How to fasten a hackle

**thescot** · 1st April 09, 09:25 PM

This is probably for Jock Scot, but maybe someone else knows the answer.

I recently purchased a Blackwatch tam with red hackle for my collection of bonnets/hats. However, when it arrived, the hackle was not attached to the tam.

I have no idea how to fasten the hackle to the tam. I'm pretty sure that the wire loop at the bottom goes into the sweatbach (which would require a small slit in the stitches before inserting the wire into the fold, but how do you fasten the thing?

I want to have it where it can be properly displayed as a tribute to a lost regiment.

Any help will be appreciated. I've searched all over the 'net and on XMarks, but I can't find the answer anywhere.

**Jock Scot** · 2nd April 09, 01:42 AM

Actually Jim, I have no idea! I did not serve in a Scottish regiment. I am guessing now, but the cap badges used to be held in place by a split pin going through two "eye holes" (one either side) of the cap badge and I think the split pin goes through the wire of the hackle ,when placed between those holes. "Nervous Jock" would know the answer for sure.

The Black Watch have just gone on a wee trip abroad for a month or two. As the British army has a habbit of doing, even if a regiment has been "amalgamated" with others,(let's not get technical) the "old names" still seem to pop up! I have a feeling that the Black Watch,amongst others, will be a name that is going to exist for many a year yet!

**Bigkahuna** · 2nd April 09, 02:13 AM

Jock Scot has it spot on! Remember keep it simple.

**Chas** · 2nd April 09, 05:22 AM

Hi Jim and All,

Just a few pictures of the split-pin and eye-holes procedure for those who cannot visualise it.

Showing the relationship of loop and eye-holes. Notice loop of hackle is designed to fit over both eye-holes.

In this shot, the cardboard is pretending to be the fabric of your hat. The loop is trapped between cap badge and fabric.

Here, of course, we see the fatal flaw in the design. Hackles are designed to fit cap badges with eye-holes which are north/south. The RAF has always had a cap badge with east/west eye-holes, so this type of hackle fixing just looks daft.

This is, of course, a semi permanent fixing, but I have seen, on television, a Scottish regiment affixing their hackles 'on the march' as a tribute to 'something'. I cannot remember the whys and wherefores, but I distinctly remember the newscaster mentioning that they did this annually during a memorial parade. I have a hackle in RAF blue/grey, but unfortunately it has the same type of fixing, so I am looking to modify it some way.

Regards

Chas

**Jack Daw** · 2nd April 09, 09:17 AM

For cap badges without the split pin and eyeholes, I tuck the hackle behind the badge and secure it to the cap's cloth 'cockade' with a safety pin.

**wyldathart** · 2nd April 09, 04:44 PM

Interesting, I've often wondered how they affixed those.

**MacAngus** · 2nd April 09, 05:02 PM

Jack Daw's explanation is the way most people in pipe bands do it as well.
Or put the wire behind the cocade and if you have a clan badge weave the pin between the cockade and wire,wire tucked into the cockade at the top.

**thescot** · 2nd April 09, 05:13 PM

Thanks, guys. This is always the best place for help.

But . . . and it's a big but! (Sorry. I couldn't help myself.)

I wanted to set up a tam that was like the pre-amalgamation tams worn by the regiment. They didn't have any badge or flash, just the hackle. Take a gander at this:

It appears that the hackle's wire loop is stuck into the fold of the sweatband, but I have no idea how it's fastened and held in place.

Heck, I have a tam from the old Highland Fusiliers, but darned if I now who it's tied down.

Help guys.

**macwilkin** · 2nd April 09, 05:21 PM

It appears that the hackle's wire loop is stuck into the fold of the sweatband, but I have no idea how it's fastened and held in place.

Heck, I have a tam from the old Highland Fusiliers, but darned if I now who it's tied down.

Help guys.

Why not go straight to the horses mouth and PM Nervous Jock, since he's in a TA Battalion of the RRS?

T.

**Chas** · 2nd April 09, 05:24 PM

Hi Jim,

These look like the 'on the march' thing I mentioned. In the picture, look a the middle soldier's sweatband. It looks to me like a stitched pocket for the loop to slip into. You should be able to see it better on your original pic. If you are going to copy this I think some sort of backing on the inside would be in order so as to stop the hackle flopping forward or backward.

Regards

Chas