Putting on a Plaid!

[jthk]

Thanks for posting; that's definitely one way to put on a plaid. I like the finished product in his video.

[Jock Scot]

I have no idea if the fellow knows anything about a great Kilt, but for certain sure he has clearly no idea about the safe handling of firearms. I would not want to be within a country mile of that fellow!

[Father Bill]

We should never drop an edged weapon into the soil either. Ah well.

[PinellasPaul]

Amen! If you haven't damaged the tip, you've at least scratched the blade and "soiled" it's appearance as well as diminished it's value.

We should never drop an edged weapon into the soil either. Ah well.

[OC Richard]

As far as authenticity goes, Weathered/Reproduction tartans weren't introduced until 1949, so that's off by a couple hundred years.

That and the leather upper garments are two anachronisms seen in this video and in Outlander.

[jthk]

As far as authenticity goes, Weathered/Reproduction tartans weren't introduced until 1949, so that's off by a couple hundred years.

That and the leather upper garments are two anachronisms seen in this video and in Outlander.

The costume of Outlander is very interesting -- on both sides of the Atlantic. I heard an interview with Terry Dresbach, the costume designer for seasons 1-4 of the show, and I appreciated her explanation of trying to balance historical accuracy with entertainment. A difficult task -- I would be the guy pumping his fist the air supporting historical accuracy.

[Jock Scot]

The costume of Outlander is very interesting -- on both sides of the Atlantic. I heard an interview with Terry Dresbach, the costume designer for seasons 1-4 of the show, and I appreciated her explanation of trying to balance historical accuracy with entertainment. A difficult task -- I would be the guy pumping his fist the air supporting historical accuracy.

I think Terry Dresbach was/is a member here and there was sometime ago a very illuminating conversation where she discussed the difficulties and practicalities of coming up with the costumes for Outlander. She openly admitted that many costumes were a conglomeration of artistic licence, judgement and historical facts. For me, who is an openly unenthusiastic viewer/ reader of Outlander, I found her candour about some of the “behind the scenes” thinking, refreshing and interesting.

[Orvis]

I agree with others here about the demonstrator fellow's weapon handling safety skills - he definitely needs some instruction to improve (I speak as somebody who is 70 and has been shooting since before I was 12), whether he ever handles real ammunition or not. The safety rules are the same regardless. As far as dropping swords and dirks point first into the soil, I learned long ago that it's a good way to get rust (from moist soil) and a permanent dark spot on the blade at the point. Also, when the demonstrator was showing us his plaid (laid out on the ground), it appeared to be a six-yard plaid, which IMHO is about two yards too long. IMHO, those Highlanders on the lower end of the economic scale probably couldn't afford more than a three yard plaid - I recall that the 97th Highland Regiment (in the 1790s) was issuing ORs only three yards of regimental tartan for their little kilts, which was considered perfectly adequate. As for the rest of the demonstrator's kit, well most of us Highland reenactors want the full panoply and dress as the Highland gentry would have had - in my 1745 Jacobite reenacting group, I don't see a lot of men who willingly want to dress as ghillies or poor men so they can show off their kit.

[jthk]

I have no idea if the fellow knows anything about a great Kilt, but for certain sure he has clearly no idea about the safe handling of firearms. I would not want to be within a country mile of that fellow!

I have minimal experience with firearms and the moment I saw THAT moment, I thought -- this is how nasty things happen. Now, I realise that he's not holding a modern firearm but ... still! Then! THEN! He dropped his blade into the dirt. UGH! (As Fr Bill mentions.)