Kilt Pin, Anchor Weight Or True Pin?

**Spartan Tartan** · 9th June 11, 04:56 AM

I never wear a kilt pin. In fact, I don't even own one. I've never had an issue with "needing more weight" to keep my aprons down. And here in Oklahoma 40 MPH winds are nearly a daily occurrence.

Just my 2 cents...

**Tobus** · 9th June 11, 05:03 AM

However, if one is wearing a traditional kilt made from even medium weight cloth, and wearing a typical kilt pin, which may only be a few ounces at best, the amount of weight added to the kilt apron is really insignificant.

I'm glad Matt posted that, because it's exactly what I was going to say. For kilting-weight cloth, with the extra thickness at the fringed end of the apron, it already weighs enough to hold itself down pretty well. The kind of weight you'd need to add to make a significant difference would probably be very annoying to have pinned on there.

And consider that even if the wind blows the corner of your outer apron up... so what? The inner apron still covers what's important, and it's wrapped all the way around to your left side and buckled in place, so it's not going anywhere.

I've pretty much gone to the simple lightweight "blanket pin" style, just for looks. Wearing the ubiquitous heavy pewter sword-style clan crest pin wasn't doing it for me. It would bounce around, flop from side to side, and generally annoy me. Going to a lighter kilt pin made it more comfortable, and my outer apron stays put like it always has.

I also think most people (well, most Americans anyway) wear their kilt pin way too low. They seem to think it's supposed to go at the very bottom of the apron. I don't know if there's a 'rule of thumb' on this, but I usually don't pin mine any lower than the third-point of the apron. Like so:

**Dulcius ex Asperis** · 27th June 11, 10:46 AM

Is there a distinction between casual vs. formal for kilt pin wearing? I suspect if one rents a kilt part of the package is a kilt pin. Is that just the rental kilt industry making things look more normative than they really are/have been? Obviously kilt pins have been around for some time, but has it been more of an optional thing historically?

**veda_sticks** · 7th September 11, 04:34 PM

ive heard of this before about wearing a kilt pin for weight. I recenlty bought a PV kilt (an 8 yard kilt which is supposidly 16oz which i doubnt it is that heavy)

ive had no problems in the gusty winds of glasgow, ive had the pleats messed up from gust of winds but its never left me bare.

When i was ;last at a wedding i hired a kilt, which was obvioiusly a real wool kilt 8 yard and quite heavy. the kilt pin really did not feel like it had any weight to make any kind of different.

i have virtually no knowledge of kilts and accessories, but it really doesnt make sense that the kilt pin functions as a weight. this is just my own personal observations.

Even with my light weight PV kilt i wouldnt feel a pin would offer any advantage to keeping the apron in place during wind. Unless it was made of lead.

**Dale Seago** · 7th September 11, 06:40 PM

Originally Posted by veda_sticks

. . .but it really doesnt make sense that the kilt pin functions as a weight.

I have to agree.

In fact, this is the first time in my several years of kilt-wearing that I've ever heard of the idea that a kilt pin's weight was ever supposed to have anything to do with. . .well, anything.

**Chas** · 8th September 11, 11:01 AM

I was always under the impression that the function of a kiltpin was to look good!

Regards

Chas

**ForresterModern** · 8th September 11, 11:37 AM

Bling first, apron anchor second, pinned through to the inner apron never.

j

**spglenn** · 8th September 11, 04:59 PM

The function of the kilt pin I shall be wearing to a family wedding on Saturday is to show off that I am Irish (ie it is an enameled shamrock). Of just my buttons, choise of tartan even sgian dubh should give all that away.

Sadly my buttonhole will be a thistle. What is a guy to do to avoid wearing Scottish emblems when fully dressed up lol

**okiwen** · 9th September 11, 05:44 AM

While in Victoria I had a lady approach to tell me I should be wearing a pin and her tone told me that she obviously had an opinion. I smiled and told her it took me a long time and a lot of work to make that kilt why would I want to put holes in it. She looked like she would except that but wasn't happy about it. I think she was also bothered that I wasn't wearing a sporran either. I didn't have a need.

I always run into the problem of matching colors so why tempt the "color police". After all, I already have at least three colors involved, why risk another.