Question about Kilt pins

[madmacs]

Ahem

Aren't you supposed to be in school?

Ooooooooh busted...

[rondo]

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

That, Sir, is a fantastic idea. It opens up a multitude of possibilities I never before considered. Thanks.
Rondo

[ForresterModern]

There are two situations where I wear more than one kilt pin at a time. First, I have three gilt hunting horn pins that I wear in a chevron pattern, mimicking the three horns on the traditional Foster/Forrester family crest, and only on Forrester tartans, for obvious reasons. The other is a collection of four pewter trout pins of the various species which, when pinned in a zig zag pattern, appear to be schooling on the apron corner, with the pattern/grouping in each case acting as the "kilt pin" in appearance. Otherwise it is one kilt pin.

Pictures when I get home to take and post.

jeff

[Geoff Withnell]

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

There are actually magnetic adapters that should work with almost any kilt pin. The pin portion of the kilt pin goes through a flexible plastic section on one piece of the 2 piece adapter. The backside of this piece has 2 round flat magnets that go against the kilt. The other pice is merely a flat metal bar, with two similarly sized and spaced magnets of opposite polarity. That goes on the back side of the apron. The magnets come together with the apron between, with sufficient force to not be easily disloged, but still nothing to tear cloth if it goes get snagged. Any local shop that makes permanent type plastic name badges should have/be able to get them. I learned about them from square dance name badges, which are always getting caught as arms bodies are in motion.


Geoff Withnell

[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.

[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

[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.

[Jack Daw]

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

Clever idea!