Full Mask DIY

**IsaacW** · 17th September 17, 06:14 PM

As someone who really enjoys working with natural materials and has easy access to animal hides, I have been wanting to challenge myself with the building of a full mask sporran. I decided that I wanted to make one in a more historic style but of a quality that it would look acceptable wearing with modern kilted attire.

Last fall, I harvested this small raccoon and decided that this would be a good use for the hide. I skinned and tanned the hide myself. The form for the head was not a modern taxidermy form but rather I hand carved it from a piece of birchwood. I found some antique glass eyes which I used as I did my "taxidermy" work. For the remainder of the leather, I chose the historical choice of using bark tanned deer hide. This hide was tanned with willow bark by Sylvain Ouellet of Quebec. Of course, now I have a desire to try bark tanning (which I will be doing this fall with 4 deer hides and 1 moose hide).

In the end, the sporran turned out quite nice, and I am very pleased for a first attempt at this style.

**Dughlas mor** · 17th September 17, 09:57 PM

Nice work, Isaac!

**FlamingHaggis** · 17th September 17, 10:30 PM

Nice work! (Not just because i hate racoons)

**Tarheel** · 18th September 17, 03:53 AM

Good job Isaac. I remember the thread we had last year on reenactors using raccoons for sporrans. I think this is a fine rendition of olden times labor.