kilt pin on sporran

[Terry Searl]

When I bought my first sporran the centre tassel was missing and that gave me the sporran at a considerable discount. I installed a kilt pin I had in it's place. While visiting Cornwall in the south of England earlier this year, in a small antique shop, in a small village, I found a grouse foot pin, at £10.00 I thought it reasonable and purchased it. I have now installed it on the sporran instead of the sword pin. I'm not so much worried about what people think, the antique grouse foot pin was a unique souvenier from a lovely part of England. It is totally unrelated to Cornwall but at some time it was likely someones treasure, as most things are in antique shops, and now it is a treasure for me

[Tarheel]

Don't change a thing Terry. The special purchase (grouse foot) is exactly what your sporran needs.

One benefit is, the chances for conversation are increased greatly.

[ThistleDown]

Terry, that bit of bling is perfect. It's an antique piece that means something very special to you. It won't and cant be duplicated because of that. Maybe of interest to you, and others, is that the grouse foot was a 19C woman's brooch in memory -- or perhaps not -- of participation in the Glorious Twelfth. It moved from there to a ladies skirt pin and didn't become a kilt pin until (briefly) fairly recently, along with the little agate dirks worn as ladies' brooches during the best eras on the grouse moors and the accumulation of wealth in the Industrial era.

[Terry Searl]

Terry, that bit of bling is perfect. It's an antique piece that means something very special to you. It won't and cant be duplicated because of that. Maybe of interest to you, and others, is that the grouse foot was a 19C woman's brooch in memory -- or perhaps not -- of participation in the Glorious Twelfth. It moved from there to a ladies skirt pin and didn't become a kilt pin until (briefly) fairly recently, along with the little agate dirks worn as ladies' brooches during the best eras on the grouse moors and the accumulation of wealth in the Industrial era.

As is often the case, the members of this site have explained things properly, with respect and without prejudice. MY grouse foot pin is a reminder of what a wonderful holiday we had in Cornwall and especially Charlestown, where I got it. I know it will start a conversation and now I'll be able to colour inside the lines a bit more so to speak.......Thank you so much for your explanation
It is a bit peculiar to me that in times past, it was often Ladies that wore the animal "bits" IE. Fox and mink stoles, Fur coats, Feathered hats etc., and yet it is mostly men, but not always, who did the shooting........maybe it was to prove to the ladies, the men were good providers, in some Neanderthal way.......Thanx again ThistleDown I always enjoy your comments

[bodhran4me]

I like them both. I'm not very big on tassels rattling around, up n' down, to n' fro.

[ThistleDown]

Not really that peculiar, Terry, if you can place yourself in the era of Grand Estates and their sports of the 19C and early 20C. Wealth was immense and the desire to be part of it (if not really part of it) was equally large. Not many of the ladies participated (some did, with note) in the grouse shoots, but they were all the rage and employment for them was a significant part of local personal income. The trophies from a grouse shoot are defined as meat for the table -- so the Glorious Twelfth and the pheasants to follow -- and not as heads on the wall. We feasted well whilst elsewhere there were long periods of protein shortage.

For the ladies who didn't participate in the actual shoot, there were some trophies: grouse feet, feathers and semi-preciousness stones, with silver or gold, made by the silversmith and jewelers of London, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Inverness and elsewhere into souvenirs -- a bit like your memory of Charlsetown.

Don't overthink the wearing of furs in earlier times. Men must surely have worn skins with hair attached for warmth. But by the 19C of which you refer, fine furs such as the NA mink and martin, were preferred by women for their soft sensuousness, and the beaver for men's hats for its water-resistance. In terms of NA think-speak give thought to velvet & silk as different from cowhide; and then think of Spanish soft leathers/pigskin and & the thickness of your brogues.