Kilt pin direction

[goodrat]

Hello, and happy holidays to everyone. I just had a quick question. I have received a new Gordon WPG kilt this morning. And i will finally be able to use the military kilt pin my grandmother gave me last year. It has been in our family for a long time, and it is a rather large gauge. Luckily, the material of my new kilt will allow for a larger kilt pin, and still bounce back from the larger holes.

The one thing i was unsure about is which direction the pin should point. With the clasp up or down? Or if it matters at all. Thanks in advance for your responses.

[fluter]

It should go point down: if the clasp should come loose, it won't fall out right away. You can also put a bit of pencil eraser or rubber band on the pin beneath the fabric to help hold it in place.

Many kilt pins have a rather dull point, which allows for working it carefully through the fabric without piercing any threads. That should minimize damage to the fabric. I have some blanket pins that are more pointy: it just occurred to me that I ought to dull them a bit with abrasive paper or a file!

[DougC]

glad this question got an answer--I was going to answer down, but had no reason to back it up.

[mercop]

It should go point down: if the clasp should come loose, it won't fall out right away. You can also put a bit of pencil eraser or rubber band on the pin beneath the fabric to help hold it in place.

Many kilt pins have a rather dull point, which allows for working it carefully through the fabric without piercing any threads. That should minimize damage to the fabric. I have some blanket pins that are more pointy: it just occurred to me that I ought to dull them a bit with abrasive paper or a file!

How about a piece of vacuum hose tube from the auto parts store? I use it for all kinds of stuff, very reusable.- George

[Riverkilt]

Ham recommends one kilt pin per kilt. That avoids risking breaking threads from putting a kilt pin on repeatedly while moving it between kilts. That also supports the kilt pin economy quite well.

For a while I was wearing my sword type kilt pins at a jaunty 45 degree angle with the hilt forward and up and the point down. I've since returned to wearing the kilt pins vertically after noticing the weight of the pin pulls the fabric in a weird angle.

Always run the kilt pin through a bit of rubber band on the backside. Has saved me from losing many kilt pins. Can never count on the simple clasps to hold.

[goodrat]

Thanks all for your input. I suppose that i should have made myself more clear as to what type of pin i was describing. It is a simple "over-sized safety pin" style. I was just not sure what should point up, whether it be the spiraled loop at the bottom of the sleeve that holds both ends so that it can close securley. Thanks again everyone.

[fluter]

Thanks all for your input. I suppose that i should have made myself more clear as to what type of pin i was describing. It is a simple "over-sized safety pin" style. I was just not sure what should point up, ...

If my description was not clear, I meant "like this:"


This is one of the pins available from SWK, but it is just a bit sharper than my other kilt pins.

[Barb T]

And, I'm sure that you know this, but I'll mention it anyway for others who might not. A kilt pin is just a weight to hold the apron corner down. It should never be used to pin the apron to the underapron!

[Lachlan09]

I still haven’t got over the loss of the magnificent large sterling-silver claymore kilt-pin my big brother gave me in 1970, which got lost on a kerb outside Leith Town Hall in 1971, when we were manhandling our band equipment into our van after a ceilidh. We even drove back to the spot next morning as soon as I noticed the kilt-pin was missing, but never found it.

[goodrat]

Thanks very kindly fluter, apologies for my misunderstanding. Pictures always help the most. Cheers!