Wearing a basket hilt.?.

[EldarKinSlayer]

Why?

Any excuse to wear a weapon especially a pretty,historically important, culturally significant one is awesome. It's Wednesday cool, Claymore or Broadsword? I don't know I was thinking Backsword.

Honey does this sling I have on my Uzi match my shoes? No Dear but the one on your H&K does and it goes so well with your Sporran.

[davidlpope]

Here's another thread where this issue was discussed:
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...84/#post872204

My views are unchanged. If one rated a sword while on military duty then one knows that wearing a sword around is a real pain. If one didn't then it strikes me as playing "make-believe" and does the disservice of transforming Traditional Highland Civilian Dress into RenFair "garb".

Cordially,

David

[Dale Seago]

Any excuse to wear a weapon especially a pretty,historically important, culturally significant one is awesome. It's Wednesday cool, Claymore or Broadsword? I don't know I was thinking Backsword.

Honey does this sling I have on my Uzi match my shoes? No Dear but the one on your H&K does and it goes so well with your Sporran.

I find myself oddly in agreement with your feelings, yet not with your position.

Personally, and I know many others will disagree and they're welcome to, I regard the right to own and carry weapons -- whenever, whatever, and wherever -- as a distinguishing characteristic of a genuinely free human being. While I'm far from an anarchist, I tend to trust governments to whatever degree they trust me to own and carry weapons.

That said, though, think about a broadsword. Historically, while it may not have always been precisely a military weapon, it had a definite "battlefield" orientation versus, say, rapiers and smallswords. As such, it probably wouldn't be (historically) considered appropriate for "social" types of gatherings, except perhaps outside one's own clan territories. As far as blades go, what a male would always have everywhere -- yes, even before 6 PM!! -- would be a biodag or dirk, rather than a broadsword.

On the other hand, in the United States Highland Gatherings/Games events seem to be the only place where people can wander around sporting not only kilts but great honking pieces of cutlery without even raising eyebrows. I have to say I rather like that.

If one rated a sword while on military duty then one knows that wearing a sword around is a real pain.

From personal experience, I agree with this too where social-type settings are concerned. Been there, done that.

If one didn't then it strikes me as playing "make-believe" and does the disservice of transforming Traditional Highland Civilian Dress into RenFair "garb".

Maybe. And in most cases, probably. I'll confess that while applauding the carrying of weapons as a general thing, I tend to think poorly of people carrying weapons they have no clue how to actually use properly. I happen to be competent with various types of swords (NOT including rapiers or smallswords among them), and I never carry a weapon I don't know how to use well.

[Geoff Withnell]

I find myself oddly in agreement with your feelings, yet not with your position.

Personally, and I know many others will disagree and they're welcome to, I regard the right to own and carry weapons -- whenever, whatever, and wherever -- as a distinguishing characteristic of a genuinely free human being. While I'm far from an anarchist, I tend to trust governments to whatever degree they trust me to own and carry weapons.

That said, though, think about a broadsword. Historically, while it may not have always been precisely a military weapon, it had a definite "battlefield" orientation versus, say, rapiers and smallswords. As such, it probably wouldn't be (historically) considered appropriate for "social" types of gatherings, except perhaps outside one's own clan territories. As far as blades go, what a male would always have everywhere -- yes, even before 6 PM!! -- would be a biodag or dirk, rather than a broadsword.

On the other hand, in the United States Highland Gatherings/Games events seem to be the only place where people can wander around sporting not only kilts but great honking pieces of cutlery without even raising eyebrows. I have to say I rather like that.



From personal experience, I agree with this too where social-type settings are concerned. Been there, done that.



Maybe. And in most cases, probably. I'll confess that while applauding the carrying of weapons as a general thing, I tend to think poorly of people carrying weapons they have no clue how to actually use properly. I happen to be competent with various types of swords (NOT including rapiers or smallswords among them), and I never carry a weapon I don't know how to use well.

I agree about the carrying of weapons.
Swords are a pain (spent 2 years as an NCO in a ceremonial unit, carrying an NCO sword). At the risk of thread hijack, what occasions do the rabble think are appropriate for wearing a dirk? I just got a really nice one.

Geoff Withnell

[EldarKinSlayer]

I find myself oddly in agreement with your feelings, yet not with your position.

Personally, and I know many others will disagree and they're welcome to, I regard the right to own and carry weapons -- whenever, whatever, and wherever -- as a distinguishing characteristic of a genuinely free human being. While I'm far from an anarchist, I tend to trust governments to whatever degree they trust me to own and carry weapons.

That said, though, think about a broadsword. Historically, while it may not have always been precisely a military weapon, it had a definite "battlefield" orientation versus, say, rapiers and smallswords. As such, it probably wouldn't be (historically) considered appropriate for "social" types of gatherings, except perhaps outside one's own clan territories. As far as blades go, what a male would always have everywhere -- yes, even before 6 PM!! -- would be a biodag or dirk, rather than a broadsword.

On the other hand, in the United States Highland Gatherings/Games events seem to be the only place where people can wander around sporting not only kilts but great honking pieces of cutlery without even raising eyebrows. I have to say I rather like that.



From personal experience, I agree with this too where social-type settings are concerned. Been there, done that.



Maybe. And in most cases, probably. I'll confess that while applauding the carrying of weapons as a general thing, I tend to think poorly of people carrying weapons they have no clue how to actually use properly. I happen to be competent with various types of swords (NOT including rapiers or smallswords among them), and I never carry a weapon I don't know how to use well.

100% agreement, I would never wear a sword of any type for exactly that reason, now a Lochaber Axe

I agree about the carrying of weapons.
Swords are a pain (spent 2 years as an NCO in a ceremonial unit, carrying an NCO sword). At the risk of thread hijack, what occasions do the rabble think are appropriate for wearing a dirk? I just got a really nice one.

Geoff Withnell

I expressed my opinion already I'm almost dressed, dirk done!

[davidlpope]

At the risk of thread hijack, what occasions do the rabble think are appropriate for wearing a dirk? I just got a really nice one.

Geoff Withnell

I think that dirks look nice with doublets- regulation, sherrifmuir, montrose, etc., particularly if one is wearing Argyll/diced hose, a bias-cut tartan/ contrasting color waistcoat, etc. Not so much with coatees- mess jacket, Prince Charlie, etc., or when the highland evening dress is more subdued.

David

[druid]

Our band has 5 Highland Dancers, all who require Broadswords for their art form. They carry them as our "color-guard," along with our Band Banner. They get to carry them.

As the only Dance Piper in our Band, I wear a Dirk, Sgian and Prince Charlie but not a sword and nor would I choose to.

[Dale Seago]

At the risk of thread hijack, what occasions do the rabble think are appropriate for wearing a dirk?

Any and all occasions -- but on that subject I'm "old school", that is to say 1740s and earlier.

Here I am in casual summer attire:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...&id=1199617140

The dirk I'm wearing is the one shown on the "menu bar" of my website, here: http://www.bujinkansf.org/

(EDIT: The style of the dirk I'm wearing is also 1740s and earlier.)

[GG]

Each to his own. Wearing a weapon as a civilian is against my European way of thinking. I don't even wear a knife, and if a sgian dubh, which is very seldom, it is made of plastic.

[Dale Seago]

Each to his own. Wearing a weapon as a civilian is against my European way of thinking. I don't even wear a knife, and if a sgian dubh, which is very seldom, it is made of plastic.

No problem at all from where I sit. Your comment however obliges me to point out that the civilian/military distinction tends to blur when the society you're modeling things on was essentially a warrior aristocracy, as was the case with the Gael.