Cheap and easy kilt pins

**ThinBlueLine** · 3rd February 10, 08:12 AM

Greetings all,

My apologies in advance if this has already been covered, but I could not find it via the seach function.
I have seen kilt pins ranging from safety pins to hand crafted silver claymores with clan badge overlays. Usually I see the safety pins with a price tag of around $5 which I find a little excessive for a piece of bent wire. Last night, while my wife was knitting, I noticed something in her supply bag that caught my eye:

It is called a stitch holder and looks just like a standard safety pin, only larger. They range from one inch to eight inches long and are usually made of anodized aluminum so you could get one to match or contrast with your kilt. For the budget minded here comes the best piece of news, they can be found for $1 each without much effort.
For those who prefer the do-it-yourself method:

I hope this proves to be useful to someone.

**JamieKerr** · 3rd February 10, 10:38 AM

A good idea. But I would exercise caution when pushing any unsharpened piece of metal through your kilt material, as a blunt point or uneven point is more likely to dislodge threads from their proper place...resulting in snags.

**xena** · 3rd February 10, 10:57 AM

Very true about the snagging. However, if one has access to a grinder or dremel tool, this could be a boon.

**CDNSushi** · 3rd February 10, 05:43 PM

Nice tip.

When I first started wearing kilts I ordered an oversized safety pin with my kit, and it served me fairly well. However to me it seems a little plain. At the same time I'm not so fond of the traditional "sword" kilt pin design either. Plus, they tend to be somewhat overpriced for what they are.

I got the best tip in the world right here on XMTS, learning that vintage ladies' brooches on Ebay (or a local junk shop) can make fantastic kilt pins! In addition, once I had acquired more than 1 kilt, I quickly realized that consistently swapping out kilt pins is not only a pain in the butt, but increases the chance of damaging the fabric so I adopted what some members here do -- I have 1 kilt pin for each kilt. So now, when I get a new kilt, I hunt for a pin that would be "appropriate" or look nice with that given tartan. For example...

my Celtic kilt pin (Irish brooch) from EBay that resides with my Irish Saffron kilt.

My maple leaf three-toned metal brooch that resides with my Isle of Skye

My tri-colour maple leaf brooch that resides with my Stewart Hunting

My Asian dragon (it doesn't photograph well) that resides with my Nightstalker

I won't throw away that tip with the coat hanger stitch holder though. It could be very helpful in a bind.

**Ancienne Alliance** · 4th February 10, 06:03 AM

Please check out this thread:

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/b....html?p=849978

Best,

Robert

**Chas** · 4th February 10, 07:38 AM

If you are being charged $5, you are being overcharged.

Try these eBay sales:

320480918131

160399479761

170439213202

200432674292 this must be the best one, 5 of them at £0.99 (Buy It Now) and £1.80 delivered to your door.

Regards

Chas

**tulloch** · 4th February 10, 08:18 AM

I weel not put a pin in my kilt. My mother used a blanket pin as the Catholic school girls do. I am not having trouble with it opening and revealing me so I go on without.