Question about Kilt pins

[AKScott]

Devil's advocate, two questions:

1. Do you need IT (kilt pin)

A: you think so, yes.

2. Is it necessary?

A: No

I have saved an amazing amount of money since I learned to ask both of those questions.

On kilt pins specifically, there is a user here, I think OCRichard that has been playing the pipes for a pretty long time in a lot of different bands. He has observed two things.

1. If you are wearing a sporran with a traditional two apron kilt, a kilt pin is not necessary to keep twig and berries covered up in fairly windy conditions.

2. If you are wearing a kilt pin it will eventually catch on something and make a smaller or larger tear in your (likely quite expensive) kilt.

I read his posts over and over in threads similar to this my first few months here. I believed him, but I was feeling lucky.

One day I got my one kilt pin stuck in one drawer handle without noticing one time. I pulled only one thread in one kilt that one time, the smallest hole possible. I haven't worn a kilt pin since. To date my really nice (>$500) tank has never yet been subject to a kilt pin.

A pulled thread is not repairable. You will see it for the rest of the life of the kilt, whether or not anyone else ever notices it.

Lots of folks wear kilt pins and I don't mean to sound preachy. Kilt pins are cool, they are traditional, and they are a legitimate avenue of self expression. More power to you.

Personally I would rather do without than take the risk of possibly wrecking an expensive garment. You might think you need one, but kilt pins are not neccesary.

[robbiethepiper]

Any kilt worn in the traditional manner, with one kilt pin is unusual enough and very noticeable. To go further simply labels you as a saddo who is desperate for attention....Robbie

[kc8ufv]

Perhaps someone should do magnet back kilt pins. My parents do that with name badges so people don't ruin nice shirts with pins....

[MacMillans son]

I'm with AK on this one. I put one one on my first wool kilt, didn't like the location, so moved it. It left two pin sized holes (shocking, I know) in the kilt. I have never put one on any kilt since.

For what it's worth, I don't wear jewelry of any kind either. No rings (in any location) bracelets, neck chains etc. So I'm not necessarily wired for metallic ornamentation. Not judging it for others at all, just not a style that I have found necessary for myself over the years.

With that said, if I had a formal event where extra ornamentation was the dress of the evening, I may consider a kilt pin again. Short of that, it's not very likely.

Celt_GravityRebel, I love your confidence, enthusiasm, and inquisitiveness, those are great attributes for ensuring a fulfilling life. Carry on!!

[Celt_GravityRebel]

Celt_GravityRebel, I love your confidence, enthusiasm, and inquisitiveness, those are great attributes for ensuring a fulfilling life. Carry on!!

Thanks Mac's Son! And I sort of know how you feel with the jewelry. Given, I wear aboatload of bracelets and have two necklaces plus a wallet chain. But I wouldn't want to get a piercing (Sticking a needle through my ear, nips, or places seen only by kilt inspecting lassies sounds unnecessarily painful to me). Anyways, like that you have a very plain style. Better to be plain than extraneously sparkly with silver and gold (I swear, some people run on batteries! It burns me retinas! )

[Tobus]

I'm with AK on this one. I put one one on my first wool kilt, didn't like the location, so moved it. It left two pin sized holes (shocking, I know) in the kilt. I have never put one on any kilt since.

I hear a lot of people say this, but I just don't get it. I use probably one of the thickest kilt pins out there: the large military style blanket-pin. And it doesn't leave any nasty holes in my kilt.

Wool is a woven material, and if you're putting the pin through the material correctly, it's going in between the threads, simply spreading them apart to pass through. When you take the pin off at the end of the day, simply grab the material on either side of the hole and wiggle it both directions. Meaning, do it to the warp direction and to the weft direction. This will sort of loosen the fabric's weave enough that the hole will close up as the threads re-settle themselves.

Now if you're just jamming the pin through there with absolutely no thought to tearing the threads, instead of gently wiggling the tip through the weave, then I can see why it would leave damage behind. But I've even caught my kilt pin on things, and while it does pull my apron a bit, it has never torn the fabric. This is probably because it's 16-oz wool, and it's pinned through the extra layers near the fringe. I would imagine that I'd have to try pretty hard to rip anything there.

I guess I'm just not seeing why a kilt pin would leave holes behind in a good quality wool kilt?

[Jock Scot]

I hear a lot of people say this, but I just don't get it. I use probably one of the thickest kilt pins out there: the large military style blanket-pin. And it doesn't leave any nasty holes in my kilt.

Wool is a woven material, and if you're putting the pin through the material correctly, it's going in between the threads, simply spreading them apart to pass through. When you take the pin off at the end of the day, simply grab the material on either side of the hole and wiggle it both directions. Meaning, do it to the warp direction and to the weft direction. This will sort of loosen the fabric's weave enough that the hole will close up as the threads re-settle themselves.

Now if you're just jamming the pin through there with absolutely no thought to tearing the threads, instead of gently wiggling the tip through the weave, then I can see why it would leave damage behind. But I've even caught my

kilt pin on things, and while it does pull my apron a bit, it has never torn the fabric. This is probably because it's 16-oz wool, and it's pinned through the extra layers near the fringe. I would imagine that I'd have to try pretty hard to rip anything there.

I guess I'm just not seeing why a kilt pin would leave holes behind in a good quality wool kilt?

I wondered about this too.

[slohairt]

I don't leave any holes in my kilts either! I also 'round' the sharp point of my pins with some sandpaper and/or a file. This helps it to pass between the threads quite nicely.

[robbiethepiper]

I hear a lot of people say this, but I just don't get it. I use probably one of the thickest kilt pins out there: the large military style blanket-pin. And it doesn't leave any nasty holes in my kilt.

Wool is a woven material, and if you're putting the pin through the material correctly, it's going in between the threads, simply spreading them apart to pass through. When you take the pin off at the end of the day, simply grab the material on either side of the hole and wiggle it both directions. Meaning, do it to the warp direction and to the weft direction. This will sort of loosen the fabric's weave enough that the hole will close up as the threads re-settle themselves.

Now if you're just jamming the pin through there with absolutely no thought to tearing the threads, instead of gently wiggling the tip through the weave, then I can see why it would leave damage behind. But I've even caught my kilt pin on things, and while it does pull my apron a bit, it has never torn the fabric. This is probably because it's 16-oz wool, and it's pinned through the extra layers near the fringe. I would imagine that I'd have to try pretty hard to rip anything there.

I guess I'm just not seeing why a kilt pin would leave holes behind in a good quality wool kilt?

I'm with you on this. Wondering if some of the posts are a tad paranoid. No wish to tempt fate but usually wear a kilt pin through good-quality ( KA ) kilts without fear or problems....Robbie

[Celt_GravityRebel]

Perhaps someone should do magnet back kilt pins. My parents do that with name badges so people don't ruin nice shirts with pins....

Wow! That's such a great idea. Why didn't I think of that? I'll have to make some magnetic kilt pins now.