40 year old Glengarry freshening

[OC Richard]

Yes I got this Robert Mackie Glengarry in the 1980s.

It's been exposed to countless hours of sun, sweat, and rain.

I was able to wash most of the salt-stains from the binding ribbon, but what to do about the faded cockade?

Figuring it wasn't faded on the reverse side I removed it and flipped it.

(Note all the holes from the various cap-badges which have been mounted on this Glengarry over the decades.)

Now the hat is presentable, and I'll be wearing it for a church gig this Sunday.

(I did buy a new Mackie Glengarry that I found tucked away in a small obscure shop after Mackie announced they were closing down their traditional bonnet division. Some day I'll get round to wearing it.)

[Wandering Spark]

Looks fantastic!
It might be possible to re-dye the faded cockade, but your solution was much easier.

[Troglodyte]

Splendid..!

Wounded in action, I would call it, but fighting-fit again and with honourable battle-scars. And now mentioned in dispatches.

[OC Richard]

Splendid..!

Wounded in action, I would call it, but fighting-fit again and with honourable battle-scars. And now mentioned in dispatches.

Yes indeed!

The kilt I was issued likewise is scarred from a quarter-century of being worn in a band that wears kilt pins.

There are various small holes and also rust-stains from the pins' fastening mechanism.

Why oh why do Pipe Bands wear kilt pins!?

There's no going back- once all the band kilts have holes and stains you have to keep wearing kilt pins to hide the damage.

[Jock Scot]

To my eye, I find well worn( as in used) kilt attire with its faded colours and with dings and dents in the leather and metal work etc., is far more attractive than the "just out of the shop" look. In fact many of the "old school"here, are almost embarrassed to wear new attire and go to great lengths to keep their old attire going for as long as possible and often well past its "use by" date! It is something those in the "New World" often fail to grasp.

[PiperScout]

Your post reminded me to check on my own glengarry - and indeed it is showing it's age/wear/tear. I'll be cleaning mine up - it won't look new-out-of-the-box, but it will be a bit more presentable.

[User]

To my eye, I find well worn( as in used) kilt attire with its faded colours and with dings and dents in the leather and metal work etc., is far more attractive than the "just out of the shop" look. In fact many of the "old school"here, are almost embarrassed to wear new attire and go to great lengths to keep their old attire going for as long as possible and often well past its "use by" date! It is something those in the "New World" often fail to grasp.

I don't disagree, but I'll never understand the trend of purchasing new jeans with holes in them. When I was a child, wearing clothes with holes would get you mocked by classmates. Seeing people purchase clothes with artificial wear seems like the Dr. Seuss story of the star-bellied Sneetches.

[JPS]

To my eye, I find well worn( as in used) kilt attire with its faded colours and with dings and dents in the leather and metal work etc., is far more attractive than the "just out of the shop" look. In fact many of the "old school"here, are almost embarrassed to wear new attire and go to great lengths to keep their old attire going for as long as possible and often well past its "use by" date! It is something those in the "New World" often fail to grasp.

I can't go about in a pristine new bonnet. The neighbors will think I've come into money!

[Macman]

Yes indeed!

The kilt I was issued likewise is scarred from a quarter-century of being worn in a band that wears kilt pins.

There are various small holes and also rust-stains from the pins' fastening mechanism.

Why oh why do Pipe Bands wear kilt pins!?

There's no going back- once all the band kilts have holes and stains you have to keep wearing kilt pins to hide the damage.

When I joined our band, our PM measured me for a new kilt, which I purchased myself. All the other kit was supplied, including a kilt pin with two large posts to go through the apron. I took the pin to a jeweler to have the posts replaced with a more conventional fastener.

[OC Richard]

When I joined our band, our PM measured me for a new kilt, which I purchased myself. All the other kit was supplied, including a kilt pin with two large posts to go through the apron. I took the pin to a jeweler to have the posts replaced with a more conventional fastener.

Wow.

I've not seen a kilt pin made like that, but a couple of the bands I've been in have had cap badges that have two threaded posts on the back that you have to shove through the hat. Then there are two nut things you screw on. When you wear the hat this hardware is shoved against your head, a very poor way to do things.

I bought a pack of those little round felt pads with peel-off adhesive backs (to put on the bottom two edges of big picture frames so they don't scratch the wall) and stuck those onto the nuts.

Some modern kilt-pins have thick pins. The pipe band's kilt-pins' pins are not only thick but rough.

My vintage silver kilt-pins have smooth thin very sharp pins that don't damage the kilt.