Phoenixville Pilgrimage

**IRISH** · 18th October 08, 06:17 PM

after about a month of research, much of it here on xmts, i was ready to replace my family tartan kilt through usa kilts. located only about 50 miles from my home, i decided to take advantage of our proximity to one another to have rocky take my measurements properly rather than phoning in the order and making a dog's dinner of the measurements myself.
it was a beautiful autumn day in eastern pennsylvania, sunny 65' and phoenixville was abuzz with activity along the banks of the schuylkill river. usa kilts is a simple little storefront, but the interior is really special. it's the kind of place that one really wants to stay, browse and spend money. though not very large, the store is not cluttered but open and very well lighted. the thing that sticks out in my mind about the shop is that its design and layout is a curiously perfect mix of elegance and excitement perhaps best illustrated by the contrast of crystal clear display cases featuring jewelry while a full size dropkick murphys poster stands guard over the store from the corner. the real treat, though, is the long racks of finished kilts. astoundingly colorful.
as for having my measurements taken by rocky, it was a wise move and worth the relatively short journey: the difference between having the master himself take the measurements and me doing it myself with a rusty craftsmen tape measure while my wife stands nearby saying "are you sure you're doing that right?" is probably considerable.
i left the shop with a brown paper shopping bag with a decorative scrap of plaid thoughtfully tied to one handle, its contents a pair of excellent navy hose and a slip of paper that says within a couple of months i will be the owner of a handmade kilt made of eight yards of 16oz ferguson modern wool tartan, pleated to set.
celebratory beer and lunch at one of the town's MANY pubs and i was on my way home to count the days.
rocky and kelly have an excellent shop and i thoroughly encourage anyone within driving distance to make phoenixville and usa kilts the destination for a family day trip. the usak website is first rate, but there is nothing like seeing merchandise, especially all of those amazing kilts, openly displayed in person. as for the town, lots of interesting shops and from my count about three pubs for every five inhabitants...
a memorable day. thanks rocky and kelly.
p.s. apologies to those out there patiently waiting for your own usa kilts... i figure i took rocky away from the scissors, needle and thread for about 30 minutes. pretty sure he got right back to work after i left the shop, though.

**Sionnach** · 18th October 08, 09:06 PM

I was wondering why my order has slowed down and my wait has become longer!

Great description. If only we could add -ville to Phoenix, I might not have to travel so far to Rocky and Kelly- in a weird time/space discontinuum way. For now, we will both have to enjoy the wait.

**RockyR** · 18th October 08, 09:14 PM

Ron,

It was very nice meeting you and your wife today. When Kelly saw the Creed perfume, she was extremely excited as that's one of her favorite perfumes. One of the nicest gifts a customer has given us (and the CD isn't bad either). Was that some kind of bribery to push your kilt up inthe order? If so, you're on the right track...

Thanks for the kind review of the shop! I know our kilts have been reviewed before, but never the shop itself. Glad to hear it made an impression.

**Highlander31** · 18th October 08, 09:41 PM

Sounds like a great day. Look forward seeing the photos when it arrives.

**socalferg** · 19th October 08, 10:26 PM

Irish,
Congrats on pulling the trigger on your Ferguson modern kilt. I’m sure you’ll be pleased with your kilt from the folks at USA.
And I must say I am a bit envious that you’re close enough to make the journey to their shop.

**IRISH** · 20th October 08, 06:03 AM

thanks, ferg. you were my inspiration to drop the hammer on the eight yards. we'll be like bookends on either shore. i'll post pictures when it's in my possession in a couple of months.

**fudgeman** · 20th October 08, 09:36 AM

Hmm, let's see--just did a Mapquest and I can be there in 9 1/2 hours. Think I'll have to rely on the online site. (But that's not a bad thing---great site!!)

**kiltedinUSMC** · 20th October 08, 10:35 AM

Reading this post just made me a little homesick. I used to live about 30 mintues from Rocky's shop.

**IRISH** · 20th October 08, 11:48 AM

sorry, marine. i'd never want to make a member of the armed forces homesick. my brother is a pilot in the army and i know how it is.

look at it this way, you're better off far away from the shop. if i lived any nearer i'd probably just hand my pay packet off to r & k on a weekly basis in exchange for a new something-a-rather... new kilt, belt, buckle, pin, hose, belt attachments...

**kiltedinUSMC** · 22nd October 08, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by IRISH

sorry, marine. i'd never want to make a member of the armed forces homesick. my brother is a pilot in the army and i know how it is.

look at it this way, you're better off far away from the shop. if i lived any nearer i'd probably just hand my pay packet off to r & k on a weekly basis in exchange for a new something-a-rather... new kilt, belt, buckle, pin, hose, belt attachments...

I almost do everytime I go to Phoenixville to visit.