Pipers regalia

**gazbot** · 14th July 13, 03:10 PM

Hello clan!

Just out of interest how much would it cost for one to kit oneself out in full pipe major/drum major regalia picture 1.....

Also the picture of Pipe Major Gavin Stoddart MBE BEM with the lovely lassie, I notice he dons a trtan waistcoat.... What does the rabble think of it with the general consensus here being no tartan above te waist. Does this perhaps only apply to ties or are military personnel exempt?

Oh and also, if one were to buy a glengarry can you get them with the chequered band in your own tartan?

Answers in a postcard...

**Carlo** · 14th July 13, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by gazbot

Also the picture of Pipe Major Gavin Stoddart MBE BEM with the lovely lassie, I notice he dons a trtan waistcoat.... What does the rabble think of it with the general consensus here being no tartan above te waist. Does this perhaps only apply to ties or are military personnel exempt?

I got the impression, that with formal attire a tartan waistcoat is very much ok.

**Father Bill** · 14th July 13, 03:33 PM

Does the girl come with the waistcoat?

...just asking.

**OC Richard** · 14th July 13, 05:03 PM

About the price of "military style" pipers' Full Dress, let's start by listing all the components. Then you could Google various sources to find prices. For every component, you'll find ones made in Pakistan for little money, and genuine Scottish-made ones which are quite expensive, with the quality matching the price, more or less.

-feather bonnet (UK made around $400)
-military-style doublet (UK made around $800, Pakistani made $150)
-piper's waistbelt (UK made around $100, Pakistani made around $30)
-piper's crossbelt (ditto)
-full plaid (UK made around $300)
-plaid brooch
-kilt, usually heavyweight
-horsehair sporran (UK made around $300, Pakistani made around $50)
-tartan or diced hosetops (UK made around $100, Pakistani made around $30)
-flashes
-spats

This is the basic list, and doesn't include sgian dubh, dirk, sword, sergeant's sash, kilt pin.

Drum Majors wear a couple thing pipers don't: baldric, white waistbelt, and in some regiments a white sword belt.

Here's the real thing, the Pipe Majors of The Black Watch, The Gordon Highlanders, The Royal Scots, The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, The Queens Own Highlanders, and the Drum Major of The Gordon Highlanders

Here's my version, back in the 80s

About Glengarries, they come plain, or "diced". Military pipers wear plain Glengarries, regardless whether the rest of the regiment wear dicing or not.

Most Glengarries are extremely dark blue, or black, the two sometimes difficult to distinguish. The military ones are blue.

The standard dicing on civilian Glengarries is red/white/black. On military Glengarries it varied by regiment, red/white/green, red/white/blue (Royal), or red/white (Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders). (I'm talking Scottish regiments of Scotland; there are exceptions like The London Scottish etc.)

That outfit with the red jacket in the OP shows military Mess Dress, which often includes a tartan waistcoat.

**O'Searcaigh** · 14th July 13, 07:16 PM

Plus another $200 - $300 for a drum major's mace or $1K + give or take for a set of pipes!

**48th Highlander** · 15th July 13, 07:12 AM

The PM in the pic of the lassie is wearing Mess Kit in the officers pattern. I don't know of a highland regiment that does not wear a tartan vest with the tartan on the bias with mess dress. Not only is it OK to wear tartan above the waist, but for many, required, and done for a long long time.