Accessorize, accessorize

I stopped in to see about kilt accessories this afternoon, as I had a few minutes.  The sporran chain was easy; we just swapped with a rental of the same color.  (Which reminds me, I left it lying in the stockroom by accident.)  Hose and flash (natural color hose, navy flash) were also easy.  The only part that needed discussion was the sgian dubh.  I looked at several budget models with stainless-steel blades and resin hilts, but none of them were comfortable in my hand (skinny, cheesy hilts those resin ones have) and the blades would never have held a good edge, ’cos stainless generally won’t.  I sighed and wished over the one with an ebony handle, silver fittings and an actual amethyst in the pommel, but at $650 it was right out.

Then Aronal said, “We do have some with elkhorn handles and real Damascus blades.  Why don’t we look at them?”  That was the jackpot. I found three candidates right off, and they were only $20 more than the ones with the resin handles!  I picked the one that felt best when I held it as if cutting my meat at table.  Since that was one of the sgian dubh’s original functions, I mean to have an edge put on the blade and use it for its intended purpose.

Bonnets, for the moment, are right out as well.  At $130 to $175 retail, that’s more than my market can bear for a few months.  Besides, it’s so bleedin’ hot in Texas, WTF would I wear one, anyhow?  Aronal did agree to take two of Dad’s old glengarrys on consignment.  I sure can’t use them; he took a 57 in hats and I wear a 61.  Both are in excellent shape for their age (35 years old); there’s no fabric or moth damage at all.  We debated whether they should be priced up or down because they’re “vintage.”  In the end we plumped for “down,” and marked them at $100 each.

Away to Poly dinner with M now.  Wednesday is L’s dance night, and T is being summer-camp counselor near Navasota all week.

The Count of Villanovo interpreted some vinyl bureaux for the Freemasons.  Fnord.