In 1804, in the book “Travels in Southern Albania”, author William Martin Leake states that:

“The coarse woollen cloth used for the outer garments of the Albanians is made chiefly in Shkodra. It is a thick, white, woven cloth, which holds well, and when adorned with a broad lace (gajtan), forms one of the most beautiful national costumes in Europe. It is much superior in its quality to the black cap or outer cloak made in all the mountains of Northern Greece.

One of the advantages of the Albanians is their independence from other countries for most of the manufactures of that kind with which they are content. Their arms are all made in Albania, with the exception of revolvers, the greater part of which are from northern Italy, although some types of pistols are made in Shkodra, Prisrend [Prizren], Kalkandr [Tetovo], Prishtina [Prishtina], and Grevena: The manufacture of arms is carried on in Greece and Albania; some which I have seen from Carpenis, in Aetolia, which have a brilliancy (if they have any merit) equal to those of England.

The coarse woolen cloth used for the outer garments of the Albanians is mainly made at Skódra. It is a thick white coarse cloth, which wears well, and when adorned with a broad lace, forms one of the most handsome national costumes in Europe. It is much superior in quality to that of the black cap, or outer cloak, made in all the mountains of Northern Greece.

One of the advantages of the Albanians is their independence from other countries for the greater part of the manufactures of that rude kind with which they are content. Their arms are all made in Albania, with the exception of the gun-barrels, the greater part of which are from the north of Italy, although an inferior kind both of musquet and pistol-barrels are made at Skódra [Shkodra], Prisrend [Prizren], Kalkándere [Tetova], Prístina [Prishtina], and Grevená: gun locks are made both in Greece and Albania; some I have seen from Karpenísi, in Aetolia, which have a polish (if that be any merit) equal to those of England”.