**PIPERS** How are crossbelt badges and collar dogs mounted?

**mcgillicuddy** · 24th June 21, 08:42 PM

I am trying to learn about putting together a full number 1 pipers dress outfit. I see that some are very ornate with regimental badges on both the cross belt and dogs on the collars. I am looking for photos or videos showing how these are attached/mounted on the back. Thank you in advance!

**kilted redleg** · 25th June 21, 09:03 AM

If I remember correctly what a pipe sergeant told me from the Blackwatch when it came through on a tour; the collar dogs are precut in the tunic collar and fixed with a cotter pin once they are put on the collar. I also had made a class one uniform for my job. Most of the tunics you buy now do not have the collar dogs "punched out" so you would probably just use your collar brass as usual. As for the cross belt I had a hole above the buckle to which I put my spare hat shield through and just screwed it in. When all is said and done and you finally get on the pipes, ask your union [if you have one] to purchase a pipe banner for your bass drone check the net or locally to have one made with your job's patch or your municipality's emblem.

**mcgillicuddy** · 27th June 21, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by kilted redleg

If I remember correctly what a pipe sergeant told me from the Blackwatch when it came through on a tour; the collar dogs are precut in the tunic collar and fixed with a cotter pin once they are put on the collar. I also had made a class one uniform for my job. Most of the tunics you buy now do not have the collar dogs "punched out" so you would probably just use your collar brass as usual. As for the cross belt I had a hole above the buckle to which I put my spare hat shield through and just screwed it in. When all is said and done and you finally get on the pipes, ask your union [if you have one] to purchase a pipe banner for your bass drone check the net or locally to have one made with your job's patch or your municipality's emblem.

Ok, thank you for the response! My police department plans on making me the department piper so I am putting together mock ups of what different uniforms look like, especially configures of the "number 1" dress. My tunic is on order but I figured that I would have to cut out the holes for the collar dogs myself. Thank you!

**kilted redleg** · 28th June 21, 07:28 AM

Good on you [as they say in the UK], just don't embarrass yourself always practice and be ready to play at a minutes notice. You'll get so many great memories to look back on. My fondest was no matter if it was a billon degrees outside when a cop retired which was usually done on Monday as the pay period ended on Friday I would put on my No. 1 dress and pipe the newly retired out for the final time. Got more bear hugs than a man deserves. I played for retiring chiefs and even played outside a building engulfed in flames so the cop inside with victims would know where it was safe to go. You'll do funerals, weddings the gamete just play what you know. You will never regret being the department piper !!

**OC Richard** · 25th September 21, 06:06 AM

Traditionally the Scottish military badges had fairly long shanks, each made from a wire formed to create a shank with an eyelet at the end.

In the old days you had to make holes in the fabric of the bonnet, tunic, or belt, shove the shanks through, and pass a cotter pin through the eyelets on the back side.

Here's an officers' doublet where you can see the holes in the collar which were punched for the shanks of the collar badges. (The Seaforth Highlanders wore two collar badges on each side.)

Here's a Seaforth Highlanders officers' doublet with the badges in place. You can see how neat this mounting style looked when done right.

That's how the old badges were made and worn, they were stamped from solid German Silver or brass.

Recently, I think the 1980s, the British military started issuing Staybrite badges, nasty things. The collar badges I've seen had a tab on the back which passed through an oblong grommet made in the tunic collar.

Here's a recent doublet with the grommets on the collar. This would NOT be used with the traditional shank badges seen above, but the specially-made new type of collar badges.