Quote Originally Posted by McClef View Post
I wouldn't dream of not wearing a Sgian when formally dressed but when casually dressed I often don't.
We just had International Days at our university, and several of us on the faculty who have kilts wore them two days during the week. We had a nice mix of trads and non-trads (two trads, two non-trads) and so there was some opportunity for comparison as we were tipping beer and checking out of the corners of our eyes to see who was getting the most attention from the female undergraduates. :mrgreen:

None of us displayed sgians due to an institutional discomfort with anything on campus that could be seen to be a weapon. WE know a sgian is a side-knife useful for cleaning one's fingernails before meeting a lassie, the average person sees a knife and immediately begins twitching. One of our trad attendees offered up his personal solution: he carries a horn-handled bottle opener for all but the most formal occasions.

Utility being the name of the game, I can't fault that. I'm in the non-trad camp at present, so when I go kilted I have my Leatherman on my belt just like I do when I wear the sissy troosers.

For those occasions where I'll accessorise my black Utilikilts Mocker with a shirt and tie I have a decorative sgian a friend of mine brought back from Scotland. I didn't buy one just like it when I was in Scotland because I regarded it as typical tourist trash (and later made my own, which I also carry betimes), but I wear the one he brought me with pride in the friendship. Odd thing, eh? :mrgreen:

I think there are times to honour the traditions (despite always having some sod about who is "more" traditional...). There are also times when mashing it up a bit is acceptable.