8yd 16oz Kilt review: "Bobilicious" on Ebay

[Hedcase]

(Let me start by saying that if this thread is in the wrong place, I apologize).

Hello all! I just received two new kilts from Bob Chalmers; aka "Bobilicious" on Ebay, and I have to say that I couldn't be more happy with the finished products!

When I decided it was time to retire a few of my worn out, acrylic and PV kilts and upgrade to nice worsted wool kilts, I did countless hours of research and forum-searching to find the right maker. I was looking for the right combination of price, general value, tartan options, features, customer service and kilt maker reputation. After exhaustive communication with him, I decided to go with Bob Chalmers from the Ebay Market Place.

I ordered two kilts from him; one was a bespoke order made in the MacAulay Hunting Modern tartan, 8yds, in 16oz wool from Lochcarron Mills. The other was a unclaimed order for a kilt in my size made in the Irish County Waterford tartan, 5yd, 13oz wool from Lochcarron.

The price for both of these kilts together cost me right around $375 USD with shipping! An absolutely amazing deal by any means! Bob Chalmers uses mostly Lochcarron wool tartan and has his own private kilt maker complete the orders. He will not disclose who makes the kilts; this is done to protect the identity of the kilt maker (who I can only assume is working on the side from their full-time employer??). In any event, all of his kilts are made in Scotland of Scottish wool. The kilt is machine sewn and hand finished.

When I first opened the box and saw my new kilts, the tartan looked even better than in photos. These were my first kilts made of Lochcarron Mill's wool, and I can see why they are one of Scotland's most popular mills. The colors are much more vibrant than they look on Lochcarron's website, and very pleasing to the eye.

I was able to notice the difference in construction methods between the heavy 16oz, 8yd kilt and the lighter 13oz, 5yd kilt.


I'll start with the 8yd kilt first and post another entry for the 5yd later.



The construction of the 8yd kilt is truly first-rate construction. The attention to detail on the stitching, pleating, buckles, straps, liner, belt loops were all extremely well done. Speaking of the belt loops, I think we have all seen kilts where the belt loops do not match the pattern of the tartan at all or maybe they do just a little. The belt loops on this kilt are hard to distinguish from the body of the kilt because it is an EXACT match to the pattern of the tartan! The same goes from the material that secures the buckles as well: perfect match.






The 8yd worsted wool tartan is extremely well made as you might expect from Lochcarron, with tight threads, no burs, and no hickups. The wool is soft and far from the sandpaper feel of other kilts, but I have seen softer material from other mills. The front appron panel has the traditional fringe edge, selvedge edge on the bottom.

The pleats have to be the sharpest that I have ever seen! they lay so flat and swing so nicely; I can't compare it to any other kilt I've ever owned! The pleats are sewn down approx 8 inches (8.5 from the top of the waistband). The pleats are 5 inches wide each with an overlap of about 3.5 inches. I had this kilt pleated to the stripe.



The liner of the kilt is a very soft, black material (cotton/silk blend maybe??) that extends 6 inches down from the top edge on the side panels, and 8.25 inches down on the center (back). The stitching holding it in place is very good; preventing the annoying "bunching" that some lessers quality kilts are prone to.

The leather straps are secured well and are the typical style found on most kilts these days. The buckles are stout as well, and hold the buckles well; they have a bit more shine than my other kilt buckles FWIW.




In closing I will say that this is hands down, the best made, best wearing, highest quality kilt I have personally purchased. Hope you liked the review!

Regards,

J-

[madmacs]

looks great, and definitely cant complain at the price... congratulations

[Zardoz]

Good looking kilt! Looking forward to the Waterford pics, that tartan is on my short list.

[Jack Daw]

I'm very impressed with the look and price. I look forward to seeing the other kilt.

[Tobus]

Congrats on the purchases. I hope they serve you well.

But...

(And I hope I'm not raining on your parade here...)

You might want to check a couple of things. I purchased an 8-yard 16-ounce kilt a couple of years ago, too, for a price not too different than yours. I didn't buy from Bobilicious, but from another person who also used an "anonymous kiltmaker in Scotland". And honestly, when I look at the pictures of your kilt above, the details of the construction look virtually identical to the one I bought. Especially the black lining. I wonder if yours was made by the same person.

The reason this is important is because I learned a hard, hard lesson about kilt construction. You may want to look at the thread I just linked, read it all the way through, and then check your new kilt to see if it displays similar behaviour to mine.

I'm really hoping it doesn't, and that yours is a well-built quality kilt. But check it, just to be sure. It could save you headaches down the road.

[Hedcase]

Okay, now for the review for the 13oz, 5yd kilt in the County Waterford tartan. As I mentioned previously, this kilt differs from the 8yd in several ways; some expected and some not expected.

The first thing I noticed was the difference in how the wool felt when compared to the heavy 8yd 16oz kilt. Very soft indeed! I can say right now it will be my go-to kilt for warmer weather, outdoor festivals, and for when i play pub shows with my band.

As with the other kilt, the colors of the tartan grabbed my attention; they are very bright and the colors on the Lochcarron website do not do it justice! I really do like this tartan a lot. In sunlight, it has great blues, and in artificial light it takes on a bit of a very faint purple color.



One of the the first things I noticed is how the leather straps were secured and the condition of the straps. There is discoloration on the back of one of the straps that will need the occasional oiling to keep it moist and from cracking and pilling over the years I suspect.



I also noticed that the waistband liner also did not extend all the way out to the edge of the front appron panel as the 8yd kilt did. I'm not sure what the reason for this was other than a lower quality product for a lower price. Also, there is less material here than the 8yd kilt. there is an even 6 inches of liner all the way around, and it does not extend lower on the back (center) portion of the kilt like the 8yd kilt does.




There was not as much attention to detail on the belt loops and straps and buckles as was in my bespoke kilt, but still a nice job all the way around and blends in pretty well for a $120 USD kilt.





The pleats are significantly different from the 8yd kilt for obvious reasons. The pleats are 3 inches wide and have an over-lap of 1.5 inches. They are not as crisp or sharp as the 8yd kilt which was a little suprising to me since it is a lighter material, but the pleats have good lines wich can be ironed out with no problem.




As with my 8yd kilt, I could not be more happy with this kilt; especially for the price. I have had many reservations abotu dealing with ANYONE on ebay, but I have to say that Bob Chalmers aka "Bobilicious" set my mind at ease. His customer service, product knowledge, communication, and helpful suggestions make dealing with him one of the best internet purchases I have ever made. Turn-around times for bespoke kilts are right around 45 days; give or take (once shipped, it took almost 2 weeks to clear US Cutoms to get to my house here in Philadelphia).

If any of you out there were considering where to get your next kilt, I would strongly suggest dealing with Bob Chalmers. Here is the link to his shop on ebay:

http://stores.ebay.com/Kilt-and-High...upplies?_rdc=1

Regards,

Joshua

[Hedcase]

Congrats on the purchases. I hope they serve you well.

But...

(And I hope I'm not raining on your parade here...)

You might want to check a couple of things. I purchased an 8-yard 16-ounce kilt a couple of years ago, too, for a price not too different than yours. I didn't buy from Bobilicious, but from another person who also used an "anonymous kiltmaker in Scotland". And honestly, when I look at the pictures of your kilt above, the details of the construction look virtually identical to the one I bought. Especially the black lining. I wonder if yours was made by the same person.

The reason this is important is because I learned a hard, hard lesson about kilt construction. You may want to look at the thread I just linked, read it all the way through, and then check your new kilt to see if it displays similar behaviour to mine.

I'm really hoping it doesn't, and that yours is a well-built quality kilt. But check it, just to be sure. It could save you headaches down the road.

Well said Sir! I actually followed that thread very closely prior to ordering and even forwarded it to Mr. Chalmers who took note and made sure it had the reenforcing strip included in the construction (it is able to be felt very slightly through the liner. Good call! Though I am sad for your misfortune, I learned a very valuable lesson from you Sir!

[clanciankent]

I purchased a five yard Irish American kilt from Bob recently,I was impressed with the quality of it considering it only cost me about seventy five quid.Bob also refunded me the postage because it did not get sent out immediately even though it was the Christmas/New Year period when a delay is understandable.I will definately buy from him again.

[Tobus]

Well said Sir! I actually followed that thread very closely prior to ordering and even forwarded it to Mr. Chalmers who took note and made sure it had the reenforcing strip included in the construction (it is able to be felt very slightly through the liner. Good call! Though I am sad for your misfortune, I learned a very valuable lesson from you Sir!

Excellent! If just one person avoids the same problem I had, I consider it a success. Enjoy your new kilts!

[MacMillans son]

As with the other kilt, the colors of the tartan grabbed my attention; they are very bright and the colors on the Lochcarron website do not do it justice!

Not to pick nits, but is this possibly the Waterford County Crest tartan from Marton Mills and not an offering from Lochcarron?