Nice Balmorals

[McClef]

I would say it's not REMOTELY the same thing McWage.

A medal is something won/gained/earned/awarded to an individual and it is also designed to be worn in a certain way. Some medals are preserved with pride and handed down the generations but others are given away or sold and some can attract high prices at auction. The highest British UK medal, the Victoria Cross, has a record of ONE MILLION Australian dollars at auction.

A hackle is not awarded to an individual and is designed to be worn on headgear. It therefore forms part of general militaria.

Like Matt not wearing a kilt to church, your choice should be respected, nobody has to wear a hackle just as they don't have to wear a Glengarry or a Balmoral in civilian life (except when part of a band etc).

There is a huge militaria market out there, one chooses to buy there or one doesn't.

[PiobBear]

I can identify with the Balmoral that is too small. Can any one tell us how and where to measure our head for a correctly fitting Balmoral? I am considering purchasing a new one in Lovat Green.

With a Balmoral or Glengarry you should measure 1-2 fingers above your eyebrows and parallel to your ears, viz. straight and level. Balmorals are typically worn 1 cm (1/2" or 1 finger) above the eyebrows and level on the head with the top pulled-over but sometimes a little bit tilted. Most often its right but we need recall that even before WW-I it was common for socialists to wear their bonnets tilted left.
If you are in between sizes (say 58 1/2 cm) then go with the next larger size (59 cm) as they tend (at least the MOD contracted bonnets) to run a bit snug. One can also aways with a bit of thread and a needle take up any difference for a perfect fit.

I got a caubeen from J. Byous Co.; they made it to measure, and included a little velcro tab within the band for final adjustments. Fits better than my MoD one.
Don't know if they include the same feature on their tams and balmorals, but at least one version of their balmorals is advertised as having functional ribbons.

[Deil the Yin]

I must concur with Nanook on supporting the Scottish cottage industries, as well as boycotting China in general! And though I'm sure I will upset many of our Canadian members, we (my girlfriend and I) have started to boycott Canadian products and produce due to the Canadian seal hunting issue (VERY disturbing to say the least!). Which is a bit disappointing because Aunt Jemima aint got nothin' on pure Maple Syrup!!! But believe me: as a starving artist I know all too well how painful it is to pass up what seems to be economically priced stuff like those balmorals and leathers...

I also wanted to comment on the wearing of military regalia by those not in the military and some interesting symbolism of the "traditional" kilt-wear. And this is certainly not meant to be insulting to anyone IN the military, nor is it anti-military (my family has a distinctive military history)... But I conciously chose not to buy or wear any garments with my kilt outfit that reflect the British military or the British Empire. As you may have guessed I am a staunch Nationalist (Scottish and Southern), and so any symbolic reference to the House of Hanover (the black blamoral and badge backing etc) is right out, and the red toorie I believe is also a reference to the British military (so that had to go, too). In addition I find it quite inappropriate for civilians who have not served to wear military regalia at any rate, and of course, even though I am an American-Scot, I still find it quite absurd that anyone would want to wear a badge of station (ie the armiger's or chief's feather) when they obviously can not back it up.

I must say, at the risk of being inflammatory, that I find it quite ironic that a minority culture such as the Scottish Highland Gaels found partial preservation of their culture in the very oppressers and instrument of their genocide... If that's not ballsy, by golly, I dont know what is! Good gravy, NOW I'm fired up!

HERE'S TAE US! MACGREGOR DESPITE THEM!!! ARD CHOILLE!

[Bob C]

I could reccomend some fine New York State maple syrup, but you probably consider us to be occupiers of the south.

[macwilkin]

All rights, gents, we're getting close to the line of no return here. Consider this your warning shot accross the bow.

Cheers,

Todd

[Bob C]

All rights, gents, we're getting close to the line of no return here. Consider this your warning shot accross the bow.

Cheers,

Todd

Consider me warned!

[McClef]

I hope I am not contravening the shot across the bows but there is a clear difference between a military hackle (as in Black Watch) and a civilian type so that one should not be confused with the other.

This is a photo of the Black Watch hackle:



and this is one of the possible "civilian" ones:



The visual difference should not lead to a Black Watch jock taking umbrage.

IMHO at least.

[Nanook]

I hope I am not contravening the shot across the bows but there is a clear difference between a military hackle (as in Black Watch) and a civilian type so that one should not be confused with the other.

