Sporran antique and aged vs new mfg.

[Dunbar]

I am newly outfitting my first kilt. I am newly elected Chieftain of Clan Dunbar Society and need to have proper dress for games in the US and as a guest in Scotland at Manors of relatives and those who now own estates possessed at one time by the Earls of Dunbar March and Moray. Our Clan tours Scotland every 5 years and have had incredible reception at such estates.

I plan on at least 2 sporrans one dress and the other casual. Being on X-Marks the Scot for a couple of months I would of course love to commission them from Artificer but unfortunately that is not an option. I don't really want a full face to substitute for a day and dress sporran but might collect one later. All the newly manufactured offerings in the $50 to $350 USD range are not really to my taste. I would rather have something old and with imperfections but more unique and am soliciting opinions. For a cantle I would prefer sterling or German silver vs plate or pewter or chrome. I'm not too concerned with the cost except I don't want to spend over a thousand pounds from one of the high end outfits I see periodically. I kind of like this one on eBay despite the obvious flaws. I like the goat hair better than horse hair but am open to all options. I don't want anything outlandish but do like unique that might be a conversation starter.

Where can I look for find the variety and quality that Artificer creates but I can put in my shopping cart and hit buy?

Thanks,
David

[MacRob]

Here is my opinion and it is just that, an opinion. I would stay away from the horsehair military sporrans. I see people wearing them who are not in the military or not bandsmen but I do not think they look very good with civilian dress. They were popular civilian wear in Victorian times but much of what was worn in Victorian times was garish and inappropriate for wear these days.

The problem with wearing an antique sporran will be finding one which is in good shape and looks appropriate and, at the same time, is useful. I gave up trying to find one like that when first donning the kilt 34 years ago and made my own. Cantles, at least the actual working kind, are not something you can find easily these days and most which were available in the past came off military surplus sporrans. That supply seems to have dried up. I have looked at ebay and the "vintage" sporrans I saw looked more like "used" sporrans.

There are lots of nice sporrans out there for reasonable prices and you can find them in e-commerce without difficulty. There are custom makers who tend to mostly provide them in leather only. There is even one on this site, whose work I have seen and admired.

One thing that would help you make your decision would be to observe what everybody else is wearing, especially the Scots. My chief wears a very plain day wear sporran and a nice evening sporran and looks very good in both.

Good luck in your search.

[McMurdo]

The sporran you linked to is lovely, many will think it too much but it is lovely. If you've been wearing the kilt for a while then I'd say go ahead if thats what you want, there is a certain something that happens once you get used to wearing the kilt that can't be underestimated that something is confidence. I was just looking at Ministry of Tartan and found these sporrans that might be of interest.

http://www.ministryoftartan.com/inde...product_id=275

http://www.ministryoftartan.com/inde...product_id=273

http://www.ministryoftartan.com/inde...product_id=336

[MacRob]

http://www.ministryoftartan.com/inde...product_id=275

http://www.ministryoftartan.com/inde...product_id=273

http://www.ministryoftartan.com/inde...product_id=336

I like all three of the sporrans pictured here and they are certainly reasonably priced.

[Jock Scot]

None of them would warrant a half penny of mine! Each to their own.

[McMurdo]

None of them would warrant a half penny of mine! Each to their own.

Jock
I know you have the one sporran from McRostie, but you also have the luxury of being able to borrow an evening wear sporran. My question therefore is if you were looking for your first evening sporran to purchase where would you go?

By the way here is the link to McRostie of Glasgow

http://www.mcrostie.co.uk/product-ca...wear/sporrans/

[Jock Scot]

An excellent post MacRob, with your first and last paragraph being particularly pertinent. One word of caution, sadly these days, using some Scots as examples of how to wear the kilt and what to wear with the kilt should not be relied upon. As much as it hurts to say so, it does have to be said. My advice is look at the Scots in the traditional section here.

[OC Richard]

I am newly outfitting my first kilt. I am newly elected Chieftain of Clan Dunbar Society

Congratulations!

(I will) need to have proper dress for games in the US and as a guest in Scotland at Manors... I plan on at least 2 sporrans one dress and the other casual. For a cantle I would prefer sterling or German silver vs plate or pewter or chrome.

