Got Lucky on eBay

**Guthrumironhead** · 5th July 18, 07:03 PM

Hello all.
I just received my latest eBay purchase today. The seller described it as a former Centerville Georgia Fire Department Pipes and Drums kilt. It is a J. Higgins and in Black Watch tartan, pleated to the sett. Other than the expected wear to the straps I can find no fault with it. It is in super shape and fits as well as my made to measure kilts. I have another Black Watch, pleated to the line in regimental fashion, without fringe like an army kilt, but I couldn’t resist this at $150.00 with free shipping!
The plan was to get this one as a knockin’ around kilt at that price, but it may not turn out that way. The cloth is quite different from my other Black Watch. Both are supposed to be 16 oz., but this one feels somewhat heavier with a superior selvedge. The color is also a bit different so I assume different mills. I am tempted to reach out to Higgins just to see if they have any info about the kilts they produced for this band, if they were done as a mass order or individually. It would be interesting to discover which mill produced the cloth as well. Anyway, I had to tell somebody!

**Tarheel** · 6th July 18, 05:20 AM

You're barking up the right tree with your announcement. We here appreciate finding a treasure like the one you have and love hearing about the luck of others. Photos would make it better.

**Mike S** · 6th July 18, 07:53 AM

The Black Watch acquisition is appropriate as a fellow Guthrie. Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Guthrie of Guthrie, the late chief of the clan, commanded the 4th Battalion of the Black Watch.

**OC Richard** · 9th July 18, 04:39 AM

Originally Posted by Guthrumironhead

a former Centerville Georgia Fire Department Pipes and Drums kilt. I am tempted to reach out to Higgins just to see if they have any info about the kilts they produced for this band, if they were done as a mass order or individually. It would be interesting to discover which mill produced the cloth as well.

Yes contact Higgins, they might have records.

About mass order, or individually generally for bands it's both: the initial order of 20 or more kilts, and follow-up orders in succeeding years for additional matching kilts.

Higgins does a load of band kilts and they're very good at exactly matching existing band kilts whether or not Higgins was the initial supplier. Kilts being one of the prime expenses of starting up a pipe band, it's common for startup bands to acquire the entire band set of kilts from an existing band that's switching to a different tartan. Our band acquired the entire band set of the Regina Police Pipe Band, and Higgins was able to precisely match these kilts when we needed more. Higgins identified the weaver and weight and made the pleats the same as the existing kilts. You can't tell them apart.

About the Centerville Georgia Fire Department Pipes and Drums around 2004 or 2005 they became The Heart Of Georgia Pipes And Drums.

A quick Google revealed contact information for the latter band, though it was all several years old.

I've been through the frustrating process of contacting a band and its supplier to track down a certain tartan. I found a band that wears Portree. I'd only found that fabric in 11oz but when I contacted the band they said they had both lightweight and mediumweight kilts in the band, and they told me who supplied their kilts (not Higgins). Well when I contacted the supplier they said they had no recollection or records pertaining to the band kilts in question, and said that they too could only provide the tartan in 11oz.