I never imagined that there was any "story" behind the shape of the spats of the Black Watch, but accepted it as yet another example of the variation in Highland Dress amongst the pre-1881 kilted regiments (the 42nd, 78th, 79th, 92nd, and 93rd Foot).

Each regiments' spats were shaped somewhat differently and varied between officers and men. For example the spats of the 92nd Foot were rather taller than those of other regiments. I have a photograph in front of me of a man of the 79th Foot taken in 1859 which shows spats with somewhat squared toes.

I suppose one of these days bogus legends will crop up to explain why some regiments had their kilts knifepleated and other regiments boxpleated.

They might go something like...

"The Black Watch kilts were knifepleated to commemorate the action in which they ran out of ammunition and attacked only armed with their dirks"

"The Argylls kilts were boxpleated to commemorate the action in which they formed a square to repulse a cavalry charge"

and all such nonsense.

The fact is that everything about the dress of these five 19th century kilted regiments varied, from sporran construction to feather bonnet construction.