Sounds like our tastes are similar.

I love vintage sporrans, and new sporrans that have that vintage look.

I've owned quite a few vintage sporrans over the last 40-odd years of kiltwearing. There's just something about them.

As yes exactly so, the vintage dress sporrans have metalwork of German Silver (with or without silver plating) and less often Sterling Silver. I don't care at all for the modern nickel plating, chrome plating, or pewter.

I myself prefer to go old-school with my Evening Sporran, going to the goat hair sporrans worn throughout the 19th century well into the early 20th century and even today. (The small pocket-shaped Evening sealskin sporrans with silver top took over in the first quarter of the 20th century.)

Here are some young men at a modern Oban Ball, showing a mix of the standard post-1900 small Evening Dress sealskin sporrans and the older style



And Yours Truly attending a concert of The Black Watch wearing a c1900 goathair sporran



And as you say Artificer's work is fantastic. Here's my Day Dress with a 1953 MOD Culloden cantle with a new Artificer bag. (I have a couple of these cantles if you would like one, there are a number of sporran makers who could probably make a new bag for you.)



Vintage Evening Dress sporrans show up often on Ebay. Be careful! Sealskin is illegal to import into the USA.

For Day Dress, lovely vintage sporrans show up on Ebay all the time, often quite inexpensive.

First, a quick overview of the dichotomy between Day and Evening sporrans which was firmly entrenched by the time of this 1936 catalogue





Going back earlier, we see long hair sporrans still standard for Evening Dress



So, currently on Ebay here's a c1900 Evening Sporran that's amazing

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Spor...IAAOSwfVpYus2P



And a lovely vintage Day sporran that appears to be in great condition; I've never seen quite this pattern before

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-ANTI...UAAOSwsXFZE4tB



Here's one that's in a classic design that's been around since the 1930s and is still made today. But this vintage one has that wonderful 1930s pigskin look, though it's probably from the 1960s or 70s. Beats most anything made today, for my eye.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Scottish-Bro...4AAOSwnHZYW9QW



If you must have a new sporran, Billy Lang in California makes new sporrans that, to my eye, have an old look to them:

[ASinclair]

I am newly outfitting my first kilt. I am newly elected Chieftain of Clan Dunbar Society and need to have proper dress for games in the US and as a guest in Scotland at Manors of relatives and those who now own estates possessed at one time by the Earls of Dunbar March and Moray. Our Clan tours Scotland every 5 years and have had incredible reception at such estates.

I plan on at least 2 sporrans one dress and the other casual. Being on X-Marks the Scot for a couple of months I would of course love to commission them from Artificer but unfortunately that is not an option. I don't really want a full face to substitute for a day and dress sporran but might collect one later. All the newly manufactured offerings in the $50 to $350 USD range are not really to my taste. I would rather have something old and with imperfections but more unique and am soliciting opinions. For a cantle I would prefer sterling or German silver vs plate or pewter or chrome. I'm not too concerned with the cost except I don't want to spend over a thousand pounds from one of the high end outfits I see periodically. I kind of like this one on eBay despite the obvious flaws. I like the goat hair better than horse hair but am open to all options. I don't want anything outlandish but do like unique that might be a conversation starter.

Where can I look for find the variety and quality that Artificer creates but I can put in my shopping cart and hit buy?

Thanks,
David

Take a look at Wyvern Leatherworks => http://www.wyvernleatherworks.com/
Donnie made my day sporran, and I am very happy with it.

[McMurdo]

I was recently got this sporran from a friend, it was picked up at an estate sale, dated 1911. I am not sure how often I will wear it, but at this point I don't mind taking risks. This might just become my go to evening sporran, only time will tell.





As for day sporrans I commissioned a MoD cantled sporran from Artificer a couple of years ago and it has become a favourite




I was also lucky enough to be given this sporran which also has an MoD cantle, this one once belonged to my girlfriends grandfather.



I honestly don't think there are many modern sporran makers out there that could reproduce these and if they could it would cost a pretty penny. I think if you want to go with something like these then vintage would be the best way to go.