Dirk

[Stoff]

I have worn sword and dagger/dick frequently in my years of reenacting (Rev War, Middle Ages and Renaissance), both for looks and in combat related martial arts. So, when it is appropriate to wear said dirk, here are my two cents worth on how to wear your dirk:

1. Dirk/dagger alone; on the right side just to the rear of the front apron, such as when you walk the weapon rides beside you leg and not in front in the way.

2. With the sword; as far to the right as it will go and you are still be able to reach it with your left hand while at the engarde with your sword in your right hand.

3. With the sword; tucked into your belt at the rear pointing to the left so that you can reach it with your left hand while at the engarde with your sword in your right hand.

I hope this information is of assistance.

Christoph

[Jack Daw]

Test driving the site and looking for a couple answers... When, where and how is a Derk to be carried?

I borrowed one for the cake-cutting ceremony at my wedding, but I did not wear it as it was not a "white-tie" event.

[Luke MacGillie]

I have worn sword and dagger/dick frequently in my years of reenacting (Rev War, Middle Ages and Renaissance), both for looks and in combat related martial arts. So, when it is appropriate to wear said dirk, here are my two cents worth on how to wear your dirk:

1. Dirk/dagger alone; on the right side just to the rear of the front apron, such as when you walk the weapon rides beside you leg and not in front in the way.

2. With the sword; as far to the right as it will go and you are still be able to reach it with your left hand while at the engarde with your sword in your right hand.

3. With the sword; tucked into your belt at the rear pointing to the left so that you can reach it with your left hand while at the engarde with your sword in your right hand.

I hope this information is of assistance.

Christoph

I think there is some wiggle room at this based on historic portraits. Going with Famous well known portraits, that of Lord Loudoun, he wears it to the left of this sporran. Another of Lord Dunmore, he wears it over top of his sporran. Other portraits show it on the right hand of the sporran, or even far right hand side. There is practicality, and then there is, how shall we say it, showing off. If Im showing off, im wearing it just to the right of the sporran, but I sure would not want to march all day like that.

Also a lot of this depends on if your wearing your sporran on a separate belt, which is what I do with a cantled sporran, and the dirk is on that belt, while an all leather sporran with one central hanger has the sporran and dirk on the kilt belt.

[Geoff Withnell]

If you wear your sporran on a narrow sporran "strap", and wear the dirk on the same strap, the dirk will tend to slide down the normal slope of the strap, and end up riding right next to the sporran. Much more usual today, in my experience, is to wear the sporran on a narrow strap, or from "sporran hangers" suspended from the wide kilt belt, and to wear the dirk on the wide kilt belt. The kilt belt is after all, often called the dirk belt.

[OC Richard]

As Jock Scot and others have alluded, the dirk isn't normally a part of modern traditional civilian Highland Dress.

Traditions evolve, and around 1900 civilian Highland Dress underwent considerable change, becoming sleeker and more simple. Crossbelts, plaids, swords, and dirks, which were common accessories throughout the 19th century, were laid aside.

So wearing all of these things will tend to make an outfit look historical, rather than of the living tradition.

The army is a different matter. Dirks have long been worn by officers, certain senior sergeants, pipers, and oftentimes other musicians. Privates haven't worn dirks for 200 years (unless a piper or musician).

19th century formal civilian Highland Dress with an array of weaponry





The much-simplified Highland Evening Dress of the early 20th century (seen here in 1936)



Here are modern gents in Highland Evening Dress. As you can see it hasn't changed much from the 1920s and 1930s. This is as fancy as modern traditional Highland Dress gets. (All of these men have been wearing Highland Dress regularly since their youths.)



In the army: dirks for pipers, not for riflemen



Dirks for officers, no dirks for Other Ranks. The officer is wearing Blue Patrols. Interesting in this order of dress is that no external Dirk Belt is worn, the dirk's strap passing through a slot in the tunic, and suspended internally.



Sometimes one will see soldiers wearing dirks in unusual circumstances, such as this sergeant, Palestine 1938



And one year later, by pipers