Dress Sporran...what determines a fromal/dress Sporran.

[CollinMacD]

I am thinking of having a formal or dress sporran made, as I have looked over and over all the Scottish, US, and Canadian Merchants and just seems to me almost all of them look alike. So I would like to design my own, but before I have it made, I wanted it run it by my fellow Scots to see what I have in mind first, is a dress sporran, fits the criteria of something you would wear to a formal affair, i.e. blacktie, like a ball or Burns Night, etc. So please if I am off or you have better suggestion, let me know so I can consider it.

This is my criteria:

I would like to have

- a brown fur, maybe muskrat, beaver, good fur not apt to shed, want brown fur,
- a cantle must be the cooper Thistle and with matching cooper tassle balls.
- a brown leather round piece below the cantle that would be round with the MacDonald Clanranald crest embossed in the leather,
- Motto will look like depicted below, and the sporran would be similar in design as one below.
- size would be a standard size formal type sporran,
- inside the sporran would have some leather divided to put change keys, that would be easy to read without taking everything else,
they will be on the front and back of the sporran inside.
- rings that are used to connect the soprran belts need to be cooper metal loops.

Here is the STYLE or basic design I am looking at:



Style of crest on leather that would be embossed.



Cantle



That is it in the nutshell, been thinking of this for a long time. I really would like Racoon, as the fur is long and really a nice brown, look at the photo above with the cooper cantle that is Racoon.

THOUGHTS?

[FossilHunter]

I am thinking of having a formal or dress sporran made, as I have looked over and over all the Scottish, US, and Canadian Merchants and just seems to me almost all of them look alike. So I would like to design my own, but before I have it made, I wanted it run it by my fellow Scots to see what I have in mind first, is a dress sporran, fits the criteria of something you would wear to a formal affair, i.e. blacktie, like a ball or Burns Night, etc. So please if I am off or you have better suggestion, let me know so I can consider it.

This is my criteria:

I would like to have

- a brown fur, maybe muskrat, beaver, good fur not apt to shed, want brown fur,
- a cantle must be the cooper Thistle and with matching cooper tassle balls.
- a brown leather round piece below the cantle that would be round with the MacDonald Clanranald crest embossed in the leather,
- Motto will look like depicted below, and the sporran would be similar in design as one below.
- size would be a standard size formal type sporran,
- inside the sporran would have some leather divided to put change keys, that would be easy to read without taking everything else,
they will be on the front and back of the sporran inside.
- rings that are used to connect the soprran belts need to be cooper metal loops.

Here is the STYLE or basic design I am looking at:



Style of crest on leather that would be embossed.



Cantle



That is it in the nutshell, been thinking of this for a long time. I really would like Racoon, as the fur is long and really a nice brown, look at the photo above with the cooper cantle that is Racoon.

THOUGHTS?

I’m not a huge fan of copper. I prefer brass with reddish fur like fox and muskrat. But that’s just me.

I do like the raccoon fur though. I’ve been giving some thought to a full mask raccoon sporran.

[Nomad]

I'm afraid I echo fossilhunters view, brass if you can get hold of it will look a lot better, personally I prefer the yellowed look of brass, be it polished or not.

Otherwise, I would be happy to wear the design you are looking at to a formal affair. I know silver, whether it be real or chrome is the norm and have a white sealskin chrome sporran, I have come to favour brass.

[CollinMacD]

Thank you, I will have to consider the brass now....

[FossilHunter]

https://www.artisansofscotland.com/c...orran-builder/

https://www.mccalls.co.uk/sporrandesigner

Here are a few sporran builders. Both have brass and copper cantle options.

[Nomad]

Margaret Morrison ltd also had some one offs on Facebook recently, but postage may make this unaffordable .

[CollinMacD]

Besides CLANART, who else make Cantles for Sporran, especially BRASS....

[Tarheel]

Thanks for the nod David. I agree the base metal of choice should be pewter. Copper will not adhere easily to zinc or steel except through various washes that can be expensive and time consuming (due to the cost/chemistry of electroplating additives).

I would solve this venture this way. Sand cast or lost wax a pewter cantle design. Copper plate the pewter. Keep the mould and offer other casting copies to recoup the costs. Option 2> have someone else do that part for you.

I apologize if this sounds snarky. I think in "do it yourself" terms and mean no offense.

[CollinMacD]

Have finalized my design, and read all the posts, but I have to go with what I really would like. Going with the copper canter, plated pewter, with the matching three thistle copper balls. The fur will be Raccoon, but I have eliminated any leather on the front of the Sporran, so it will be all fur with three small fur tassels. I decided against the leather on the front to make more of a formal Sporran. I stayed with the copper simply be cost any brass cantle I found was more than what it would cost for the actual sporran, taking in consideration I will wear this only a few times a year, and I already have another formal one that I like, could not justify the cost. I know some will disagree with using copper, but I do like the look and it is different. So I will post when finished.' I would like to thank everybody who posted and provide me their opinions, and facts about this. I truly appreciate all you input. Cheers.

[Tarheel]

The raccoons here in Mississippi are not a brown as those in the northern states. Ours are more grey and black tones. Beaver would be my fur of choice. Our groundhogs are lighter furred also.

If a copper cantle isn't properly coated and sealed, the patina will be green as it ages. I believe brass is the better choice. I like the design you have in mind and think the concept will be worth the effort in the end.