossack]

Ron:

That's it! And as I mentioned, it doesn't bother me at all. I'm a fan of USAK, and, I think, with good reason. When it's time for a full on eight yarder in gang colors, I may well turn to Kathy Lare, but that takes naught away from my satisfaction with this kilt.

Oohrah!

[Riverkilt]

Great,

But wasn't trying to sway you from Rocky to Kathy...just pointing out that they did the top thingie the same way and that no kiltmaker can make the tartans match there at the pleats.

Just happy that you're kilted up in them "gang colors."

Don't it feel GOOOOD!?

Ron

[RockyR]

Thanks for the review and the feedback. I'm sorry for making you not try other kiltmakers (not really =;) ).

Out of curiosity, are you talking about the waistband in the FRONT APRON or over the PLEATS? As Barb said (according to Ron), the waistband over the pleats almost NEVER matches up.

Pics would help if you can...

[Kid Cossack]

Over the pleats, Rocky! Around front it lines up just right. I was looking for something, anything, to potentially pick nits about (if I was into nit-picking).

And Ron, yes, the gang colors are extra special. I mostly believe in the "wear what you like" approach to tartans, but, yeah. Stepping out in the colors of MY CLAN does make a difference. It feels like that last day at Camp Lejeune before going terminal. I was taking myself over to have the outprocessing chat with the Master Guns, and "somehow" got caught by Colors, in freshly pressed cammies and spit-shined boots. Them's MY colors, for all that I was a pogue in peacetime. Putting on the Leatherneck reminds me of all the good times (and there were good times in there, weren't there?).

[RockyR]

Over the pleats, Rocky! Around front it lines up just right. I was looking for something, anything, to potentially pick nits about (if I was into nit-picking).

Wait till you see how badly it lines up when the kilt is made to the STRIPE! HAHAHAHAHA

[Mr. MacDougall]

Putting on the Leatherneck reminds me of all the good times (and there were good times in there, weren't there?).

I feel the same way when I belt on the Navy tartan. Yes, there were good times, for all that we chose to get out.

[mudd]

No pictures?