Show Us Your Kilt Pins.

[Jessica]

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I have had the thistle since I was three, when I inherited it from my grandmother. It's thought that she brought it with her when she came from Scotland, but I don't know much about it.

The clan badge in the centre also belonged to my grandmother. At the same time that I inherited the thistle, my mother (the first-born daughter) inherited the clan badge, and when she passed away a few years later it came to me.

The cameo at the bottom isn't really a kilt pin, but it's the pin I used on my formal sash when I got married. It belonged to/was given to me by my husband's grandmother who passed away before our wedding, so it was our remembrance of her on the day that I officially joined her family.

[davidlpope]

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I have had the thistle since I was three, when I inherited it from my grandmother. It's thought that she brought it with her when she came from Scotland, but I don't know much about it.

The clan badge in the centre also belonged to my grandmother. At the same time that I inherited the thistle, my mother (the first-born daughter) inherited the clan badge, and when she passed away a few years later it came to me.

The cameo at the bottom isn't really a kilt pin, but it's the pin I used on my formal sash when I got married. It belonged to/was given to me by my husband's grandmother who passed away before our wedding, so it was our remembrance of her on the day that I officially joined her family.

Jessica,

Were your Scottish ancestors Craigs? My Craig ancestors emigrated from Ulster to South Carolina just before the American Revolution.

David

[Jessica]

Jessica,

Were your Scottish ancestors Craigs? My Craig ancestors emigrated from Ulster to South Carolina just before the American Revolution.

David

They were! My mother's maiden name was Craig. She died when I was quite young and I don't know a whole lot about her family, but I believe they had also been living in Ulster when they came to Canada, although I'm not sure when that was.

My grandma Craig, who originally owned the pins in my photo, was born a Booker but regularly wore the tartan and badge of her husband's family. She grew up in Edinburgh and only came here after WW2.

[Jessica]

A new pin just arrived in today's post. While not exactly a kilt pin, a couple of well placed blanket pins, allow this to function as such.

For those that are wondering, this is a WWI issue cap badge for the Canadian Machine Gun Corps. My grandfather McQueen ('pappy' to us kids ) was part of a machine gun squad from the 105th Regiment, Saskatoon Fusiliers. So this will help keep him spiritually with me.

Has anyone ever given you trouble for wearing military insignia that is not your own? I've always liked the idea of doing this with regimental badges of certain important people in my life (grandfather, especially) but I once had one of his regiment's cap badges on a chain like a necklace, and sometimes would be told I wasn't supposed to, or at least questioned as to whether I should be wearing it as I myself was not a member of that regiment. I don't think I ever found a very straight answer as to whether or not there is an actual rule against wearing things like that, but also... wearing something like that was meant to be a remembrance and a way of honouring my grandfather and his service, so I didn't want to inadvertently breach protocol/offend the military people.

[Jock Scot]

This is a difficult one for some, but as a general convention and if we use the Machine Gun Corps as an excellent example. If memory serves, the Corps was disbanded in the early 1920's, so there is no one left alive now who served in that unit. Then there is no problem whatsoever. Many particularly within the UK and probably elsewhere too, observe a convention which is worth noting, "If you did not earn it then do not wear it." The wife of a serviceman is an exception to some extent and often she may wear a brooch with the Regimental insignia on it. Widows of servicemen sometimes wear the regimental badge too, they have earned the right too and no one would say a word against it----providing the situation is understood.

So there is considerable scope to cause upset by wearing military insignia that you have not earned. I think the wearing of Granddad's badge to honour his service is slightly tricky IF the Regiment is still in being, OR if there are those who have served in a Regiment that has been disbanded, but are still living.

Its just a matter of respect and common sense really and its rarely to do with rules and you are right to be careful about treading on sensitive toes.

[Walkman]

This is a difficult one for some, but as a general convention and if we use the Machine Gun Corps as an excellent example. If memory serves, the Corps was disbanded in the early 1920's, so there is no one left alive now who served in that unit. Then there is no problem whatsoever. Many particularly within the UK and probably elsewhere too, observe the convention worth considering is, "If you did not earn it then do not wear it."

My father was a career US Air Force officer and growing up I was taught that to wear part of a military uniform was to be "out of uniform" and not to be done. I have his insignia, medals, mess dress, etc., and keep it in remembrance of him, but would never consider wearing any of it.

[Walkman]

Here are my latest kilt pins.

[StevenG]

Here are a few the cast pewter pins I use as kilt pins.

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I like these better than the usual fare.

Steven

[javankrona]

Here are a few the cast pewter pins I use as kilt pins.

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I like these better than the usual fare.

Steven

I have the pin you show on the top left; I have defined it as my McVicar.
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[Tobus]

These aren't my "everyday" kilt pins (I prefer a simple blanket pin for that), but I will use these for dressy occasions. One is a pin that belonged to my late mother, with grouse feathers attached to it. The other is a Victorian era dirk-style kilt pin that I bought for almost nothing at an estate sale.

*edit: and once again, my photos are not showing up in my post, despite the fact that they previewed just fine. Good grief...