Stillwater Kilts: A review

[DireStraitsFan]

First things first:

(Disclaimer: I am in no way related, or affiliated with SWK. I found out about the company through this website. The only reason I know the name Jerry is from hearing it mentioned here.)

I stumbled upon this forum while trying to find people who were knowledgeable enough about states side kilt makers to point me in the right direction.

Well, you all came through like a champ, and SWK seemed to be the ideal choice for me. So, a few months back I ordered a Thrifty Kilt from SWK in Black Watch for my son. We both loved it. I was astonished (I'm sure I have said this in another thread, sorry for the repetition) at the value. When I say value, I am talking about what you pay for what you receive. Remarkable, to say the least. So that had clinched it for me. I decided I had to have a real tartan kilt (the one I have is bogus Ren-Faire doo doo), and I decided I would buy it and all of the accessories from SWK. Well, it just so happened that I was going to the Texas Ren-Fest this weekend, and I had another special occasion besides that gave me enough reason to buy the kilt.

I ordered my Standard Royal Stewart Kilt, basic black leather sporran, belt and buckle, socks, and flashes on Tuesday November 6th at about 10:30 AM. I e-mailed Jerry (?) at SWK to ask him if this would be enough time to get it by Friday, and he said to order right away, and it shouldn't be a problem (by the way, he responded to both of my e-mails in less than an hour).

My package was delivered to my mailbox on THURSDAY! Thursday people! I was surprised at the speed of delivery for my son's kilt, but I was blown away when I discovered that my kilt came in 2 days! Not only did it show up, but it fit perfectly, and all of the accessories were as described, and in perfect condition. He even threw in a pair of Royal Stewart flashes, even though I bought red flashes. What an awesome touch!

Okay, so the kilt: we have a celtic store here in Austin called Things Celtic, so I have held high dollar kilts from Scotland in my hand. I have tried them on. I cannot afford them. To my untrained eye, there is no difference in the Scottish madee $500 kilts, and the kilt I bought from Jerry. I know that it is not worsted wool, but I could care less. This thing is BEAUTIFUL! The pleats sway smartly, and it just feels expensive. I am sure the buckles and straps are not top notch quality, but that is negligible when you consider the over all value of what you are getting for what you have paid. I am literally astonished. My son loved it. He was so surprised. Now I know several items that I will be getting him for Christmas.

The sporran, belt, and buckle are all very excellent accoutrements, and I will wear them with pride. I only need to figure out how to adjust the sporran chain enough to fit my 34" waste. In all truth, I will probably buy a buckle that is closer to a bronze in color, just because I like that look more. And I will probably buy a brown leather belt and sporran eventually. I think brown will go with more of my shoes. BUT I HAVE ZERO COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE ACCESSORIES. They are wonderful.

The flashes and socks are of high quality, not to mention that I got a free set in matching tartan. YOU CANNOT BEAT THAT KIND OF SERVICE.

I don't mean this to sound like and advertisement. But I think we are all so used to crappy service, that I feel it is necessary to go out of my way to appreciate someone or some company when they exceed expectations.

I have already told so many people about SWK, including friends and family. One of my best friends has mentioned that he would like to buy a kilt, after I sported mine to St. Patti's day downtown, and then to the after party at Muddy Buddy. I told him to go to SWK!

Thank you Stillwater Kilts for making my new kilt (and first real one), a memorable experience. I truly don't know when I will wear my other tartan kilt, or my UK again.

[pipesndrumsnun]

You gotta love Stillwater!!

[pipesndrumsnun]

By the way, WELCOME from Flint, MI!

[ccga3359]

I point of correction, SWK is not the kiltmaker. Having said that all else you've said is true. Customer service must be Jerry's mantra. My first kilt was a wool black shadow tartan and the quality is A1. It is also the least expensive kilt I own and with winter fast approaching I'll certainly be breaking it out real soon. I'd say enjoy but my comment would appear too late, you already are.

[DireStraitsFan]

By the way, WELCOME from Flint, MI!

THANKS!

[Mr. MacDougall]

Nobody ships faster, or has better customer service, than Stillwater. Others may have customer service that's as good, but no one does it better.

[Ozman1944]

Yet ANOTHER Stillwater Fan! Welcome to the 'Club" - as well as this Forum.
I also am thrilled with Stillwater in every way. Without them I could never have afforded so many kilts

[Nighthawk]

We are a whole lot of SWK groupies. I'll chime in here that I own one Scottish made kilt, one Amerikilt, and three SWK kilts. Honestly, my weathered MacKenzie SWK Standard is a little wierd- it feels like my fleece blanket. It's really light and build up a ton of static. My Black Stewart is a Standard as well, and feels totally different. It feels much more like wool. My Nightstalker is a wool kilt. The only difference between it and my hand tailored import kilt is the fit. My hand tailored one fit my hips perfectly. I'm a 300lb hiker and my legs are enormous, so I had to get my SWK's altered to fit my hips. Not Jerry's fault- I'm a hiker and martial artist. I reiterate here the point that my legs are huge. So SWK's wool heavyweights are at $120 nearly as good as my $600 tank. And the little perks are nice. I've gotten flashes in matching tartan with all three of my kilts. With my third kilt, ol' Jer threw in a hanger. And the only way the guy could be faster is if he could read my mind and ship before I order. SWK is incredible!

So with all that being said- welcome to the forum!

[fluter]

To make your sporran chain work, you probably need to remove about 3 inches of chain from each side. You can open a link slightly with needle-nose pliers...

Then go find a narrow leather belt, size 36-38, to use instead. The chain I have from SWK is pretty good, but it can rough up the fabric over time. I'm reserving my chains for evening wear.

[James MacMillan]

Being a full timer, I get into a lot of conversations about kilts. People are continually amazed that in out modern world, you don't have to save for a year to get kilted.

SWK, SK, USA, etc, etc can get a newby presentably kilted for very little $$.

Sure, they aren't tanks, but they are totally wearable and they look good.

My hat's off to our advertisers! Thanks for allowing so many people to try out our life style.