Quote Originally Posted by Father Bill View Post
In terms of a Glen, you don't have to measure his head if you can get a look at a favourite hat and see if the size is still marked inside.
Yes, I should have thought of that when he still lived here! Any of his military caps would have been just right to have a look at. It's okay; it doesn't have to be a surprise as he knows I'm going to bring him something and am thinking about a Glen, and I already asked him to measure his head and about color preference.


Quote Originally Posted by stickman View Post
I wish you luck finding a good sgian. Most of the ones I have seen are junk that have the blades glued into the plastic handle. That is why I started to make my own, about 30 years ago. I hand carve the handles out of hardwood and the tang goes all the way through the handle and is fastened with a nut. I use mostly ATS 34 or 440 Stainless for my blades which keeps them from rusting when they are against a sweaty leg. Most are brass mounted though I do mount some in silver. All have real stones in the pommel. Don't know how many I have given away. All the guys in my old pipe band have them. If I knew how to post pictures I would do so, but I am a Computer Dodo. At present, I am making another set of bagpipes out of Katalox, a very hard dense wood. My brother asks why I need another set of pipes (I have three) when you can only play one at a time. But at my age I have to stay busy even though I have to push myself.
Yes, I sort of had a feeling that anything really nicely made was going to come with a price. I will have a look around, though, just in case.

I don't think you ever have too many sets of pipes, though.