Nice Balmorals

[Deil the Yin]

I must concur with Nanook on supporting the Scottish cottage industries, as well as boycotting China in general! And though I'm sure I will upset many of our Canadian members, we (my girlfriend and I) have started to boycott Canadian products and produce due to the Canadian seal hunting issue (VERY disturbing to say the least!). Which is a bit disappointing because Aunt Jemima aint got nothin' on pure Maple Syrup!!! But believe me: as a starving artist I know all too well how painful it is to pass up what seems to be economically priced stuff like those balmorals and leathers...

I also wanted to comment on the wearing of military regalia by those not in the military and some interesting symbolism of the "traditional" kilt-wear. And this is certainly not meant to be insulting to anyone IN the military, nor is it anti-military (my family has a distinctive military history)... But I conciously chose not to buy or wear any garments with my kilt outfit that reflect the British military or the British Empire. As you may have guessed I am a staunch Nationalist (Scottish and Southern), and so any symbolic reference to the House of Hanover (the black blamoral and badge backing etc) is right out, and the red toorie I believe is also a reference to the British military (so that had to go, too). In addition I find it quite inappropriate for civilians who have not served to wear military regalia at any rate, and of course, even though I am an American-Scot, I still find it quite absurd that anyone would want to wear a badge of station (ie the armiger's or chief's feather) when they obviously can not back it up.

I must say, at the risk of being inflammatory, that I find it quite ironic that a minority culture such as the Scottish Highland Gaels found partial preservation of their culture in the very oppressers and instrument of their genocide... If that's not ballsy, by golly, I dont know what is! Good gravy, NOW I'm fired up!

HERE'S TAE US! MACGREGOR DESPITE THEM!!! ARD CHOILLE!

[Bob C]

I could reccomend some fine New York State maple syrup, but you probably consider us to be occupiers of the south.

[macwilkin]

All rights, gents, we're getting close to the line of no return here. Consider this your warning shot accross the bow.

Cheers,

Todd

[Bob C]

All rights, gents, we're getting close to the line of no return here. Consider this your warning shot accross the bow.

Cheers,

Todd

Consider me warned!

[McClef]

I hope I am not contravening the shot across the bows but there is a clear difference between a military hackle (as in Black Watch) and a civilian type so that one should not be confused with the other.

This is a photo of the Black Watch hackle:



and this is one of the possible "civilian" ones:



The visual difference should not lead to a Black Watch jock taking umbrage.

IMHO at least.

[Nanook]

I hope I am not contravening the shot across the bows but there is a clear difference between a military hackle (as in Black Watch) and a civilian type so that one should not be confused with the other.

Yankee Doodle went to town,
A-Riding on a pony;
He stuck a feather in his hat,
And called it macaroni

Yankee doodle keep it up,
Yankee Doodle dandy;
Mind the music and the step,
And with the girls be handy!

The Yankee simpleton in the song thinks that putting a feather in his
hat makes him a fashionable dandy....

A feather in ones cap is an honour, trophy, or mark of distinction.

What distinguishes the military feathers from their civilian versions in your picture? Quality, maker and ancestry. The "civilian" hackles you showed were probably made in Asia while the "Black Watch" Red Hackles are made in Britain to high standards.

Today feathers no longer have the semantics they once had. Like many things they have become fashion. In Germany (especially in Hamburg) in the 1930s and into the 1940s to wear crepe soled shoes was a political statement against the establishment. Today in Germany crepe soles means nothing. If you were not a farmer to wear "Levi" jeans in the 1950s and into the 1960s was a political statement. Today its as political as to drink a Coke. The kilt was once political. Today? Go into any department store and have a look at what they are selling for children's clothing? Loads of camouflage patterns. Children soldiers, civil war? Hardly. Some clothing, on the other hand, is today "political" that was mundane just a few years ago. Headscarves, for instance, are banned in French schools. In American schools there are "gang colours". The Netherlands is moving to a total ban for burqas ("Muslim veils") in public. etc. etc. etc.

[McClef]

What distinguishes the military feathers from their civilian versions in your picture? Quality, maker and ancestry. The "civilian" hackles you showed were probably made in Asia while the "Black Watch" Red Hackles are made in Britain to high standards.

The MOD placed its most recent kilt order with Asia, no doubt hopefully expecting high standards, but these days buying British is no longer automatic, the Goverment is affected by the global market too.

I found a site offering the Black Watch hackle for £0.78 http://www.blackwatchshop.co.uk/prod...products_id=29 which is a quarter of what you can expect to pay for a "civilian" hackle. I don't know if the "Black Watch Shop" has any actual official connection with the regiment or not (probably not) but it is claiming to be the real McCoy and this product has been on the catalogue since July 2004. If the regiment wished to object one would think they would have done so by now.

The history of Yankee Doodle is an interesting one http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee_Doodle

One of my new kilts has just arrived!