Help with Custom kilt pins...

[cavscout]

The group sounds like a Hashing group. Is that correct S.I. ? SportKilt has some hashing groups represented on their Wall of Fame. The groups don't tend to be as focused on the Scottish side of kilts so I commend S.I. for trying to be courteous to the traditions of Scottish attire.

Have you considered making the "kilt pin" more like a sew on patch? That would allow folks to run in their kilts a lot more practical. I know you never said you run in the kilts and they are after run wear but one thing can tend to lead to another

[The Wizard of BC]

SI,

Here are some tips I have learned from doing Kilt Pins.

Define the reason you want the pin in the first place. Is is a heavy pin to keep the apron down in a breeze? Is it a chance for you to show a little bling? Is it a pin to show membership is a group?

Then you have to come up with a design. If, as I guess, your pin is more to show a common membership then what you are designing is a Logo. Make is simple, make it as large and easy to read and recognize from a distance as you can. Get your membership involved. Take suggestions from them.

Put your design on paper. Or better yet design it in Adobe Illustrator. AI is the industry standard format for designs right now. If you want to send the design to some one to be manufactured they will usually ask for it in this format.

Decide what style of Logo you want. This can be a standard metal pin, or an embroidered patch. (put a coin behind it for added weight if you want.)

Find a manufacturer for your design. If you want a metal pin check with your local jewelry hobby group. You can find them by visiting your local rock shop, Michael's craft store, or watch the paper for group meetings. Hobbiests are some of the most helpful and friendly groups and they are more than willing to spend some time talking about your work and how to make it.
If you decide to us a professional manufacturer please remember that the cost of tooling and mold making can be very expensive, and is an "Up front" cost. Forking out a couple of thousand dollars for tooling can kill your idea before it even gets off the ground.
If you choose to have an embroidered patch look in your phone book for t-shirt or executive gift shops. They will be able to guide you and then produce your patches. A visit to your local sewing shop would not be out of line too. Today computer controlled home embroidery machines are fairly reasonable and many towns have groups that get together to share embroidery designs. These groups usually meet at the sewing shop and are a wealth of information and help.

Whatever you do please remember that any custom work will be expensive. If you look at the cost of pins and patches on the web you will be surprised when you find that a custom one will usually cost twice or three times as much as an already existing design. This is because the tooling cost is spread out of hundreds or thousands of pieces.

No matter what, don't give up. Trying to get any group to agree on anything is next to impossible. In the end though you will have something to be proud of.

[Dirk Skene]

./...... over 200 that I see once a week, .........................

That's a bunch of folks.

[Colin]

Would you really want to be wearing a pin while running? I would think it would be cumbersome. Of course it all depends on the kilt being worn. If you were looking to just have something to identify yourselves as a group and you folks are using cheaper sport kilt type kilts, Personally, I would look for an embroidered patch that could be sewn or pinned to the kilt rather than a metal pin that has the potential to slap against your leg while running.

[billmcc]

"WHAT IS THE BEST LENGTH FOR A UNISEX KILT PIN??"

There is no such thing as a kilt pin for a male and a kilt pin for a female. The size of a kilt pin one wears is simply personal choice.

[billmcc]

...we're a running group that predominantly wears kilts or kilted shirts after we run.

They wear kilts AFTER running, not while running.

[Stoopid Irisher]

Thank you all very much on the information given. For those of you that have asked, yes, I am a Hash House Harrier and yes, I was trying to be curtious. I am Irish (no, not once a year like some) and I do wear the "O'Neill" colors out once and while. I do have a few sportkilts and as a running group we do have hashers that like to buy patches when they travel to other kennels and sew them on to their kilts.
I was asked to make a pewter pin for the hashers that do not like to sew on patches. Also, we have formal hash parties at some kennels that like to look nice while they quaff unending amounts of golden delicious nectar.
For any of you intrested; just go to google and write in the city or town you crrently live in and "H3" after (i.e. Chicago H3, Atlanta H3, Guam H3) and a kennel web page will come up and if you go to the hash just tell them "Stoopid sent me".
Lastly, I have done the Newbi thing when I put a thread up on "Kilt Accessories" and I got 2 pages of "Welcome". Sorry I didn't do that here.

S I

[mcvarmit]

i don't usually reply to threads anymore, but i do read them. i'm wondering why a moderator would object to a person asking a question about kilt pin length? this seemed like one of the more rational threads that i read on xmarks.

i once started a thread that was pulled from the site, latter on i received an e-mail, he said he was sorry, that he had a fight with his wife that morning, i can understand that and my thread was put back on xmarks. it take one hell of a person to admit to making a mistake.

semper fi

USMC 64-67
Slick