Stock pins

[SillyHorse]

I’m heading back into the show ring after a long absence. I have acquired contemporary show clothing. Yay! I still have (and love) my old you-tie-it stock tie, but I have no stock pin. I thought I would look on ebay for a pretty bar pin to use. There are lots of gorgeous pins on ebay but I’m having trouble envisioning the correct length.

Could someone who has a functional stock pin measure it and let me know how long it is?

[Paint_Party]

So I’m only showing in hunter stuff on the Paint circuit, but I wear a stock pin on my collar. There’s all sorts of bling everywhere. What’s a simple stock pin?

I have a couple of nice antique bar pins my mom used to wear, and I guess I like the sentimentality of feeling like my mom is once again “watching” me show.

Anyway… Mine measure from 2 inches to 2 1/2".

[hoopoe]

for a conventional stock tie 2.5 to 3 inches was my go to.

[Janet]

The important thing for a pin to use with a fully tied stock is to make sure the shank is strong enough. Many pins that work fine with one layer of fabric (blouse, shirt, jacket) buckle when you try to pin them through the multiple dense layers of the tied stock. Good stock pins have a steel shank.

[Paint_Party]

Yeah, I guess that extra 1/2 inch is vital if you’re truly tying the knot and using the pin to work through the fabric.

@Janet

Many pins that work fine with one layer of fabric (blouse, shirt, jacket) buckle when you try to pin them through the multiple dense layers of the tied stock.

Good point! Even with a cotton show shirt and choker (ugh, those are still popular on breed circuits), my oldest pin, which is gold-filled, sort of struggles to get through the fabric.

Pssst… Isn’t it kinda nice to talk about pretty, vintage jewelry?

[eightpondfarm]

so that lets-out 100% of all my beautiful sterling pins

[Nous]

Agree with the steel shank requirement, my current stock pin doesn’t have one and it’s bent every which way from forcing it through two layers of stock plus shirt.

[Scribbler]

You can use or make a pre-tied stock tie. It sits on a Velcro collar. Then you can use any pin you like for decoration as it isn’t stressed by doing a structural job. You can even use a couple of stitches to keep it secure.

I feel like pre tied stocks are often a cottage or handicraft industry, I see them in tack stores by the front counter or on Etsy. They all add a bit of bling to the knot area but often not even a real pin just a jewelry component stitched in.

[Janet]

Yes, but the OP was specifically referring to a

@SillyHorse

you-tie-it stock tie

[Scribbler]

I was replying to @eightpondfarm

[eightpondfarm]

Well, the thread is actually called Stock Pins, so it’s an apropos enough comment. Relative to stock pins in-that some work best for decoration only, some work better for work.

Me…i LOVE jewelry. And especially old-fashioned jewelry. And i love that dressage apparel offers a good excuse for fancy pins. Not many people wear them in this day and age. Now…if you go to the Senior Center here in town, you will see a few ladies with a pretty pin on their jacket.

[SillyHorse]

I simply wanted to know the average length of a stock pin. I should have made the title more specific.