ordered a tam

[Jordan]

According to my knowledge, a tam is softer, less rigid... wee bit more supple than a balmoral.

It gives the impression of being a bit wider too.


Best,

Robert

I think older tam's were wider but the ones modern regiments wear today aren’t, The one I have (see my previous posts) is actually smaller than my balmoral although I wouldn’t say either is more supple than the other both hold their shape well after moulding.

P.S. Ive just rememberd my balmoral isnt a traditional one I bought it it from
Mossie Croft

[auld argonian]

I'm still looking for a tam/balmoral that I like. A tam like the one pictured would be pretty good, though. As far as the beret goes, I often wear one but keep the stiff side (must be a name for that) more to the side of my head as opposed to the current military style of wearing it more toward the front. The absence of any patches and the fact that I haven't molded it the way the US Military does helps it look more "civilian".

Best

AA

[Jock Scot]

Slightly off topic,but this may be helpful for balmoral wearers. The balmoral is supposed to have a well used look(beaten up even) not the pressed, shrunk, ironed, shaved military look.That is not the traditional look to go for. Back now to the subject of tams.

[MacLowlife]

Would you call that the "50 mission crush", Jock?

[thescot]

A balmoral is made from a single piece of wool. A tam tends to be constructed from several pieces cut and sewn together. Look carefully at the regimental tam above to see the seams along the edges.

A balmoral should certainly look worn and floopy (as Jock pointed out). Washing it in cold water when it is new, tossing is about, and making sure that you don't press it or something odd is the best way to make a new balmoral look "worn."

I still wear the oldest one I own, and the older it gets, the better it looks.

I have a couple of reginental tams that I really enjoy wearing. I hope you like yours.

[Zardoz]

I have two made to measure tam o'shanters from J Byous. They are very good quality, worth the money IMO. And the folks there are great to work with.

Here's the first pic I could find of me wearing one, this was at our Dickens' fest a couple years ago.

[Jock Scot]

Would you call that the "50 mission crush", Jock?

Well, yes!

[Jordan]

A balmoral is made from a single piece of wool. A tam tends to be constructed from several pieces cut and sewn together. Look carefully at the regimental tam above to see the seams along the edges.

Well then it seems that my Balmoral would actually be a tam goin by TheScot's guidelines.

Not that that will stop me wearing it

[creagdhubh]

Can't go wrong with a well-made balmoral. I wear mine well broken in, yet I do press the ribbon tails, as the Macphersons do not tie them in a bow. I currently own all plain style, no dicing, as I never served in the Scottish Regiments, obviously, and my opinion is that the dicing symbolizes a military tradition, which is wonderful for regimental veterans (i.e.-Argyll and Sutherland dicing, Gordon Highlanders dicing, etc)-more specifically with the glengarries however. My balmorals have matching color touries, yet I do have a navy and a black balmoral with a red tourie. I tend to wear my fawn, lovat blue, and lovat green balmorals with my lighter colored or earth toned tweed jackets and waistcoats for daywear or at the games. Of course I wear my darker balmorals for day wear as well, as I seldom wear a bonnet with eveningwear-maybe except for my plain black glengarry with a red or black tourie when I am out of doors and wearing my eagle feather-usually for ceremonial purposes (i.e.-clan functions/events).