Sporran leather care

[Mike M.]

I'm getting my first kilt outfit together, and bought a sporrran. How stiff should these be? Mine is quite so...should I give it a good coat of Peccard Leather Dressing (great for preserving without softening), or neats-foot oil (great for softening)?

[Chas]

Anything you put on your sporran is going to get on your kilt.

Shoes get worn in by use - so do sporrans.

[tulloch]

I think a lot of people get an economy sporran sight unseen and then they want it to be better than it is. Look carefully. You have seen a lot of feedback for a lot of products. Expect to spend $100 or so at a minimum. I have one of Donny's at Wyvern. It Was a one-off and I think I spent about $65 on it. Don't expect o be so lucky. I got a lovely Kinloch Anderson on eBay but shopped very carefully. My best is from McCrostie in Glasgow about $100 without vat. Add shipping to that.

[Downunder Kilt]

I see you found the Gremlin

[artificer]

I think a lot of people get an economy sporran sight unseen and then they want it to be better than it is.

+ 1

Be VERY careful conditioning a low-cost sporran. Many of them are leatherboard, which is a fibreboard-like material made of leather scraps which has a very thin veneer of leather over the surface.

If you condition leatherboard you run the risk of the leather surface delaminating as well as the core material deforming.

Even if it is an actual leather product, many lower end pieces have such a heavy topcoat that they tend to be VERY stiff for quite a long time and won't take a conditioner anyway.

Do you have a link or a picture of your new sporran? It would help tremendously in providing advice.

ith:

[Mike M.]

http://www.usakilts.com/simple-pin-day-sporran.html is what I bought.

Yes, it's a starter. I'll probably buy a much better one later.

It may be my first sporran, but I'm accustomed to American Civil War leathers, and good leathers definitely benefit from a good treatment. My standard has been to use the Peccard dressing on the bodies of cartridge boxes and cap pouches, neats-foot oil on anything requiring a lot of flexibility.

[artificer]

http://www.usakilts.com/simple-pin-day-sporran.html is what I bought.

Yes, it's a starter. I'll probably buy a much better one later.

It may be my first sporran, but I'm accustomed to American Civil War leathers, and good leathers definitely benefit from a good treatment. My standard has been to use the Peccard dressing on the bodies of cartridge boxes and cap pouches, neats-foot oil on anything requiring a lot of flexibility.

Nothing wrong with that sporran, it probably just needs a bit of breaking in.

I wouldn't recommend neatsfoot oil for sporrans, it doesn't 'cure' so it stays wet forever. It's VERY easy to over-apply and have it leech back out onto your kilt.

If you've got a Tandy nearby there's a paste call "Dr Jackson's Hide Rejuvenator" which is quite good for working moisture into leather.

I use it to condition my leather peacoat at the start and end of the winter, and the coat is now almost 20 years old.

ith:

[seanachie]

I am not one of the lucky one's to own one of Scott's wonderful sporrans (yet!) but I do have a couple of gorgeous Wyvern sporrans mentioned above.I more than understand the necessity of keeping to a budget sporran to get started. But as a person who "has been there done that", once you look for a better quality sporran it is well worth saving a little longer and getting a real quality product from people like Scott or Donnie. I compromised and bought a modestly priced but mass produced sporran for my second sporran and (long story) and it broke within 6 months. The leather piece that holds the loops the sporran pass through tore out, really beyond repair. The leather it was riveted to was just too thin and weak. On the other hand, I expect my Wyvern will live beyond me, and it is unique and hand crafted. Sometime real value is found saving a little longer and going for the better quality.

Another great sporran that is really well made and budget priced is RKilts festival sporran. That is my "go to" weekend, running the errands doing the shopping sporran and like all of Robert's product top quality. Though others may have examples, I don't know of a better quality product that I have seen at that price.

+ 1

Be VERY careful conditioning a low-cost sporran. Many of them are leatherboard, which is a fibreboard-like material made of leather scraps which has a very thin veneer of leather over the surface.

If you condition leatherboard you run the risk of the leather surface delaminating as well as the core material deforming.

Even if it is an actual leather product, many lower end pieces have such a heavy topcoat that they tend to be VERY stiff for quite a long time and won't take a conditioner anyway.

Do you have a link or a picture of your new sporran? It would help tremendously in providing advice.

ith:

[English Bloke]

The one you have is a lovely sporran and good quality too. It shouldn't need any treatment.

[mookien]

I'm getting my first kilt outfit together, and bought a sporrran. How stiff should these be? Mine is quite so...should I give it a good coat of Peccard Leather Dressing (great for preserving without softening), or neats-foot oil (great for softening)?

I would not use neats-foot oil. It contains additives (petroleum distillates) that in the long run are harmful to leather. I used it regularly on a baseball glove and over the years the leather dried and deteriorated.

I would recommend Pecard Leather Dressing, but apply as directed. Be sure to wipe any excess off, after it has set a couple of days. You may also buff the leather for a bit of a shine, if you desire.

That's a fine sporran by the way. It will soften up over time and as you treat it.