Chiff and Fipple Forums

Peter Duggan wrote:

Nanohedron wrote:You know, one of these jobbies, split in half

No, you don't want jobbies! (Said the Scot...)

Oh, dear. Yes. I mean, no. You don't want Scottish jobbies on your leg.

Nanohedron wrote:Oh, dear. Yes. I mean, no. You don't want Scottish jobbies on your leg.

Or your chanter. Even if it's traditional for a working man's working man using what he naturally had on hand!

My linguistic horizons thus broadened, I feel ever so much more a citizen of the world, now...

PJ wrote:Don't know about the seal. Chamois tends to be porous.

You know, I was coming around to that. Seems that my blue jeans did a perfectly fine job sealing the chanter end. I had a popping strap and used it, but not every time.

PJ wrote:Apart from the seal, leather helps reflect the sound, which I doubt chamois does.

There was someone - David Power, was it? - who had a particularly large popping strap that draped down, and I was told by someone else that enhancing sound reflection was exactly the reason for it.

Or you could just wear leather trousers, no issues then.

Ooh. Chaps.



Lends a certain je ne sais quoi to a piper's getup, to be sure.

Andy Conroy would apparently roll up his trouser leg and place the chanter on his thigh!!

PJ wrote:Andy Conroy would apparently roll up his trouser leg and place the chanter on his thigh!!

Not in polite company, one would hope.

Nanohedron wrote:I seem to recall a fellow who used the top side of an old, beat-up work glove, fingers and all. You know, one of these jobbies, split in half:



He was a working man's working man, so it was perfect not so much because of the association, but that he'd used what he naturally had on hand. I thought that had to be about the coolest and fiercest popping strap ever on the whole darned planet.

Would that be Mr. Jim Smith, once a lumberjack up your way, and now a farmer in Indiana? He is my piping inspiration and sometime advisor when I am back in Indiana. He and his wife say no matter how many times he has "lost" that glove, it always finds its way back to him!

Ken

Ken_C wrote:Would that be Mr. Jim Smith, once a lumberjack up your way, and now a farmer in Indiana? He is my piping inspiration and sometime advisor when I am back in Indiana. He and his wife say no matter how many times he has "lost" that glove, it always finds its way back to him!

It's been years, so I don't remember the name now, but I know we're talking about the very same guy: a compact, wiry, tough-as-nails fellow who was friendly, yet quietly commanded respect without even trying. You could tell he'd seen a thing or two. He was on a visit from his farm in Indiana along with his daughter (I don't remember what she played, but I recall she was no slouch, herself), and I heard the tale of the mysterious, ever-returning popping glove. He played a half set when I saw him, and that seemed to suit him just fine, thank you very much. A great guy, and I liked his playing a lot.

Yeah, that’s Jim Smith. Terrific guy. He was in town not so long ago, sessoning (with his fiddler wife, Kate) at Merlin’s. He had the same logging-mitten popping strap!

yep, you're over thinking this one but O'Farrell says...

...the chanter must there rest on the knee, and for that purpose it would be requisite to provide a small piece of white leather to place on the knee, under the chanter as nothing else will stop the wind so well.

'White leather' refers to aldehyde-tanned leather (chrome-free). The gentlemen pipers of the protestant clergy may have used the pale skins of altar boys for all I know but I suspect common pipers used whatever was to hand and probably just the breeches. There are a million pieces of scrap upholstery leather available on Ebay for pennies in any colour you would like.

such as these...
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=sc ... r&_sacat=0

Nanohedron wrote:Ooh. Chaps.



Lends a certain je ne sais quoi to a piper's getup, to be sure.

Perfect!

I wonder if the Village People need a piper?

Aldwyn wrote:

Nanohedron wrote:Ooh. Chaps.




Perfect!

I wonder if the Village People need a piper?

I loved their piping instruction video on triplets: "Why A-C-A?"

Ha! Nice!