Show us your sporrans...

[English Bloke]

I started a thread recently called "show us your kilt pins". It's ongoing and I'm enjoying it alot and thought I'd start another in a similar vein. This is "Show us your sporrans".

I'll start off by showing all mine (that I currently have, and some that have come and gone.) Mine are not particularly special or expensive, I'm always on the hunt for a bargin but I'd also like people to share pictures of what they currently wear, either antique, unusual, astounding bargins or just normal sporrans, whatever you've got.

I'm not trying to detract from any of the superb, specialist, sporran threads already out there. I appreciate that there are some beautiful, expensive sporrans available and our in-house sporran makers also create some wonderful, custom articles (one of which I pine for daily... Scott), but for many here the gorgeous L&M type creations remain on unaffordable wish lists.

Hopefully this thread will give everyone the chance to contribute to the topic of sporrans and show off what we have and highlight the good from the bad you've encountered.

It should be said that you don't need dozens of sporrans. The argument that one marvelous, expensive sporran is better than a wardrobe full of rubbish definately holds good but hopefully the magpies among us can share our collections and demonstrate that there are some nice options as well as point out some pitfalls to avoid, for those on a budget.

So, mine are as follows:


The first sporran I bought. It came as a job lot with the first Kilt and I bought it in the full bloom of my Kilting ignorance and inexperience. It's made of leather-board not leather and has three tassles and a pressed in celtic rope design on the face which is just enough off-centre to annoy. It cost a bit less than 15 quid and is worth about 50p. Although it probably looks OK from a passing bus, it's absolute rubbish and is now for lender use only.


This a brown leather jacobite style sporran with a braided detail. Cost about 20 quid on ebay and is fairly roomy if a little narrow at the opening. It isn't great quality but is functional and perfectly wearable It also has the option to tuck away the trailing leather tails at the front if so desired. Variety is everything in my book.


The sporran when worn... see what I mean?


A pressed tin cantle and black rabbit with three chrome ball tassles, also in rabbit. My first "dress" sporran which I aquired as a gizzit with another purchase. It is now for lending only as well.


Obtained this to replace the one above. An ebay auction which was a bit of a bargin which is what drew me to it although I wasn't particularly struck with it when it arrived. It's better quality than the black one but not by much. It has since been given on to another kiltie in greater need than me.


A black leather and brown cowhide sporran with dress tassles and a drop pin lock. I suppose this would be described as semi-dress. Also has the option of removing the tassles and using it as a normal day sporran. I like this one although I don't wear it as much as I might and prefer it with tassles off. It's not very roomy inside and I tend to carry a lot of junk if I'm out and about. Got it on ebay for £20 or so.


As worn, without tassles...


...And with.

[English Bloke]

A Stillwater Kilts Nylon cargo sporran. Probably the best all rounder out there. I love this sporran. They are not expensive but if you are UK based, shipping and duty will double the overall cost. Still well worth it though, there is nothing like it available anywhere else. This sporran gets a lot of use.


The Nylon Cargo sporran on... in Northern Turkey! Way off the beaten tourist track so quite a head turner. As was the kilt, not surprisingly.


Another drop-pin daywear sporran in thick leather with three tassles and braiding detail. I like this sporran alot too and it gets more wear than the black/brown one above, but only because I don't need to faff about with the tassles. It holds a lot of stuff too and has a nice wide opening I can get my potato fingers into easily. It's another ebay score for £20 or so.


Closer look at the pin closure.


Brown leathers with Lindsay Modern.


This is a cowhide dress sporran with a black and chrome cantle. It isn't seal skin but you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference from 300 yards away. It does what I need it to do.


A closer look at the cantle.


And as worn with the Bruce. I like this one alot. I like the sporran too. (Do you like the Regimental bow tie by the way?... Here I go again, hijackin' mee own threads...)


This is an MoD issue brown leather sporran. It's unused and fantastic quality and I grabbed from ebay for a handful of peanuts. I suspect it's a rejected second as there is a tiny 2mm x 2mm flaw in the hide on the back face. I have no problem with that. This too is one of my favorite sporrans and I wear it frequently.


Out and about in Dress MacDonald muted.

[English Bloke]

As I've mentioned before I am completely sold on the Stillwater Cargo Sporran. I bought the nylon one ages ago and it's probably my most used everyday spozz.


See? Look! There it is again!

I used to look enviously at those on the board who had the leather variants but unfortunately there was a problem in production with the leather ones and so they were not available for ages (like two years of ages!). I'd asked Jerry at Stillwater to let me know when they were around again which in due course, he did. I snapped up one of each as soon as I heard.


First came the Black.


Then the brown. In terms of practicality, these are the very best of daywear sporrans and I can't shout about them enough.


The Black in action.


And the Brown.

Lastly my hairies. Not everyone's cup of tea and I am yet to wear them to an appropriate function but I have a sneaking suspicion that these will become my 'after 6pm' sporrans of choice.


