StarBox: David Wilton lists Every. Single. Thing. in his pipe case

David Wilton is the pipe-major of a Grade 1 band on a heater. Police Scotland Fife is fresh off winning the Lochore (Benarty) Highland Games, beating Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia and ScottishPower, and earlier in 2024 delivered a sold-out “Dancing on the Beat” (see what they did there?) concert in Aberdeen.
The band has been on the ascent for a few years now. Last year, they captured third place at the Scottish Championships, the drum section under Leading-Drummer Mick O’Neill won the British Championship, and the band enjoyed three fourth-place finishes at the World Championships, helping it to a sixth overall finish.
Not only is David Wilton the leader of one of the elite Grade 1 bands on earth, but he’s also won a lot of professional grade solo piping awards, seven World Highland Dancing Championships, and a staggering 192 wins at other championships over his competitive dancing career.
So, what does this multi-talented artist and leader stuff his pipe case with as he goes from Police Scotland Fife practices, to his full-time job teaching piping at the High School of Dundee, to easing on down the road to the next pipe band competition?
By popular demand from pipes|drums readers, we asked David Wilton to list everything in his pipe case. Here’s what he returned:
Fusion pipe case main case area:
- Pre-World War I Lawrie bagpipes (exact age unknown), PlayGauls cane reeds, MW water trap, James Begg sheepskin bag
- Laptop
- Guinness bar towel
- Fife Police sweat towel
- Fife Police bag cover
- Spare water trap tubing
- Four cotton brushes
- MacRae wooden practice chanter by McCallum Bagpipes
- David Naill & Co. 1992 blackwood pipe chanter
- Shepherd Classic Mk3 plastic pipe chanter
- War-Mac Mk1 plastic chanter
- Broadley’s blackwood pipe chanter
- Three World Pipe Band Championship winner medals (spares) (High School of Dundee Pipe Band 2022)
- Three spare Tone Protecter chanter caps
- Tow Piper’s Pals by Kinnaird
- One dry chanter cap
In the two internal pockets:
- One set of Ezeedrone drone reeds
- One set of Kelt black cane drone reeds
- Four sets B-flat drone extenders
- One MG White Mamba bass drone reed
- Pair of glasses
- Two RSPBA player registration release forms (names kept secret 😊)
- Deburring tool kit
- Two Ando Hiroshige Idea notebooks (empty)
- PlayGauls bridles
- A bag of castration rings (to threaten the pipe corps)
- Four spare Boveda Humidity Moisture Packs
- Three black cable ties
- Various crit sheets/summaries
- Dental bands
- Yellow unwaxed hemp
- Black cobbler’s wax
- Black waxed hemp
- Chanter tape
- A pen
- Five spare Ezeedrone reeds
- Spare PlayGauls cane drone reeds
- Foam earplugs
- Tipex
- Picture note from my daughter
In the front pockets:
- Fife Police glengarry
- Solo piping glengarry
- Spare glengarry for kids band
- More crit sheets
- Grip patches
- Spare drone stocks (RG Hardie modern)
- Keys to my room at work
- T-Zip lubricant
- Laptop charger
- More chanter tape
Our thanks to David Wilton for sharing his stuff with us.
Is there a piper or pipe band drummer you’d like to see share the contents of their case? Send us your suggestion!
Maybe we ought to ask how much the whole thing weighs!