Seaforth Highlanders pipers cap badge.

[Watchdog]

Looking for a new project I settled upon the often distinctive cap badges worn by pipers in many regiments and realised I had a gap in my knowledge.

 

Pipers in many units have traditionally worn either an officers pattern or totally distinct cap badge. I have quite a few examples in my collection but now realise that I am not sure whether the Seaforths were one unit that bucked the trend and their pipers wore a standard pattern badge.

Does anyone here know the answer and if so is able to show an example of what was worn if not the standard badge together with any corroborative evidence?

 

Please help, it's driving me nuts!

 

Regards

 

Mark

[Farkas]

On 05/08/2023 at 18:28, Watchdog said:

Looking for a new project I settled upon the often distinctive cap badges worn by pipers in many regiments and realised I had a gap in my knowledge.

 

Pipers in many units have traditionally worn either an officers pattern or totally distinct cap badge. I have quite a few examples in my collection but now realise that I am not sure whether the Seaforths were one unit that bucked the trend and their pipers wore a standard pattern badge.

Does anyone here know the answer and if so is able to show an example of what was worn if not the standard badge together with any corroborative evidence?

 

Please help, it's driving me nuts!

 

Regards

 

Mark

Hi Mark,

as you have chosen this challenging subject, you will know the regs for a Scottish pipers glengarry ( so correct me if I’m wrong 😊 ), they were ‘plain not diced’…

 

So this picture of/with Seaforths shows one with a plain glengarry, a piper,  his cap badge looks to me like the regular OR pattern and the same as some of the others worn in the photo.

 

Also I have a cap badge book and that lists no separate piper badge either…

 

Hope this helps 👍

 

cheers 

tony 🍻

[Watchdog]

Thanks Tony,

 

Yes you are correct about the glengarry being the plain so called "Cameron pattern".

 

As I say, I can find no reference whatsoever to the Seaforths having a different pattern cap badge for pipers but I am aware of "folklore" that suggests a variant of the standard badge exists with four lugs rather than three or the later two.

 

I appreciate the input.

 

Regards

 

Mark

[Farkas]

On 29/08/2023 at 13:06, Watchdog said:

Thanks Tony,

 

Yes you are correct about the glengarry being the plain so called "Cameron pattern".

 

As I say, I can find no reference whatsoever to the Seaforths having a different pattern cap badge for pipers but I am aware of "folklore" that suggests a variant of the standard badge exists with four lugs rather than three or the later two.

 

I appreciate the input.

 

Regards

 

Mark

 

I had to have another look for badges with 4 lugs... my photo album 👇

 

then i found this 👇 

 

So there is a specific pipers badge.

 

——-//—

 

Also i found a few examples of 4 lug badges, some old, some new & some cast and surely some not original but it would seem to me there is the likelihood of genuine 4 lug badges.

 

A few examples...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers

tony

 

 

PS the weird thing is I think i might have one of the 1900-58 badges 🤷‍♂️ I’ll have a rummage this week...

 

Edited September 3, 2023 by Farkas
PS

[Graf]

3 hours ago, Farkas said:

 

I had to have another look for badges with 4 lugs... my photo album 👇

 

then i found this 👇 

 

So there is a specific pipers badge.

 

——-//—

 

Also i found a few examples of 4 lug badges, some old, some new & some cast and surely some not original but it would seem to me there is the likelihood of genuine 4 lug badges.

 

A few examples...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers

tony

 

 

PS the weird thing is I think i might have one of the 1900-58 badges 🤷‍♂️ I’ll have a rummage this week...

 

Nice work Tony

[Farkas]

On 03/09/2023 at 05:11, Graf said:

Nice work Tony

 

Cheers Graf 🍻

—-//—

 

Well, here is the badge of mine i was thinking of... 

 

 

 

Two piece construction.

it’s 50mm top to bottom.

its 35mm side to side.

 

The pipers badge is based on 👇 which is the ‘Guidich An Righ’ clan badge for ‘Mckenzies of Seaforth’.

 

 

I don’t know if mine is the correct badge as it has a pin back not lugs as i would normally expect.

However the design is the same variation of the ‘Guidich An Righ’ as that shown on the chart, ☝️, with the stags head lower and overlapping the border...

 

Cheers 

tony 🍻

 

 

 

 

 

[Farkas]

On 03/09/2023 at 01:20, Farkas said:

Also i found a few examples of 4 lug badges, some old, some new & some cast and surely some not original but it would seem to me there is the likelihood of genuine 4 lug badges.

After further review- i no longer think the four lugs examples i found are original pre 1958 style. The details in the fingers vary slightly on each design. Of my examples are some possibly fake or from the short period they used Anodised Aluminium (58-61ish) before their amalgamation, and others that are genuine later Royal Highlanders badges.

 

 

I thought that i had found another Seaforth Highlanders badge in my box,

 

but... it had four lugs which seemed too much of a coincidence given the subject

 

So that is what led me look further & soon i worked out mine and the others are in fact part of the later Royal Highlanders badge. 👇

 

—-///-/

 

On 29/08/2023 at 13:06, Watchdog said:

As I say, I can find no reference whatsoever to the Seaforths having a different pattern cap badge for pipers but I am aware of "folklore" that suggests a variant of the standard badge exists with four lugs rather than three or the later two.

 

 

Finding 1 out of 2 isn't bad 😊

but shame I didn’t find the four lug badge of folklore fame!

 

In my opinion anyone that said they found one (the chances are...) didn’t, though of course it’s possible.

The original officer version, though almost identical to OR’s, was visibly in two pieces. That leaves the newer post 1961 badges like mine, that have 4 lugs as the most likely true identity...

 🤷‍♂️ who knows for sure though eh... not me!

 

 

But Its been fun looking, Ive identified my badges and learnt a bit which is the point. 😊. 

 

Cheers 

tony. 🍻

 

 

 

Edited September 6, 2023 by Farkas
Pic

[Graf]

On 06/09/2023 at 10:59, Farkas said:

After further review- i no longer think the four lugs examples i found are original pre 1958 style. The details in the fingers vary slightly on each design. Of my examples are some possibly fake or from the short period they used Anodised Aluminium (58-61ish) before their amalgamation, and others that are genuine later Royal Highlanders badges.

 

 

I thought that i had found another Seaforth Highlanders badge in my box,

 

but... it had four lugs which seemed too much of a coincidence given the subject

 

So that is what led me look further & soon i worked out mine and the others are in fact part of the later Royal Highlanders badge. 👇

 

—-///-/

 

 

 

Finding 1 out of 2 isn't bad 😊

but shame I didn’t find the four lug badge of folklore fame!

 

In my opinion anyone that said they found one (the chances are...) didn’t, though of course it’s possible.

The original officer version, though almost identical to OR’s, was visibly in two pieces. That leaves the newer post 1961 badges like mine, that have 4 lugs as the most likely true identity...

 🤷‍♂️ who knows for sure though eh... not me!

 

 

But Its been fun looking, Ive identified my badges and learnt a bit which is the point. 😊. 

 

Cheers 

tony. 🍻

 

 

 

Good work Good fun as well

[Terry37]

If you're wanting a Seaforths and Camerons Pipers Badge, I might be bale to get you one at our upcoming semi-annual show at the end of next month. I know a dealer who has one and if he is there I am sure he's still go it, so just let me know.

 

Here's mine, as I collect Piper's badges when I can afford them. I have about six I think, and just nabbed a Royal Scots one!

 

Terry