[Bugbear]

Originally Posted by ThistleDown

In Scotland it is traditional for a Balmoral to have a black rosette. I suspect this is left over from 19C military form but, regardless, that's what is worn today -- when a Balmoral is worn. It is also traditional that it be in a dark blue with a red toorie. A few other colour are worn, of course.

Having said that, I like the Fergusson Britt ones on the STM site despite the fact that none have a rosette, none are in the traditional dark blue and none have a red toorie.

No matter. I am about to order the one of the far right (I see this as brown). It will need a good kicking about before it can be worn but then, when I want, I can pin on a sprig of whortleberry for attendance at Games in NA, an XMTS badge for some occasions, or just as it is for keeping my head toasty and dry the rest of the time.

But you asked about the "Highland bonnet" at $24. I'd like to see another view of this (or two); on first viewing, though, I have to say uh-uh -- at least for me. Looks like just another beret to these eyes.

Thank you, ThistleDown. I don't mind the thought of the navy blue Balmoral with the red toorie too much. I would almost rather not have the toorie, but it isn't much of an issue to me.

There is a "desert tan" Balmoral with a light brown toorie, black trim and rosette offered. That would probably go quite well with my outfit; Panache suggested that for the half Lamont tartan I wear. Normaly the black trim and rosette paired with brown like my jacket would bother me, but my kilt has a black stripe along with a good deal of brown. It wouldn't be out of theme.
My other choice would be a lighter blue bonnet, but I wasn't thinking of it with a red toorie and the black trim and rosette. I would rather have brown trim with no toorie on the light blue.

One other choice for me would be what seems to be a navy blue Balmoral with red dicing and the red toorie. I don't think that has the black trim, or at least it isn't in the description of the bonnet.

Hope you get your brown bonnet, ThistleDown, and thanks for your help.

[Bugbear]

And on the stick subject, I picked out a branch on the sour orange tree in my orchard that could become a stick. Probablly a walking stalf. The sour orange wood is fairly hard, I think they use it to make baseball bats in Cuba, and it should make a good stick.

I started trimming off the small side branches, and I have a bonsai knob cutter to get all those stumps off. I will probably leave it on the tree for another year; let it heel over the cuts; air layer the top off to make another tree; then lop it next winter. After that, it will be strapped to a two-by-four, and hung from the bottom of my trailer where it's a bit cooler than outside during the summer. I figure three years maybe... I could thread graft some odd shaped branches at the bottom which would become the top of the stick...
I've also been looking for some almond branches I collected when I removed those trees from my property, but I forgot where I put them. That was very hard wood and it would be about four or five years seasoned now. All my other trees are soft wood, but maybe not too soft. I'll have to look into it.

Oops, I do have a mesquite tree back there, and that is very hard wood. Not sure there are any branches big enough for a stick yet, but I could always start shaping a few... I also use the stems off the palm fronds for different things, but they would probably make a better bow or fishing rod than a walking stick. I just happened to have a fish hook cactus too...

[Bugbear]

I have put the buying of a bonnet on hold for a while because I decided to buy a good pair of black, cap toe, Oxford style dress shoes. Their nice and shiney. Best to take care of that first and right away.

[Bugbear]

Alright, I found one of the almond sticks I saved from when I had almond trees in my orchard. The end of the stick is too narrow or skinny and it is too crooked to be used as is; however, if it were shortened to a walking stick, it might be fine.

It has a large mass of wood on the fatter end that could be shaped into a knob of some sort. Another option is to join it to a strait stick as the top of a walking staff. The bark needs to be broken away from the wood and some branch stubs removed, so I will think about what to do as I get that done. Some of the bark below the knob might be solid enough to leave in place; however that is done...

I'm still working on the ash walking stick that was once a shovel handle. It sands out very smoothly, but will need a little bit of a finish I think. I don't know yet if there is a way to combine the almond top to the ash stick, but I will look into that. My thought is that a couple of different tops could be used with the ash stick to change between a walking staff and stick.

[Bugbear]

I just got in two new canes. One is a folding cane like the old one I use, but the other one is very different...

It telescopes out from it's handle like some radio antennae, and can be collapsed from fifty inches to nine inches.. These aren't a new idea for canes, but in the past, they were made of fiberglass, and didn't always hold up too well. Now they are made of graphite fiber, and hold up extremely well.

It is very lightweight, and much less bulky compared to the regular folding cane. It would not be good to lean on because it might collapse down into itself, as it is supposed to do, but for mobility, it is just fine. As most canes for blind people, it is white.

I did get around to cutting some branches, out in the orchard, that might be useable as walking sticks; their ends have been sealed and will sit in a cool dark place for a long, long time. I have also been shaping, little by little, the almond branch that I cut from my trees several years back. It will be the short kind of walking stick.

As far as bonnets, I have decided to wait on that and just go hatless when wearing a kilt for now. There is a different purchase and budgeting focus that has come up.