Hello, new from Rhode Island

**jmercier** · 27th August 07, 11:35 AM

Good day everyone.

My name is Justin and I just stumbled upon this place this past weekend while trying to do some research into historic sgian dubh handles. I read a bunch of threads and decided to register and introduce myself.

I'm a software engineer living in Rhode Island, an avid hobby video game player, and a hobby blacksmith and bladesmith. (The latter being why I was researching sgian dubh handles)

I've not been wearing kilts for too long, having purchased my first kilt five years ago, a gorgeous hand stitched kilt made by Terry McShane of www.kiltsnmore.com in the Strathclyde district tartan. I made this purchase when I first became intrested in piping, and although that intrest never went further than puchasing a practice chanter and a beginner's book, I'm glad that I bought a nice kilt to start things off.

I've been unable to find out much more about the 8th of me that is Scottish other than that their surname was Biggar (or one of the many other spellings, Bigir, Bygar, Bigare, I'm not sure which as my family tree is a bit 'forgotten' for the most part) and that they lived in the Strathclyde area, likely near Glasgow or Lanark. Strathclyde region being about as close as I could pin them down before investing a large sum in a nice kilt, that's the tartan which I chose for my first.

After wearing that kilt at a combination of local ren faires, highland games, and a few more formal occasions, I had found that I enjoyed the look and feel and comfort of wearing a kilt, and since then I've purchased a pair of amerikilts and one utilikilt. I wont lie and say I go around kilted all the time, in part because I know no one else who wears one ever, but I do wear a kilt when the mood strikes me. True, my friends all rib me about my "skirts" as theyc all them, but I have managed to convince a few of them to at least try wearing kilts on occasion, and those who have done so have invariably purchased at least one kilt for special occasions themselves.

I've been working on forging myself a sgian dubh of my own for more formal wear, to have something nice and handmade to tuck into my stockings. I've finished forging the blade, and have been at a loss to put a suitable handle on the thing as of yet.

http://www.tharkis.com/images/cabledamascus3.jpg is the blade, and I'm thinking now of using the piece of deer bone behind the blade as the handle, along with a wooden spacer. (The blade started out as a piece of crane cable, http://www.tharkis.com/images/cable.jpg)

Anyways, I just thought I'd register and introduce myself, this looks like a great place to be to learn more about kilts, tartan, and the people who wear them.

I'll be seeing you all around!

-Justin

**CactusJack** · 27th August 07, 11:45 AM

Hello

and

From The Great State of Missouri.

**Tattoo Bradley** · 27th August 07, 11:48 AM

**James MacMillan** · 27th August 07, 11:55 AM

**Coinneach** · 27th August 07, 12:09 PM

Justin, welcome from both coasts. You'll definitely find a lot of support for wearing your kilts here.

**Macman** · 27th August 07, 12:01 PM

Welcome, Justin, from Vancouver Island, B.C., and thanks for introducing yourself! Don't worry, lots of us don't wear kilts full time; that's one of the good things about this board - we come in all shapes, sizes, attitudes, likes and dislikes.