seeking advise on a formal dirk / dagger

[OC Richard]

The vintage photos were things I picked up on Ebay. They come up all the time.

The illustrations are from a couple vintage Highland Dress catalogues that I likewise picked up on Ebay. I have catalogues from the 1920s, 30s, 40s, and 50s.

The last photo is from a blog about the current piping scene in Scotland, as I recall. It's several of the world's best pipers.

[Panache]

If you want to wear a dirk...

You have to either go historical or white tie formal

I decided to try wearing a dirk once...




(My friend Dale and I at the 10th and final Nor Cal Rabble Burns Night Supper)

For the record...

Not a comfortable accessory to wear,
Something you have to take off if you want to dance,
Made hugging friends awkward,
Not worth the effort!

I think that Dale and I look great in our finery and I think the dirks add something to our outfits.

Frankly though, having worn one once...

I won't bother again.

Cheers

Jamie


PS: The Cold Steel Dirk is really a nice piece and I recommend it, I just don't recommend wearing it as an accessory

[Sir Didymous]

For what it's worth as a proud bearer of blades and wildly out dated forms of dress, even I reserve my dirks for historical or highly formal events. I have found that my sgian is sufficient to the situations encountered most of the time. Though, if you do go with a dirk, go with a traditional style and stay away from the "mini-claymores" and plastic handles.

[Geoff Withnell]

I typically wear a dirk on formal military occasions. Not necessarily white tie/mess dress formal. Forex, most of us in the SAMS Post #2 Post of the Potomac color guard wear dirks, even when wearing the short sleeve khaki shirt no tie summer uniform necessary in July in downtown DC.

[Pegasys]

Sir Didymous ... would you look at http://www.darkknightarmoury.com/p-3...re-dagger.aspx and tell me if thats the claymore type your advising against ? I have already decided against a dirk for this formal clan AGM , but am still leaning towards a dagger if not too gaudy ... just leaning towards ...

[Downunder Kilt]

Where did this idea of a dress dagger come from? I have heard of a dress sgian dubh and a dress dirk but never a dress twin edged knife (ie. a dagger)

[Liam]

I have worn my dirk 3 times - once along with my great kilt to a Ren fair, the other 2 times to my sons weddings so it could be used to cut the wedding cake. (Make sure you clean it well before re-sheathing).
I wouldn't put it high on my acquisition list....

[OC Richard]

most of us in the SAMS Post #2 Post of the Potomac color guard wear dirks, even when wearing the short sleeve khaki shirt no tie summer uniform

Yes that's seen in the British army as well.

Shirtsleeve Order has a number of variations, from trews to kilts with Lovat long hose and a plain leather sporran to kilts with spats, diced hosetops, and horsehair sporran.

Dirks, which by the way are worn only by officers, pipers, and bandsmen, usually aren't worn in shirtsleeve order but it is seen, as with these pipers below. Their kit is an interesting hodgepodge with puttees and "stone" shirts, but the diced hosetops, horsehair sporrans, crossbelts, dirk belts, and dirks as would be worn with Full Dress. ("Khaki" in the British army means the colour Americans call Olive Drab.)



Here dirks make an unusual showing with this otherwise plain Khaki Service Dress

[Carlo]

Sir Didymous ... would you look at http://www.darkknightarmoury.com/p-3...re-dagger.aspx and tell me if thats the claymore type your advising against ? I have already decided against a dirk for this formal clan AGM , but am still leaning towards a dagger if not too gaudy ... just leaning towards ...

Trying to pull you as far away from this as possible.
In my personal opinion that one used as a dirk would be ridiculous.

If you want a nice cry, cut some onions and don't use pepper spray on yourself.

[OC Richard]

I am looking for an opinion on appropriateness of / types of / wisdom of a dress dirk

Attachment 28469Attachment 28468

I will say that to my eye, a poor-quality accessory can downgrade the overall look of an outfit. An outfit has a higher-quality look forgoing an accessory than including a cheap one.

That dirk looks like what it is, a low-cost knockoff from India (or possibly Pakistan).

Here's the one I always see



Maybe the proportions and shapes look OK to somebody who hasn't seen hundreds of actual dirks, but to any experienced eye the Indian knockoffs can be spotted across a room.

Here for comparison is an actual Scottish dirk; I could post a hundred photos of a hundred different Scottish-made dirks which would show the same sorts of proportions and shapes.



I don't know why the Indian makers don't follow the traditional shapes and proportions of dirks, but they don't.

There's one exception: the classic MOD piper's dirk has been closely copied by the Indian makers, and it's the best 'bang for the buck' in my opinion.

Here's a detailed thread I did comparing an actual MOD-issue piper's dirk and an Indian-made knockoff

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...de-dirk-84941/

Here's a photo from that thread showing my actual MOD Sheffield-made dirk at bottom and the Indian-made knockoff above



I wear my MOD piper's dirk when in one of the Black Watch piper's uniforms I've put together. Here's the early 20th century Khaki Drill uniform



Back in the 1980s I had a very nice Scottish-made dirk with knife and fork, all trimmed in brass. I was an EEJIT to ever sell that thing!