Dirk?

[ANP3]

Okay, so as I'm getting more and more in to the kilt, and my Scottish ancestry, I'm slowly building what could be a nice semi-formal kilt outfit. I have my eyes on a new sporran, sgain, argyle jacet and all. But, I have a question. The dirk, I mean it looks cool, but I want to look traditional yet still individual, if that even makes any sense. So, I would like to add a dirk for its sleek and sexy looks, but if it dosen't fit the look I want then I can deal with out it.

For reference this is about what I'm going for, but in black. Dressy, but still versitile in use.


Thanks,
Nick.

[Pleater]

I think a link is missing to show what you are after.

Won't you need to be careful where you wear such a thing?

Anne the Pleater

[CMcG]

I don't know that I've seen anyone wear a dirk with semi-formal attire... after the recent thread about the difficulties with interpreting dress codes, what do you mean by semi-formal?

A dress dirk can look good with a formal outfit, though it is still relatively uncommon. By formal, I mean white tie or very spiffed up black tie.

Very occasionally (twice), I've seen someone wearing a more rustic dirk with smart daywear. The problem with casual situations and dirks is that it is more difficult to justify a large blade to the police than it would be at a special, formal event. Check your local laws there...

[creagdhubh]

Semi-formal? I am unsure what that is in regards to Highland dress. I sometimes (when the mood strikes me) wear a dirk with Highland evening (formal occassions) attire - complete with the obvious dirk belt. I like seeing the dirk worn with close-fitting doublets or the regulation doublet. And the dirk belt may be worn over the waistcoat.

Cheers,

[ANP3]

Thanks guys! The advice was great I figured it wouldn't "go," with the look
well here is, hopefully, is the link of what I hope to build as an outfit.
http://osc.thescotlandkiltcompany.co...llscottish.jpg

[Chas]

Unless you get an antique dirk or a very high quality modern one, it will not look sleek and sexy, it will unfortunately look cheap.

Not a look that I would want to cultivate.

Maybe the dirk would look best hanging up on your wall.

Regards

Chas

[ANP3]

True, but, that does bring up another very relevent point about my situation. I'm a full time college student, who is very strapped for cash. So, how can I find a place to get a jacket, vest, sgain etc. with out blowing up my budget? Some of the E-bay UK stores in Scotland seem to be sort of the price range I'm looking for, but I don't want to fall in the same trap I did when I first started playing bagpipes. I bought cheap, and had to deal with poor quality until I could afford McCallum. Any advice on that particular problem?

Thanks again,
Nick.

[Jock Scot]

Thanks guys! The advice was great I figured it wouldn't "go," with the look
well here is, hopefully, is the link of what I hope to build as an outfit.
http://osc.thescotlandkiltcompany.co...llscottish.jpg

We all accept, I think, that what you wear and how you wear it, is down to the individual. However your picture example raises the eyebrows already for many, by wearing a belt with a waistcoat and wearing a tartan tie and adding a dirk to that particular look will just cause the eyebrows to go into orbit!

[ANP3]

We all accept, I think, that what you wear and how you wear it, is down to the individual. However your picture example raises the eyebrows already for many, by wearing a belt with a waistcoat and wearing a tartan tie and adding a dirk to that particular look will just cause the eyebrows to go into orbit!

Interesting. I thought that was a rather good example of a kilted equivelent of a nice suit. I didn't like the tie all that much but, other than that I thought this was a sterling example of highland dress. Thank you for that, I don't want to look like I don't know what I'm doing when I'm wearing a kilt, my heratige is far to important to me to not do it properly. Once again thanks!

Nick.

[Ryan Ross]

We all accept, I think, that what you wear and how you wear it, is down to the individual. However your picture example raises the eyebrows already for many, by wearing a belt with a waistcoat and wearing a tartan tie and adding a dirk to that particular look will just cause the eyebrows to go into orbit!

Agreed.

With so many of the public at large already (wrongly) seeing highland dress as a costume, I personally like to avoid anything that could contribute to that conception. A modern dirk, if you've never worn one, can actually be quite a pain to have attached to you; correctly produced period correct dirks are usually MUCH lighter than modern ones, unless they have brass handles.

So my own view is to leave my dirk at home unless I A. Might have a use for it (a bit scary to think about), or B. Am in historical costume.

When I see someone wearing a dirk outside of those contexts, unless it's a spectacular piece of craftsmanship (which commercially mass produced dirks are not), my first thought tends to be "Compensation".