Kilt Pin or Brooch?

[Ayin McFye]

Hello everyone. I have noticed over the years that many people wear their accessories a little different, and there are sometimes reasons for this, sometimes there are not. One of the more recent ones that I have noticed is the choice of kilt pin that people choose to wear.

Some people wear an actual kilt pin of somekind


Some people wear a brooch


There is also the military kilt pin, which is basically a heavy duty safety pin.

Obviously there are thousands of different types of kilt pins and brooches, but my question to all of you is which one do you prefer and why?

Also is there any historical relevance as to the difference in a kilt pin and a brooch? You are more than welcome to share your pictures in this thread of the type that you wear but please limit your picture choice to one. I know many of you have dozens of kilt pins, some have a different kilt pin for each kilt you own. If you would like to share a picture though, please just limit it to one.

Thanks!

[Spc. Scott]

I almost always wear a pin of some kind. I have a couple different swords and safety pin type.
Lately I have been looking for a brooch that really appeals to me.

[PiobBear]

kilt pin...brooch...which one do you prefer and why?

I wear a plaid brooch with a plaid, a penannular brooch with a brat, and only occasionally will I wear a kilt pin; at best they cause unnecessary wear to my apron; at worst, they snag on something and tear a hole.

...the difference in a kilt pin and a brooch?

At least to my understanding, it's not either/or; a brooch and a kilt pin are two entirely different things.
A brooch is often a big (2 1/2-3") round pin, often with a big stone or emblem in the middle, used to secure a plaid to your shoulder. For the Irish, it's traditionally a penannular "Tara" type brooch, often larger than a Scottish plaid brooch. A kilt pin is a little decorative thing secured to your outer kilt apron, which actually serves no discernable useful purpose.

[Ayin McFye]

A kilt pin is a little decorative thing secured to your outer kilt apron, which actually serves no discernable useful purpose.

I've always thought one of the more primary reasons of wearing a kilt pin was to weigh down the apron a little bit so it didn't fly up with a gust of wind. Is this not correct?

[michaelbeeman]

I've always thought one of the more primary reasons of wearing a kilt pin was to weigh down the apron a little bit so it didn't fly up with a gust of wind. Is this not correct?

That is my understanding. I have several pins I wear on my kilt apron (when I have on a "traditional" style kilt) and several brooches for when I wear a plaid.

[PiobBear]

I've always thought one of the more primary reasons of wearing a kilt pin was to weigh down the apron a little bit so it didn't fly up with a gust of wind. Is this not correct?

The story goes that Victoria, having witnessed such an event, placed a pin on a kilted soldier's apron to preserve his modesty, thereby starting the tradition.

Think about it;
{A} It's a traditional heavyweight military kilt, not some flimsy rag off of EBay,
{B} It has an inner apron. In order for that to have happened, the wind would have to have been blowing in opposite directions at once (blowing the outer apron to the left, and simultaneously the inner apron to the right); an unlikely occurrence which in all my years as a sailor I've never witnessed.
{C} Where was his sporran as all of this was going on?

It's been my experience that if it's windy enough to lift my apron, a 1 oz. kilt pin isn't going to do much to anchor it down anyway (not half as well as a 9 oz. flask of Islay single malt in my sporran). In my opinion it's just a bauble; another bit for the Highland shop to sell to you at an outrageous mark-up.

[mcvarmit]

i quite wearing kilt pins, if the wind wants to blow my apron up, so be it. i'm not shy

semper fi

slick

[Ozman1944]

I wear a brooch as a kilt pin on some kilts and a regular kilt pin on others. I have 'pin' for each of my (28) kilts; that way I don't have to remove them and switch them over.

[JakobT]

I always wear a kilt pin myself. An interesting question is what makes the difference between a pin and a brooch? I have a feeling that it's partly shape, and partly size. Most brooches I've seen are larger than kilt pins and rounder in shape, though I've seen paintings dating back a century and a half or so where very brooch-like kilt pins are worn.

Another thing I've noticed in these paintings is that the kilt pin is normally worn much higher on the apron, about halfway up. Does anyone know the reason for this? It's not only in those old paintings either by the way, I've seen a picture from Prince Charles' and Diana's honeymoon in '81 where he wears a safety-pin type kilt pin in the same place.

[Jack Daw]

I don't wear pins and brooches. If I were you, I'd save the money to buy another kilt or sporran.