Not a piper but like the look of a horse hair sporran

[sevenoaks]

Now I have gone and done it! I purchased a horse hair sporran and now I wonder if it is acceptable to wear it. I am not a piper but my father was and I am not associated with the military.
When could I wear it or do I just hang it on my wall along with some swords, knives and old maps I have?

[Nick the DSM]

Go ahead. It used to be common wear back in the Victorian era.

[Muddy]

Wear it.

[Tobus]

The native Scots will tell you that it's "just not done" in Scotland today. Nobody wears horse hair sporrans except the military and pipers. That seems to be the situation with modern Highland traditionalism.

However, I have seen at least one Scotsman wearing one. He was an official at a Highland Games in Scotland. So it would be very rare and likely frowned upon in typical dour Scottish disapproval, but it's not unheard of.

As mentioned, hair sporrans have a very rich history for civilian wear, dating back to the Victorian era, and seemed to die out during the Edwardian era. There are folks who would like to revive this tradition, including me! It's not an everyday sporran, though. I mainly wear mine with evening dress, although I'd certainly consider wearing it for very dressy daywear, under the right circumstances.

[Thomas H]

There is alot of people wearing them in Georgia . mostly daywear styles.
I am currently making a brown and black horse hair sporran now and I would be hard pressed to wear it when ever and how ever .

As long as the crest (if one ) is not Military . you should be ok to wear it
Have fun

[Chas]

I have five, but only one that is descent. The other four have shed so much that they are only good for keeping and looking at.

I wear mine for special evening events. Normally I wear a 'working' sporran for Scottish Country Dancing, but at the end of each term we hold a tartan social and everybody makes an effort. That's when I wear mine.

Regards

Chas

[CMcG]

The native Scots will tell you that it's "just not done" in Scotland today. Nobody wears horse hair sporrans except the military and pipers. That seems to be the situation with modern Highland traditionalism......

Is that so? I thought I had read that long hair sporrans were not typically worn as THCD daywear in Scotland anymore, but that they still might occasionally be seen in THCD formal evening attire.

I sometimes wear the horsehair sporran that my dad used to wear in his youth when he was a piper. Luckily for me, there are no badges or crests on it. It only comes out for black tie events.

[Muddy]

I wish they still made 'em long and a bit scraggly on the ends like in the old photos.
Now, they're all trimmed short and perfect on the bottom. I much prefer the look of
the old ones.

[Tobus]

Is that so? I thought I had read that long hair sporrans were not typically worn as THCD daywear in Scotland anymore, but that they still might occasionally be seen in THCD formal evening attire.

I sometimes wear the horsehair sporran that my dad used to wear in his youth when he was a piper. Luckily for me, there are no badges or crests on it. It only comes out for black tie events.

Yes, Colin, you are correct. I'm not sure why I failed to spell that out. I just naturally assumed we were talking about daywear, but that was never specified by the OP. Like you, I wear mine for evening dress and consider it just fine. I've seen plenty of examples from Scotland in that regard too...

[artificer]

Now I have gone and done it! I purchased a horse hair sporran and now I wonder if it is acceptable to wear it. I am not a piper but my father was and I am not associated with the military.
When could I wear it or do I just hang it on my wall along with some swords, knives and old maps I have?

For me, one of the biggest things about hair sporrans for day wear (and not looking like a piper or member of the RRS) is a leather cantle.
If you look at many of the sporrans illustrated by Kenneth MacLeay (as OC Richard already posted pictures of) a good number of the chaps are wearing sporrans without metal cantles.
It's just a more casual look, and I was inspired by those same pictures to start a small project (just over two years ago, and still rolling).

Here's one I did with the traditional "envelope" pocket on the back.


One nice thing about leather cantles and the traditional construction is that the sporran is MUCH lighter than the piper/military type frequently seen today



Here's our own M.A.C.Newsome wearing one that I made (albeit for a dressier event):


And another with a custom shaped cantle.


Lastly, even metal cantled sporrans can be given a shaggier, less "military" shape by losing the square cut on the bottom of the hair.


Although nothing beats goat hair for a nice shaggy look.

If you want to wear a horse hair sporran casually, do it. There are no kilt police, and as long as you're not in the Scottish Highlands, nobody will know that it's
"not the done thing".
ith: