Traditional Kilts from Utility Kilt

[liammaclean]

Hey y'all. Got my Stillwater Economy and then swapped with Woodsman (thanks Woodsman!) and I think its safe to say that I've been rebit by the kilt bug. I'm looking to snag a cheaper Wool kilt (I know, I know) and for a while was looking at Stillwater because I had such a good experience there. However my wallet has me by the nose and so I ended up checking out other sites, and as far as I can tell, UT has a lot of the same kilts for a bit cheaper (I was thinking maybe they have the same supplier). Can a kilt expert set me straight? Relevant links below:

https://www.utkilts.com/black-watch-...an-kilt-13-oz/

http://store.stillwaterkilts.com/Woo...rtan_p_98.html

[BjornBsrkr]

I have a UT 13 oz wool (Royal Stewart). You really get what you pay for in kilts. I wanted something inexpensive as I dipped my toe in the world of kilts and this one fit the bill. Being of rather "robust" dimensions, custom made kilts start to get expensive quickly, but even in my one-off size the UT was a great price.

The wool is fairly lightly woven (not incredibly tight -- it won't be waterproof!) and there was a few picks in the weave which I managed to pull back through. There is very little structure in the waist area, but at least the stitching is solid and it has quiet a bit of "heft". Don't expect lots of tight half inch razor pleats, they are deep pleats.

From a couple of feet away it looks fine and is functional for now, but will likely be replaced soon with something more upscale.

I can't comment on the Stillwater kilts, having yet to purchase one.

Bjorn

[Taskr]

Liam,
You will get what you pay for. A mentor many years ago told me that people without much money cannot afford to by cheap things. Took me a while to figure that out, but I came to learn that saving for what I really want is far better in the long run.
For a kilt to last you want structure under the wool tartan holding everything together and in place - else the waistband,especially, start to warp from tightening and wearing. After a while, the pleat stitching will weaken from the strain also. If its just something you want to wear now and then, a "cheap' kilt may be just what you need. If you want to wear it a lot, it might not hold up as well as you wish. You should ask if the kilt has a stabilizer and waistband lining. Be wary if it does not - unless you've the skills to take care of that yourself
Those are general comments, and not directed at any particular company or supplier.

[Guthrumironhead]

I have a couple of UT kilts. They are great for what they are and if you go the custom wool route you have a few nice tartan choices. The Mackenzie, Cameron of Erracht and Black Watch are nice large setts, but the Gordon and Stewart Hunting are tiny and the fabric seems to be lighter weight than 13 oz, to me at least. The green is a bit off on the Cameron and the Black Watch colors are more the ancient hues than modern. You can't trust the website swatches. These kilts in no way compare to a traditional kilt in 16 oz wool, but they are a great way to feed the addiction, get actual wool and not blow too much moolah.
Negatives aside, I do like them and wear them fairly often.
I owned a Stillwater wool Black Watch that I sold. It was very different from my UT, totally different fabric, not the same construction. The quality of the Stillwater was a bit higher, as was the price.

[Steve Ashton]

I can tell you with a fair amount of certainty that Stillwater and UT do not get their product from the same supplier. Yes, they are both products produced in Pakistan. In the same town or Sailkot. But that is about as similar as it goes.

For products from the same supplier that UT uses may I suggest you look at EBay. There are about five or six different companies selling the exact same items from the exact same supplier used by UT.

[ratspike]

Whether Stillwater is getting product from the same factory as UT Kilts or one down the street, you're still essentially getting the same thing. I think cheap kilts fill a niche and I'm glad they exist. 50 bucks is easy to spend, and I think it's easy to feel like you got your money's worth. Jumping up to $100 or $150 though, I dunno man. I doubt I could get myself to pay that much for one of these things. I had a "heavyweight wool" Stillwater briefly and would have been pretty hacked off if I'd paid full price. The 90 bucks that UT Kilts is asking is $9.99 away from a USA Kilts casual model. Sure, you're getting fewer pleats and no straps/buckles but it's going to fit correctly and be of much higher quality than any Pakistani import. Or save a bit more cash and get a semi-trad, which at $219 really isn't much more expensive than the Stillwater.

[liammaclean]

Thanks all. I think I'll pull the trigger. The other big reason is that UT has a buckle I like on sale right now so I figure why not snag a kilt in the same shipment.

Thanks Steve for the info on the providers, I have no eye for this kind of thing.

[liammaclean]

Read a couple comments too late, after I had ordered. I bought the kilt and a belt. Hope I don't regret it too much.

[liammaclean]

I think you all might be right about the wool thing, I am going to try to cancel the kilt part of my order (worst case return) or maybe switch to a more modern style UT Kilt (any advice on those?).

[ratspike]

If you search a bit you'll turn up lots of threads on UT Kilts and their utility kilts. The short version is pretty good quality product, fair pricing, and decent-to-outstanding customer service.