Horse hair sporrans . . .

[Father Bill]

Okay, I know that what I've seen in various places is not necessarily "correct," nor "traditional." I also know that you don't have to be "c" nor "t."

BUT . . .

Who normally wears a horse-hair sporran, and in which circumstances? To me they're one of the most beautiful accessorries from which a tank can benefit.

And finally, knowing that I will receive dozens of conflicting answers from which I will need to discern my own perspective, I turn it over to my marvellous friends in the marvellous rabble with thanks.

[SlackerDrummer]

1) Formal attire.

2) Pipe bands in military uniforms.

3) See 1 and 2 above.

[Thor271]

Also Military DEU1A for Canadian Highland Units wear Hair Sporrans. Not just restricted to the pipe bands of the unit.

[English Bloke]

Horsehair? Horsehair you say? I'm right into horsehair just lately. An under-rated sporran if ever there was one.

If it wasn't that it frightened my neighbours and my wife, I'd wear one in all circumstances.

[artificer]

Here's the one I recently built



based on John Stewart's sporran, as illustrated by Ken MacLeay (F) in the below pic







I wear it to our local St. Andrews meetings and dressier events.

I'll probably wear it to the local games this season as well. I like that some of the older sporrans have all leather cantles as MacLeay illustrated. It really is the multi-function piece, day through dress.

[NorCalPiper]

You can wear one ANYTIME you want. And MAN do I want to wear the one pictured above!

[English Bloke]

Grrrrrr! ... See? ... Now I want that one... [sob!]

[beloitpiper]

artificer's horse hair sporran is the only kind of horse hair sporran I would wear outside of a piping gig.

[robbiethepiper]

I only wear mine when piping and wearing full no.1 dress ( feather bonnet,spats, pipers long plaid,cross belt.....). IMHO it is impractical and looks ludicrous at any other time. A bit like wearing a PC to visit the supermarket!!!

[Downunder Kilt]

I like the horsehair sporrans that Artificer and Josh at Skye Highland Outfitters are making, for what I believe are daywear. Each of them have leather cantles and I think that the are a very viable option to daywear leather sporrans. If however the hair sporran has a metal cantle, I believe in remains in the realm of evening wear. Though I have seen the one that Artificer did for David Pope and I think that with the hair used on that one, you could use it during daytime. From memory it had a brass cantle (I could be wrong)