Finding a clan badge

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I have the Clan Crest book at work, Todd, but I don't have a copy here at the house.

However, one of the companies that I order clan crest badges from produces badges for all of the clans on the Standing Council of Scottish Cheifs as well as all of the Armigerous families of Scotland -- even the obscure ones.

See our gift shop page here:
http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/crestitems.html

Scroll down to the availability list. Note the "medium pewter" line with the very wide availability. Note also, no Gibson. This means that they are not an Armigerous family.

M

[Cawdorian]

There are some other possibilities, Cap Badges are available with the Thistle, Rampant Lion and St Andrew's Cross symbols, they are available in the medium pewter line Matt mentions. If you wear a district tartan, these are very appropriate.

Jim

[Jimmy Carbomb]

You want a "conversation starter"?

Get you hands on an old amp or guitar, and borrow the "Gibson" badge off of that. A little Gorilla Glue and a pin-back will do the trick.

Come to think of it... that would look pretty daggum cool!8)

[yoippari]

I know that there is a gibson crest somewhere. It has something like geese or some other large bird on it. My mom thinks that it is ugly, but oh well.

It isn't so much as a conversation starter, just that if I get a sporran with a clan badge on it I would want my family's crest on it. It doesn't have to be a mass production one even, if I could find a picture of the crest I know someone who might want to cast it. He is retired and casts rings and other things as a hobbie.

[macwilkin]

I know that there is a gibson crest somewhere. It has something like geese or some other large bird on it. My mom thinks that it is ugly, but oh well.

It isn't so much as a conversation starter, just that if I get a sporran with a clan badge on it I would want my family's crest on it. It doesn't have to be a mass production one even, if I could find a picture of the crest I know someone who might want to cast it. He is retired and casts rings and other things as a hobbie.

Yoippari,

Coats-of-arms belong to individuals, not families (the crest is the very top part of the arms) -- there are many shops and places on-line that sell "family crests" to unsuspecting individuals who do not realize this fact. Chances are they've found an old picture somewhere of arms attributed to someone with that surname, and then sell it as the such-and-such "family crest". Since the United States has no government agency regulating heraldry, these "bucket shops" (as heraldry folks are want to call them) can sell whatever they want. I dealt with this question on a weekly basis when I worked as a genealogical librarian. I was always very mindful to tell the truth, yet not hurt their feelings, as obviously their "family crest" was a source of pride to them.

Bottom line: there's nothing that says you cannot display one of these arms in your home or other places, and even though the US does not have the legal aspects like Scotland, etc., it is still in bad form to claim them as your "family crest". You can certainly display them as the arms of an individual named Gibson, etc., but you wouldn't want to claim them as your own -- think of arms as like a trademark or copyright (not the best comparison, mind you) -- something distinctive of an individual person, etc.

As Cawdorian mentioned, there are "generic" badges with St. Andrew, the Thistle and I have even seen an Irish one with the Harp of Tara on it -- and there is always the aforementioned clans that Gibson is an affiliated name of.

I hope you do not take my message in the wrong way. Let me know if I can be of help in anyway.

Cheers,

Todd

[yoippari]

I'm not entirely sure what the "wrong way" is to take that. It seemed like an informative post just trying to pass along information. ... informative post trying to pass on information... Redundent but I'm sticking with it.

I just did a quick check and changed my serach from gibson (or gibbs) clan crest (or badge) to gibson crest and found something almost instantly.

http://www.allfamilycrests.com/g/gib...-of-arms.shtml
and
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/4crests/giclba.html

So what you are saying is the crest is the surname, a symbol or group of symbols at the top of a coat of arms where the coat of arms is the first name, or individual description? Is this at least close to the coat of arms (which I never really brought up) vs crest? or am I misinterpreting/assuming too much from what you said.

[macwilkin]

I'm not entirely sure what the "wrong way" is to take that. It seemed like an informative post just trying to pass along information. ... informative post trying to pass on information... Redundent but I'm sticking with it.

I just did a quick check and changed my serach from gibson (or gibbs) clan crest (or badge) to gibson crest and found something almost instantly.

http://www.allfamilycrests.com/g/gib...-of-arms.shtml
and
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/4crests/giclba.html

So what you are saying is the crest is the surname, a symbol or group of symbols at the top of a coat of arms where the coat of arms is the first name, or individual description? Is this at least close to the coat of arms (which I never really brought up) vs crest? or am I misinterpreting/assuming too much from what you said.

I was going to try to define crest myself, but the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada has a very nice definition on it's web site:

The term "crest" is commonly used to refer to an entire coat of arms, including the shield. This is incorrect, since the crest is only the object that is placed at the top of the design, above the shield. It represents an identifying device (often a figure or animal) that was worn on the helmet of a knight - it is usually shown in heraldic art as sitting on the top of a stylized helmet. It is sometimes shown by itself, without shield or helmet, as an identifying symbol - likely the reason for the common confusion about its meaning.

-- http://www.heraldry.ca/top_en/top_misconceptions.htm

In Scottish heraldry, the crest of the arms of the chief, circled by the buckle & strap, and with the clan slogan or motto, is the clansman's badge, which identifies the wearer as a supporter of said Chief and member of the clan.

For a full achievement of arms, see:

http://www.gg.ca/heraldry/cha-today_e.asp#components (The components of a coat-of-arms, from the Canadian Heraldic Authority)

Cheers,

Todd