The first is a white horse hair, now aged to a lovely pale cream, with two bells and black tassles. It isn't really a sporran as such as there is no bag so it is purely decorative, but then again that is, in my opinion the primary function of most sporrans. Simply to look splendid!

It was in a bit of a sorry state when I snagged it on ebay and needed a bit of TLC. The black leather piece below the cantle was quite badly damaged and had a tin plate thistle badge attached to it by vicious looking hooks. The advantage of this is the seller was virtually giving it away so I couldn't resist. I replaced the leather with new and added a nice Bruce clan crest badge I had floating about, to make it a bit more cliché, but I reckon it will look the business next time I'm PC'd.


Close up of the new leather and badge. The only problem I envisage is I'll now have to find somewhere else to put mee fags and lighter.

My other hairy is another ebay UK aquisition, although not as cheap as the above, it was still a bargin compared to others of the same type I've seen offered there. They are still available by the way. Type "British Surplus Sporran" into the search bar it pops up. Visit the shop and there is a multitude of other sporran and kilt goodies available to drool over (look in the "Scottish Regimental Kit" section).


It's a MoD issue, Black Watch, five tassle, OR's sporran. It's brand new and arrived boxed and unworn. It's in pristine condition and I think it is the bees knees. Because it was unworn, it arrived with the tassles un-affixed and it was a bit of a job to set it up but I absolutely love it.


Close up of the cantle. I was thinking of fiddling with the tassle configuration in order to make it less obviously Black Watch but figured it would wind up looking like a Black Watch sporran someone had mucked about with so I decided not to. My dilemna now is finding the appropriate time and place to wear it without knocking noses out of joint. But then it's not just in the wearing for me, it's also in the having!!

I think that's the lot. I'm sure there will be more before I'm done. I'll keep you posted.

Hope you're enjoying this thread so far and feel inspired to add to it. Tell us about the good and the bad, the expensive and the cheap, the beautiful and the ugly. It'll become a sporran knowledge-base hopefully.

[nloken]

Great collection! I love those drop-pin sporrans! I might have to get my camera and take some shots myself, now.

[Mike_Oettle]

That was helpful of you, John, to tell us what you acquired and what use you have had out of it.
I have so far (aside from my black leather army pouch, handed in in 1978) worn two borrowed sporrans (one black leather with chrome studs) and one in white rabbit skin with a chrome cantle and tassels.
When I returned the first borrowed sporran I was given one in brown leather. It has two drawbacks: it doesn’t hold enough, and its chain strap was too short. (But one doesn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.) I initially used the strap belonging to the rabbit skin sporran, but that broke ().
Today I took delivery of two leather sporran straps, one brown (which I am keeping) and one black (which I will return with the rabbit skin sporran).
Must get a bigger sporran!
Regards,
Mike

[Tobus]

Wow, that's a lot of sporrans. With that many, there would definitely be some that never get worn. I'm the kind of guy who will usually only have a couple of things that I wear all the time (depending on level of dress), and anything else will just stay in the closet.

That said, here are my main three sporrans:

This one was made by my wife. It's not a very good picture (that's her hair blocking part of the photo). It's my favorite sporran. It holds everything I need.




This is a hair sporran made by Josh. It doesn't get worn too much, but I often ask myself why not. It will sure make an impression.




This is my newest sporran, a cheapie that I bought at the last Highland Games just so I could say I had a plain old day sporran like everybody else. I think it's a bit boring and not very functional.




I also have two others that were of my own making. But I don't wear them any more, and to be quite honest, I'm a bit embarrassed by them now. So I won't even show them.

[Baldybrown]

I've only got the one (so far) but I made it myself, so A'm rither prood a the thing. I also made the chain.

[English Bloke]

... Must get a bigger sporran! ...

Honestly Mike! Stillwater Leather Cargo is the way to go for a quality all rounder. Maybe not suitable for an evening at the Summer Ball but perfectly acceptable at a daytime wedding.



Goowaan, you know you want one!



I don't want this thread to turn into an advert so I'd like everyone to know at this point, I have no involvement with Stillwater Kilts or any of their leathery accessories. I'm just an impressed punter...

Tobus: Love the wife-made sporran and I have found a new liking for hairies so that's a hit too. And we all need a cheapie so the good ones don't get mauled. Cheers mate!

[Dale Seago]

Honestly Mike! Stillwater Leather Cargo is the way to go for a quality all rounder. Maybe not suitable for an evening at the Summer Ball but perfectly acceptable at a daytime wedding.

I've had one of the nylon ones for several years and have worn it probably more than any other. I knew Stillwater occasionally had a black leather version in stock, but I didn't know until yesterday (thanks to this forum) that there's a very handsome brown one. Ordered it last night, it shipped today, and will probably be here Monday. I love the design not just for the capacity but the way it allows you to organize things. And the way the zippers go so far down on the sides of the main compartment allow you instant access to that which can't be discussed under rule 11 (but is relevant to my line of work) with just a single quick jerk on the front of the sporran.

[Donnie]

Here is my favorite!
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