Pipers Ribbons

[Drymen Kilts]

Hello everyone.
I need to make a pipers ribbon for a friend.
Is purchasing from Scotwebs handfasting ribbons the best option. Or do you know of another supplier.
I actually live in Canada. So the closer the supplier the least expensive it will be to ship.

Thank you in Advance.
C-A

[Luke MacGillie]

Is there a particular tartan you are trying to match? Do you need just ribbons to fly, or cords as well?

[Drymen Kilts]

Is there a particular tartan you are trying to match? Do you need just ribbons to fly, or cords as well?

Hi Luke;
I just need to make him the ribbons.
In Maple Leaf tartan.
I can get hand fasting ribbon from Scotsweb but not sure they will be long enough or heavy enough.
I can buy 12oz tartan from a supplier in Canada. But it may be a tad heavy.
My son is sending me the measurements from his ribbons.

Carol-ann

[KiltedKnome]

Hi Luke;
I just need to make him the ribbons.
In Maple Leaf tartan.
I can get hand fasting ribbon from Scotsweb but not sure they will be long enough or heavy enough.
I can buy 12oz tartan from a supplier in Canada. But it may be a tad heavy.
My son is sending me the measurements from his ribbons.

Carol-ann

You might check with The Pipers Den in Powell River, BC: http://www.thepipersden.ca/

[figheadair]

You could also try House of Tartan in Comrie, they have a good range of ribbons.

[OC Richard]

First let's make sure what you mean by "pipers ribbons".

Do you mean the ribbons that go on drones? Or bows or rosettes that go on the kilt?

Assuming it's drone ribbons, they are traditionally made from woven ribbon manufactured to the correct width.

They're extremely easy to make.

You can buy ribbon in the correct width made by Berisford in the UK. It comes in several tartans.

You want the 70mm width.

You'll need two lengths, each around 80 inches long.

For many years, in the army, they were attached by safety pins. I once examined a set of pipes which had been played in The Royal Scots in WWI (the piper had died in 1928 and the pipes had lain in their box since then). The ribbons, tartan silk, were attached to the drones with small safety pins that had a matte black finish.

Nowadays most pipers use snaps (press buttons) or Velcro. You can get Velcro in little round pieces which are perfect for drone ribbons.

Myself, I stitched the ribbons together in certain places, and used snaps in other places as needed to be able to take them off and put them back on.

Time for pictures!

Modern military drone ribbons of the 6th Battalion The Black Watch. Looks like the ribbon was stitched onto some white backing fabric to make them stiffer. I've not seen that before this photo, and I don't think it's necessary.



A piper of the 1st Battalion The Black Watch in 1976 clearing showing the safety pins. (I believe this is Joe Rafferty who became Pipe Major in 1983.)



The Pipe Major of The Scots Guards. Note that the sett size of the ribbon is scaled down to be appropriately proportioned to its width.



In contrast to this is the newfangled thing of taking kilting cloth and cutting it up and sewing hems to create drone faux-ribbons. (I use the term rightly, because it's cloth yardage imitating the look of ribbon.)

I think it looks odd, both untraditional and unattractive. De gustibus non est disputandum. However it's the only option for tartan for which actual ribbon isn't available. I myself would use cloth of a smaller set-size than the kilt in order to better imitate the traditional look of drone ribbons.

Here they are, worn by a modern piper of the Argylls (or more correctly the 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment Of Scotland).



And here, Captain Gavin Stoddart

[piperdbh]

I made a few sets of ribbons with satin binding & Velcro dots. They're solid-colored, and I can mix & match the colors if/when I want.

[imrichmond]

For many years, in the army, they were attached by safety pins. I once examined a set of pipes which had been played in The Royal Scots in WWI (the piper had died in 1928 and the pipes had lain in their box since then). The ribbons, tartan silk, were attached to the drones with small safety pins that had a matte black finish.

Around 1960, when I was a very young piper, I bought tartan ribbon for drone ribbons from Hugh MacPherson Imports in St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada. I was also able to purchase at the same time from the same source a set of matte black safety pins for attaching the ribbons to the drones. Alas, over the years since, and having moved more times than I can count, I lost the safety pins and have never found another source for matte black ones. I still have the ribbons, though.

[Drymen Kilts]

Hi all;
I know all about the ribbons. My son uses them on his pipes.
I was just trying to find out what the best tartan supplier would be to purchase the material to make a set.
I have one supplier with 12 ounce tartan that he said would work.
Or I can get 8 ounce from Scots Web.

I checked the length of the handfasting ribbons and they don't make them long enough.

Thank you for you input.

Carol-Ann

[Drymen Kilts]

You could also try House of Tartan in Comrie, they have a good range of ribbons.

Thank you. I will check them.