Care & Feeding of Canadian WWI Sporran?

**kilted253** · 29th August 17, 08:05 AM

Hello All!

First post, and seeking some advice on the following...I was on holiday with the family the past week and stopped into a shop on the Central California coast that had a wide assortment of antiques from various estates. One of those lots was a significant amount of WWI Canadian Highlander garb.

The jacket and kilt were quite tatty (and I'll swear the kilt is lightweight as well), so I knew I'd be passing on them. There was also a full plaid (or fly, I didn't check its size) which seemed only mildly moth-eaten. Some great socks as well, that I should have bought...but nevermind that. I knew I'd be spending my money on the large sporran below as soon as I saw it. We haggled to a great price... I couldnae pass.

What you see in the picture below is (from the top):
- Pre-WWI Sporran. Likely from the 91st Regiment Canadian Highlanders, as they supplied the officers and pipers to the 173rd when it was formed. (This lot was from a single estate)
- Buckle with applied crest for the 173rd.
- Sgian Dubh which looks like it was used to stab a bear... ;)
- Big-*** Sporran from the 173rd Battalion.

I'm looking for the following help:

- RANK/IDENTITY: Are you an expert on Canadian Highlanders? If so, do you know the rank/role of the wearer? Looking at pictures of the 91st and then the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders it looks like the pipers wear something quite different to this....

- CLEANING/CARE: How do I preserve these 100 year old sporran? The big one had some hair which was shed when I got it, but seems mostly tight. With a soft leather pouch behind it, what is the best way to clean and care for it? (I'll assume the same care guidelines go for the smaller sporran as well)

- VALUE/PRESERVATION: I blew my spending money on this stuff and really don't have any clue of its value (other than I know I got a good deal on a good vintage sporran) - however it seems that there is a market for Highlander militaria...I didn't plan on selling it, but if the big sporran had some crazy value that would permit me to buy a new full trad outfit and nice new sporran, I'd certainly think about it. How rare/valuable is this? I'm lending to a friend who is performing a wedding this week, how gently should I tell him to handle it?

- SPEND MORE MONEY?: Lastly, there were a few items from the same gentleman which I didn't purchase as they were all overpriced (e.g. $75ish dollars on a very worn lightweight kilt which only would have fit me when I was 12 years old)...however, since I took all the good stuff, I am considering making an offer for the rest of the kit. It's really just tattered uniforms, tattered kilts, a nice pair of argyll kilt socks, a decent fly plaid, and a picture of the gentleman who owned the kit. Is there any significant value in this stuff that I could use to talk the wife into letting me phone the dude and make an offer? I regret not picking up the socks and plaid - they were nice.

**Father Bill** · 29th August 17, 09:05 AM

Looks like you've scored some interesting kit. Congratulations!

Take a look at this old thread: http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...r-horse-11945/

and this current one: http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...sporran-92921/

Others will surely chime in shortly. Meanwhile, welcome to the forum, and don't forget to post an introduction in the "Newbie" subforum http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f108/

**48HofC** · 29th August 17, 10:43 AM

Wow, pretty impressive and rare kit you picked up. The brown sporran, sgian dubh, and belt buckle are all pipers from the 91st Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada. I have never seen them outside of the regimental museum in Hamilton. The first sporran looks more like a civilian pattern than military actually because that style including badge is still made. The sporran cantle should come off by either nuts on studs or screws for a detail polishing, and there might be manufacturers markings on the backside. The horsehair can be washed with shampoo and gently brushed or combed to bring it back up again. The leather back can be nourished with saddle soap to keep it from deteriorating. Personally, i won't lend any of my kit out that's over a hundred years old because I know how difficult or impossible to replace.

**kilted253** · 29th August 17, 12:28 PM

Thank you, gents. I will pick up some mane and tail on my way home, take off the cantle for polishing and see if I can discern any markings on the underside.

Oddly, the tartan on the plaid and kilt which were with these is red fielded. It appears that the 91st and Argyll & Sutherland use a Black Watch - so I am wondering if there were any other tartans that the 91st or 173rd used that would have a red field?

I did not take a picture of the tartan - it could have been Stewart for all I know, I was infatuated by the accoutrement. I suppose that they could have been later tartans worn in a pipe band or something...I really should have bought the whole lot so I wasn't left here wondering. )

**plaid preacher** · 29th August 17, 02:21 PM

I'm not sure if it's just the angle of the photo, but the top sporran looks to me to be a boys sporran - smaller cantle (compare with the one at the bottom of the photo) and two tassels instead of three. Lovely find, however. Are there any hallmarks on the sgian dubh?

**Holcombe Thomas** · 29th August 17, 02:35 PM

I only know enough to pose the warning, but, when polishing, polish gently. There may be a patina which shouldn't be removed.

Lovely find!

Holcombe

**kilted253** · 29th August 17, 02:52 PM

The top sporran definitely seems a little on the small side (narrow and can only hold a few coins). That makes perfect sense!

**OC Richard** · 30th August 17, 04:28 AM

Wow a 91st piper's sporran! It's a gorgeous piece and appears to be in excellent condition.

Pipers' sporrans are much more rare than ORs' sporrans, which goes to figure because you'll only have 14 or so pipers in the regiment.

Yes the top sporran is a typical civilian boy's sporran.

About care, there are products specifically made for washing horse hair, which you can get at a tack shop. I've carefully washed and de-tangled vintage horsehair sporrans before, you have to go slowly and carefully because the hair might be brittle and you don't want to have a lot of it break off.

It looks to be in very good shape though, you might not have to do anything.

BTW note the elaborate cones to the tassels. The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (of Scotland) got to the point where some of their pipers' sporrans had lost their cones and they evidently couldn't find that original style, so a number of their pipers' sporrans had ordinary chrome thistle cones on them.

Here are those items in situ

And last but not least Kilted235 you display a much larger vocabulary than I would have expected from your avatar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx4nN0HkByg

**kilted253** · 30th August 17, 08:31 PM

That would be an ecumenical matter!!

It falls very nicely now that it has been conditioned and brushed with love. It was FILTHY.

Thanks for all the help, everyone! I've immersed myself in tales of Canadian Highland pipers over the past few days, and it has been time well spent!

I will go introduce myself as requested, I suppose...

**OC Richard** · 31st August 17, 04:53 AM

Yes it would be an ecumenical matter!

BTW to keep huge pictures from making posts go all crazy you can use a free online photo re-sizer to rein in the image size

http://picresize.com/

I know most people probably have the capability to do that on their home computer but I have an old laptop with nothing.

Here's one of your pics re-sized. Excellent job combing the hair! Looks ready for parade.