Another eBay Sporran Puzzler

**artificer** · 5th February 12, 07:30 AM

While trolling eBay in the wake of Matt's "Mask Sporran DON'T" thread last night I stumbled onto THIS puzzling little find. Please note the drop-shadowed comic sans notes on the pics are NOT mine

Something is obviously very unusual about the sporran, and gets even MORE odd when you see the backside.

The sporran itself would appear to be completely rebuilt, as I've NEVER seen a vintage sporran with an unfinished edge. The leather on the backing also appears MUCH MUCH newer than anything else in the lot.

The tassels are attached via rivet DIRECTLY TO the metal cantle, and appear to be animal tails or similar. There also appears to be a center ring for a third (missing) tassel.

The sporran doesn't have regular rings or strap loops, but square d-rings that appear to be welded or bolted right through the top edge of the cantle itself.

The body hair is quite odd as well. It doesn't look like horsehair to me (if you look closely at the area under the right tassel, it looks like ground hair under the course top hair), but if it is horse hair it must have been very badly savaged by several generations of moths.

The part that really interests me is the belting. I can't for the life of me figure out WHAT it might be. It doesn't look like a baldric, but I admit I am not familiar with the manifold styles that have existed through time.

The five straps are adjustable and appear as if meant to take something "sheath sized". The 5 mini-straps are adjustable (both in overall length AND the amount of space they allow around the larger pass-thru strap), but they are also riveted into the larger strap on their rear side to preserve spacing. Somehow, the belt forms a three-point attachment to the central roundel using the rings on same plus the hooks on the various belts (this includes a hook on the piece that is currently separate and above the sporran)

What IS obvious about it though is that it is of higher quality than the sporran.

Can any swashbuckling types help me sort out the arrangement of belts, and does anyone have thoughts on the sporran?

ith:

Edit: on third examination, I'm fairly certain it's either a sword belt or baldric, but does anyone have a picture or painting of a similar arrangement? The roundel and hook assembly doesn't seem strong enough for a waist belt, so my guess would be that this is a baldric. That would make the 5 strap arrangement the sword frog- but it's very unusual.

**longhuntr74** · 5th February 12, 08:19 AM

I can help you on the belt, Scott. It's a sword belt. The 15" piece goes into the buckle...you set it where you need it...and then you don't buckle and unbuckle it. You simply un"hook"a it at that metal three-way piece where the sword frog also connects to the bottom side via hook. (Afterthought...given the extreme angle of the hook, maybe it wouldn't be so simple to unhook it while wearing it. Perhaps it was meant to be unbuckled in order to remove the belt...but it is definitely a sword belt.)

Many old sword belts had this easy on, easy off style of hook closure...especially many navy ones if memory serves. Is the belt old? I don't really think so. The whole rig appears to be something that was made for ren-fair use.

**artificer** · 5th February 12, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by longhuntr74

I can help you on the belt, Scott. It's a sword belt. The 15" piece goes into the buckle...you set it where you need it...and then you don't buckle and unbuckle it. You simply un"hook"a it at that metal three-way piece where the sword frog also connects to the bottom side via hook. (Afterthought...given the extreme angle of the hook, maybe it wouldn't be so simple to unhook it while wearing it. Perhaps it was meant to be unbuckled in order to remove the belt...but it is definitely a sword belt.)

Many old sword belts had this easy on, easy off style of hook closure...especially many navy ones if memory serves. Is the belt old? I don't really think so. The whole rig appears to be something that was made for ren-fair use.

Thanks Jeff, we must have been posting and editing at the same time.

Given the corrosion from metal onto the leather in a few of the spots I was thinking that it was either VERY badly stored, or at least from the 1940s-50s.

If it's made for the ren-faire crowd, they did a very nice job. It's fully lined, nicely (machine) stitched, and any rivets have had their backs covered in the lining material.