Sporran cantles

[Benning Boy]

Not long before Artificer vanished on us I had been in touch with him about doing some work for me. I put it off then poof he was gone. So now I'm thinking of making my own. I can do other involved craft things well so I feel I can do a decent job making sporrans.

I'd like to know how leather cantles are assembled. Are they sort of the same front and back? I'd like to try one.

I'm curious, on hinged MoD cantles there are a couple of knobs sticking out where the thing hinges are. Are sporrans using these cantles made to fit over these knobs? I think I've seen pictures of bags made this way.

I'll be working with leathers and hides of critters native to the American West, rather than more Scottish sorts of things, like kit fox rather than red and so on.

[McMurdo]

I have 2 MoD cantled sporrans yes the knobs on the sides do go through the leather



Here is another sporran not mine with an MoD cantle you can clearly see the knobs on the side





As for leather cantles I'd look at the sporrans made by Fergusson Britt I've had two of these and his quality is top notch

[Luke MacGillie]

The hinge knobs do not have to go thru the leather

This is an original, perhaps the actual basis for the MOD Cantles.

I wish I had a shot from the rear, as I wonder if the belt bars are broken off/removed and thus the leather loop hanger

[figheadair]

The hinge knobs do not have to go thru the leather

This is an original, perhaps the actual basis for the MOD Cantles.

I wish I had a shot from the rear, as I wonder if the belt bars are broken off/removed and thus the leather loop hanger

This one is mine. It is an MOD cantle, not an original and retains the belt bars. I do have an original mid-18th century bronze cantle too, that one never had belt bars and the leather sits inside the hinges.

P1000359a.jpg

[Luke MacGillie]

This one is mine. It is an MOD cantle, not an original and retains the belt bars. I do have an original mid-18th century bronze cantle too, that one never had belt bars and the leather sits inside the hinges.

P1000359a.jpg

Ah! Its converted to lacing on the bag, that photo has made the rounds thru the reenactor community as being an original because of the lacing!

The one you just posted, this is the backside correct?



I was under the impression, given the presence of the 4 holes on the back, that the hangers were broken off, especially combined with the rather crude leather hanger attachment.

[figheadair]

Ah! Its converted to lacing on the bag, that photo has made the rounds thru the reenactor community as being an original because of the lacing!

The one you just posted, this is the backside correct?



I was under the impression, given the presence of the 4 holes on the back, that the hangers were broken off, especially combined with the rather crude leather hanger attachment.

There are only two holes, one either side of the belt strap. They've been there for as long as we've had the sporran in the family. The holes look to be roughly drilled, I can't account for them and there's no evidence that there wee ever bars for a strap. The sewing thread is the original gut, not leather. The hanger is contemporary and other the same deer hide as the bag.