Yankee Doodle went to town,
A-Riding on a pony;
He stuck a feather in his hat,
And called it macaroni

Yankee doodle keep it up,
Yankee Doodle dandy;
Mind the music and the step,
And with the girls be handy!

The Yankee simpleton in the song thinks that putting a feather in his
hat makes him a fashionable dandy....

A feather in ones cap is an honour, trophy, or mark of distinction.

What distinguishes the military feathers from their civilian versions in your picture? Quality, maker and ancestry. The "civilian" hackles you showed were probably made in Asia while the "Black Watch" Red Hackles are made in Britain to high standards.

Today feathers no longer have the semantics they once had. Like many things they have become fashion. In Germany (especially in Hamburg) in the 1930s and into the 1940s to wear crepe soled shoes was a political statement against the establishment. Today in Germany crepe soles means nothing. If you were not a farmer to wear "Levi" jeans in the 1950s and into the 1960s was a political statement. Today its as political as to drink a Coke. The kilt was once political. Today? Go into any department store and have a look at what they are selling for children's clothing? Loads of camouflage patterns. Children soldiers, civil war? Hardly. Some clothing, on the other hand, is today "political" that was mundane just a few years ago. Headscarves, for instance, are banned in French schools. In American schools there are "gang colours". The Netherlands is moving to a total ban for burqas ("Muslim veils") in public. etc. etc. etc.

[McClef]

What distinguishes the military feathers from their civilian versions in your picture? Quality, maker and ancestry. The "civilian" hackles you showed were probably made in Asia while the "Black Watch" Red Hackles are made in Britain to high standards.

The MOD placed its most recent kilt order with Asia, no doubt hopefully expecting high standards, but these days buying British is no longer automatic, the Goverment is affected by the global market too.

I found a site offering the Black Watch hackle for £0.78 http://www.blackwatchshop.co.uk/prod...products_id=29 which is a quarter of what you can expect to pay for a "civilian" hackle. I don't know if the "Black Watch Shop" has any actual official connection with the regiment or not (probably not) but it is claiming to be the real McCoy and this product has been on the catalogue since July 2004. If the regiment wished to object one would think they would have done so by now.

The history of Yankee Doodle is an interesting one http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee_Doodle

One of my new kilts has just arrived!

[Nanook]

The MOD placed its most recent kilt order with Asia, no doubt hopefully expecting high standards,

They did not place their order. The issue was one of should the MOD accept tenders from Asia.

http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=278112006

THE British Army has lowered the standards required of ceremonial kilts for the new amalgamated Scots regiment so that they may be manufactured from cheap tartan made abroad, a move critics say could lead to poorly made outfits.
.
.
.
An MoD spokesman insisted that the changes have been made in order to provide best value for the UK taxpayer and added that the new worsted fabric would be less "fluffy" in appearance.

The MoD contract will be directly between the kilt manufacturer and the MoD.

It is up to the producers of the garment to source the material at the cheapest possible price, making it more likely that it will come from abroad.

The talk was even to let Asian companies join but that got shelved so now its British kiltmakers under the squeeze but also armed with lower (cheaper) standards to meet.

but these days buying British is no longer automatic, the Goverment is affected by the global market too.

No, it not called "Global market" but its called short-sighted quick savings. Its about balancing books, avoid taxes and getting re-elected.

In a story unrelated to kilts (but to the spirit) a story came over the wire today that the German government has tabled their plans to restrict smoking in public places due to (open and explicit!) concerns that people might smoke less and this would reduce the amount of monies derived from tobacco tax--- seriously folks that's their line (and why too they have been filibusting EU directives on advertising).

What's the value of a couple of blokes running about in archaic ceremonial garb or tattoo parades for tourists? In the future we'll see the boys trooping-the-colour in tartan polyester mini-skirts from textile discounter overstocks

I found a site offering the Black Watch hackle for £0.78 http://www.blackwatchshop.co.uk/prod...products_id=29 which is a quarter of what you can expect to pay for a "civilian" hackle.

That's a good deal. I don't know about their conditions but they normally fetch much much more (if they are real)-- and why I guess its their top selling item. The Black Watch shop is a fan shop associated with the Black Watch Regimental Museum--- which is directly related to the Black Watch Regiment Association. So if the Regiment Association is selling an item then I'd hardly imagine that it crossed the line to wear one!