Heraldry Sources?

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

ive read through most of the process of modern heraldry through and order im a part of called the order of st isidore and they show you a few heraldric societies i was just saying the steps in my post to show what you would have to do to have arms granted by the lord lyon if you had moved from scotland the easiest way to have a coat of arms in the us is to draw one up and have the image copyrighted it has no tie to nobility but it would give you an image to display if all you want is a coat of arms for shields and online banter there is also the russian college of heraldy you could use google the name i dont have the link but there is no cheap way to secure arms you werent born with its a labor that you have to want to achieve

Rather than take a "design your own" approach, I'd suggest that you talk to your uncles, cousins, father, and brothers and see if they would all be willing to chip in for a coat of arms for your grandfather or great grandfather. This spreads the cost, and allows each member of the family to have their own "arms". I would then apply for arms in Spain (probably the most cost effective) and wait for the Chief Heraldic Officer of Spain to act (takes about a year). You (and your family) would then have "real" arms, as opposed to a "design" that looks like a coat of arms.

[keltic falcon]

for those of the clan keith on this post if you go onto this link it shows you the keith flag, the blue quarter is the coat of arms design for falconerhttp://www.angelfire.com/realm/dschon/clans/index2.htm

[kmaclea]

There are also some good American heraldry sites that do have information on both legal assumption of arms by Americans (i.e., drawing one up) and also a good framework for designs that are true to your particular ancestral traditions without being either usurped arms from abroad or really poor heraldry.

I would recommend the American Heraldry Society, of which I am a member:
http://www.americanheraldry.org/pages/index.php

I would also recommend this registry, which is free to use but you may buy artwork if you wish, that registers American arms. There are others, ACH, NEHGS, etc., but this one is the only free one, fully accessible online:
http://usheraldicregistry.com/

I have used USHR but have no other association.

Might also be interested in this link on Trademarking arms (and some pitfalls):
http://www.americanheraldry.org/page....Domestic#toc3

Or this recent discussion thread (may need to register) that goes into arguments pro-and-con assumption of arms by Americans:
http://americanheraldry.org/forums/s...ead.php?t=3902

Anyway, I will let others make up their own minds. I'm not going to argue either way. But it's definitely worth reading about, it's interesting stuff!

Kyle=