Brass Cantle 18th Century Sporrans

[castledangerous]

Anyone into 18th century sporrans like the one that Sir Malcolm MacGregor is wearing in the photos on Matt's blog? Here is a picture of the brass cantle of one from the National Museums of Scotland.


There are some others on the National Museums page also. I just love the "primitive" engraving, especially on MacGregor's and the cantle. Note the holes in the brass cantle for threading the leather strings through, and you can see the threading at the top of the MacGregor sporran.

Maclean of Dochgarroch is also wearing one in this photo.

The only one I've found who is making something similar is The Mad Piper.

The House of Labhran appears to sell them occasionally, but none are available currently.

I would like to find someone who could recreate such a cantle, and have a Ferguson Britt attached to it through the Scottish Tartan's Museum.

Any thoughts?

[Ryan Ross]

I would like to find someone who could recreate such a cantle, and have a Ferguson Britt attached to it through the Scottish Tartan's Museum.

Any thoughts?

Matt, himself, had Lamar do that very thing- take an old (not antique) cantle and put an FB bag on it. Came out fantastic.

[Bugbear]

Sounds interesting. I'm not sure how those cantles were made in that time period. However, I have been looking into making my own cantle design from clay, I work with ceramics, then having it cast in a metal I can afford. It would be fairly easy to replicate the general look of something like a cantle from any time period that way. Would it be cheap? No, unless you can do it all yourself.

[McMurdo]

I was talking to Matt about that very thing a little while ago, I'd absolutely love something like that.

[castledangerous]

I was talking to Matt about that very thing a little while ago, I'd absolutely love something like that.

Cool, what was his response?

[McMurdo]

Cool, what was his response?

If I found a cantle he'd see about getting Lemar Britt to do a bag for it. As yet I've not found a cantle.

[castledangerous]

Aye, there's the rub.

[castledangerous]

Here is another brass-cantled sporran of similar provenance worn by the Duke of Argyll.

[Tattoo Bradley]

McMurdo and I were also speaking of this... I'm in the same boat. Need a cantle!

[ThistleDown]

This is one I made about twenty years ago and still occasionally wear. Sorry for the pic quality.