Flashes &sgian duhn questions

[knotty]

The only time Ive worn flashes is part of my Scouting uniform.

What is the feeling about wearing flashes? Is it away to "complete the look"? Is it away to add more color?

What is the feeling about wearing a sgian duhn? Are there any legal issues about wearing one?


sanx
Craig

[cable scot]

I almost always wear flashes or garter ties. I do feel it gives me a chance to compilment or contrast a piece or all of my outfit. As for a sgian dubh I don't wear one at the airport or other places where it woult cause me or others hassle(the TSA has had issue with my safety sgian dubh on more than one occasion)

[Ryan Ross]

While wearing garters is a must, as hose will tend to work their way south without them, wearing garter tabs or flashes is certainly just a way to add a bit more color or visual interest.

Then there's the 'traditional garter tie', which is what I reccomend, where you'll have the ends of the garters themselves sticking out from beneath the hose cuffs.

Personally, I find myself going with no visible flashes/garter ends most of the time, unless I'm really dressing up. I just use a pair of garters that my mom crocheted for me years ago, and rap them around, tuck in the ends, and turn the hose cuff all the way over the whole deal. Nothing wrong with that, especially if you want a very casual, understated look.

With the sgian dubh, I think most folks use it as a fashion accessory, though many are regular knife carriers and have had sgians made that are useable knives (myself included). Personally, I wouldn't wear a sgian without a useable blade, and I often times wear no sgian at all, favoring a pen knife in my sporran, or a larger folder clipped inside the waistband of my kilt.

As to laws, I would strongly reccomend that you pick up a copy of Knife Laws of the 50 States, if you're very conserned about the matter.

Generally speaking though, as long as you're not in an airport or government building, and as long as you've not been caught in the act of committing a crime, it seems that the fuzz will leave you be.

[madmacs]

While I have both garter ties and flashes, I tend to wear flashes more often...

As for a knife (I'm guessing the rcmp would be able to give you the scoop on legality if you're in canada) I wouldnt wear one if i didnt usually... And in MO a fixed blade would I believe be seen as a dagger (defimite no no) so unless it's either blunt or for a special occasion I'd probably leave it home...

[Chas]

I wear traditional garter ties, but do not always wear a sgian dubh. When Scottish Country Dancing there is just too much stomping and the sgian disappears down the hose.

Regards

Chas

[piperdbh]

The only time Ive worn flashes is part of my Scouting uniform.

What is the feeling about wearing flashes? Is it away to "complete the look"? Is it away to add more color?

They're a way to hold up your socks, although I've maintained for years that a sock should hold itself up.

What is the feeling about wearing a sgian duhn? Are there any legal issues about wearing one?

Probably. There's legal issues about just about everything.

[Father Bill]

They're a way to hold up your socks, although I've maintained for years that a sock should hold itself up.

Many men find that their socks will hold themselves up, but of course that depends on the shape of the individual man's legs. Not all legs are as perfect as my wife's!

[Zardoz]

I generally see both flashes and sgian dubh as decorative, in that they are not really nessesary to the outfit, but are certainly traditional to it.

That being said, I wear both regularly. Even though I'm pretty sure all my kilt hose will stay up on their own, I wear flashes as a way to add color, and complete the traditional look.
Same way with the sgian dubh, If I'm wearing hose and flashes I wear a sgian dubh too. But even though mine all have nice enough blades, I tend not think of them as useful knives, and usually carry my everyday folder or Swiss Army Knife in the sporran. There are no legal issues where I'm at, but your milage may vary.

[Sharkblock]

I usually always wear flashes no matter the occasion. In my opinion, it's doesn't look too dressy and just really completes an outfit. Just my two cents though.

[OC Richard]

In traditional Highland Dress as it was worn through most of the 20th century the wearing of flashes was standard, nearly universal.

I have several Highland Dress catalogues from the 1920s up through the 1950s and I don't think there's a single illustration of men without flashes, in either Day Dress or Evening Dress.





But evidently the situation was different back in the 1860s. In The Highlanders of Scotland are portraits of 56 kilted men, and 40 have no visible flashes.