To sporranize this or not?

[Tobus]

I was at the Tandy store (Leather Factory) yesterday with my wife picking up some supplies for the saddle shop. I happened to see a small stack of odd looking pelts. I couldn't resist... I had to buy one.

This is a rabbit fur that's been dyed to look like leopard fur. For nine bucks, I had nothing to lose.




After drooling over Matt Newsome's bobcat sporran for some time (shown in this post), I'm thinking of doing something similar with this fur. Basically making another sporran like the one I made last year (shown below), with this rabbit fur covering the front panel, and making the braided leather cantle piece a slightly different shape so that it has a center 'point' on the bottom of the cantle.




What do you think? Worth the effort, or would it come out cheesy using this fur?

[TurboKittie]

I think it would look pretty awesome, and a little bit of cheese every now and again isn't always a bad thing.

[MacLowlife]

I was able to glue a similar pelt onto a low-price sporran. There is some finesse called for when dealing with fur at the edges- do you trim the hairs or not? You would avoid that if sewing, but the glued on face came out pretty well. I went for a dressy look with a shiny cantle, but rustic might work well, too.

[Nighthawk]

I've been thinking about doing something very similar, myself. I just hate working with fur- it gets everywhere!!- so I haven't done it myself. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

[Ryan Ross]

I just hate working with fur- it gets everywhere!!- so I haven't done it myself.

A big *** here.

I worked with rabbit fur for the first time about a month ago. I don't know how folks like Lamar, Scott, and Turpin do it. I felt like my lungs were full of fir, by the time I was done. I was really happy with the result, but I'm glad I don't have another fur project looming large, at the current time.


...but since it's you doing it and not me, I'd say to go for it!

[Tobus]

I've never done rabbit fur. Hair-on cow hide, yes, but not rabbit. Hopefully it's a small enough project that it won't be too bad.

[artificer]

A big *** here.

I worked with rabbit fur for the first time about a month ago. I don't know how folks like Lamar, Scott, and Turpin do it. I felt like my lungs were full of fir, by the time I was done. I was really happy with the result, but I'm glad I don't have another fur project looming large, at the current time.


...but since it's you doing it and not me, I'd say to go for it!

***

I've never done rabbit fur. Hair-on cow hide, yes, but not rabbit. Hopefully it's a small enough project that it won't be too bad.

If you ask me, rabbit is more trouble than it's worth. IMO The fluffy nature of the fur makes it appear a little on the cheap end, AND makes for irritating sewing.

It also tends to not "read" like other furs, even when dyed to look like them (again, it's the fluffiness. Leopard is sleek, not fluffy )

If it were me making a sporran for myself, I'd give rabbit a pass and search out a nicer pelt/hide.

If you do decide to push on, please make sure to take pix and show us the result. Based on your other work, it'll be a beauty.

ith:

[Cowher]

If you think you will like the final product then go for it. I made a sporran with a spotted pelt and I LOVE IT.

[Ryan Ross]

IMO The fluffy nature of the fur makes it appear a little on the cheap end, AND makes for irritating sewing.

Agreed again.

I was making a drinking horn cover from rabbit fur, and almost all of the fur was going on the inside of the project. In this case, the fluffy nature of the fur was a big plus, as it added a layer of padding to protect the finish of the horn.

In the case of a sporran, you're going for looks... and in my experience of seeing them in person, the fluffy fur can lend a nappy look to the sporran.

All that said, since this will be your first go at a fur sporran, I'd still say to give it a try. It will likely still turn out to be something you'll wear (at least in the mean time), it will give you good practice without the worry of screwing up a pelt on your first attempt that set you back a couple hundred bucks (as can be the case with some furs), and from the sound of it, it will make working with nicer furs seem less frustrating.

I still think you should give it a go, especially if you already have the other leather on hand.

ith:

[artificer]

I was making a drinking horn cover from rabbit fur, and almost all of the fur was going on the inside of the project. In this case, the fluffy nature of the fur was a big plus, as it added a layer of padding to protect the finish of the horn.

ith:

For a drinking horn, rabbit is perfect. As you said, it's good padding, and appropriate for a relatively "raw" viking/nordic look (and much cheaper than wolf ).

ith: