Wearing a dirk

[Dr Mac]

Other than pipers, I don't see many kilties wearing the dirk. I purchased one some time back, the military style complete with knife and fork in the sheath. What I don't have is the piece for attaching it to my kilt belt. Anyone have links for purchasing this?

Also, does anyone among the rabble who wears the dirk use a frog for carrying it? If not, how do you negotiate sitting down while wearing it? Or do you have to take it off every time you sit?

One last thought: I've always seen it worn on the right side, which would seem really awkward to draw for a right-handed individual. Was there a military regulation requiring the dirk be worn on the right?

[arrg-isle]

One thing for sure: it's great for opening a big can of worms!
Stand back for the ensuing charges of the skean-yes & skean-no regiments!!

[MacAngus]

I wear one occasionally when wearing my full military kit and the frog makes it easier to sit with and move around. I got my dirk from a guy named bud k it was $18 and it came with the fork and knife it dosen't look that far off from the $400 ones

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Other than pipers, I don't see many kilties wearing the dirk. I purchased one some time back, the military style complete with knife and fork slots in the sheath. What I don't have is the piece for attaching it to my kilt belt.
Also, does anyone who wears the dirk use a frog for carrying it? If not, how do you negotiate sitting down while wearing it? Or do you have to take it off every time you sit?
One last thought: I've always seen it worn on the right side, which would seem really awkward to draw for a right-handed individual. Was there a military regulation requiring the dirk be worn on the right?

Kinsman,

The dirk is worn on the right and sword on the left. In old paintings the dirk is shown hanging almost in front of the wearer. The concept was that the dirk was held in the left hand and used to parry and trap your opponents sword (sort of the Rob Roy equivalent of a continental "main gauche"). The dirk could/would also be held in the left hand when using the targe.

Nowadays the dirk is suspended from a leather frog, a loop that passes over your belt and through the staple on the back of the sheath and is closed with a stud. I'll email you a picture of mine, if you will promise to post it on this thread as my computer is down I can't get my i-Phone to post photos. Any local tack shop or leather worker can make one for you.

Today the dirk has generally fallen out of style, even though many books will tell you it is part of "white tie" attire. The reasons for this seem to be (1) Cost. The last full dress dirk we made at Wilkinson Sword went out the door for nearly thrice the cost of a new basket hit broadsword (over 2,400 GBP). (2) Fashion. Because of the flood of cheap and nasty dirks on the market what used to be called "gentlemen of quality" stopped wearing them because dirks had become something of a hall mark for the "Braveheart Boys".

If, like some of us, you do find occasion to wear the dirk, please remember that it's not worn with black tie, nor is the bejeweled dirk with by-knife and by-fork properly worn during the day. For day wear a plain dirk, either brass or silver mounted, is called for.

In answer to your "where does it go when I sit down" question, the dirk should be worn more to the front of your body and not on your hip like a pistol. It then slides around to the front of your kilt next to the sporran when you are seated.

Best Regards,
Scott

[Jack Daw]

I only wear my dirk with period wear. I use a frog to attach to the belt, but I forgot where I bought it. If you do an internet search you can find one. Mine has straps and buckles to ensure a good fit on the scabbard.

[beloitpiper]

I only wear mine in full No. 1 uniform, but I hate it! It's so awkward and heavy. As MacMillan said, it's worn on the right to be draw with the left hand, while the sword is used with the right hand.

[McMurdo]

I've got one that I've never worn, however I did make my own Dirk Frog with a scrap of leather, and would wear it on the belt with the frog. A Dirk frog is very easy to make, for mine I simply looped the leather around and cut it so that the bottom would go through the staple on the back of the dirk, then I punched a hole and placed a Chicago screw through it.

[KiltedHuntsman]

Heh. One year at the Hunt Ball I wore my Dirk with my Montrose Doublet, Lace Jabot, Lace cuffs, Fly Plaid, the whole magilla. Definitely weirded people out. The younger folk most especially gave me a wide berth. Since then I've dialed things back a bit, Bow tie and Argyll only. And I thought every girls' crazy 'bout a *sharp* dressed man...

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I used to belong to a Gentleman's Highland Dining society in Edinburgh which met four times a year in the home of one or another of the members. Dinners were strictly white tie, and woe betide the gentleman who forgot his dirk. Dinner started with drinks at 8PM, and we sat down to dine at nine. By 11PM the food would have been demolished and we'd be making serious inroads on that evening's host's supply of refreshments. There was a great deal of outlandish behavior, much of it involving standing on dining chairs with one foot on the table toasting "An Ard Ri". Needless to say I can't remember how any of these evenings ended, but I'm sure they ended well because (a) I am here to tell the tale, and (b) now that David Lumsden of Cushnie is gone these dinners will be missed almost as much as he is missed.

The point of this is that the dirk is still worn occasionally, and in the right company. But as an item of modern "formal" attire, especially when out with the masses, it is probably best left on the side board in the dining room next to the ram's head snuff mull.

[PiobBear]

I wear mine on occasion; I'm a piper, and they're quite popular for dispatching wedding cakes and haggis. I wear a MoD repro one with my colour guard. I make my own frogs; unlike the commercially available ones, they keep my dirk from flopping about like a fish on a stringer:






I also made a dirk, of the old bollock-dagger style:
Pic 1
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Pic 4