military cantle-swapping

[OC Richard]

This doesn't rise to the level of a DIY project, really.

I started out needing a Black Watch piper's sporran. I got an India/Pakistan made one. It was pretty good but the cantle was obviously cast from an old worn one, and lacked much detail.

Happily the new Royal Regiment Of Scotland decided to go with Black Watch cantles on their sporrans, which are widely and inexpensively available. I got a RRS sporran and swapped the cantle onto the Indian/Pakistani BW sporran.

Just a couple days ago I got a Seaforth Highlanders cantle. Lucky for me the RRS sporran and tassels are similar to what the old Seaforth Highlanders wore, and I put the Seaforth cantle on it.

Here's the result:



You can't tell due to the way my phone camera did the picture, but the cantle is brass and the badges are what the British call "white metal". The difference was more obvious before I polished it.



Here's a different Seaforth cantle where you can see the difference between the metals better:



Here's the cantle in situ, worn by the Pipe Major of the 2nd Battalion. After the 1881 amalgamation, the pipers of the 1st Battalion wore white hair sporrans, the pipers of the 2nd Battalion brown-grey hair sporrans. My next project is to get a brown-grey hair sporran and shift the cantle and tassels onto it.



An interesting quirk of the 2nd Battalion Pipe Major's uniform is wearing the officers sword belt plate on the piper's crossbelt, above the buckle.

[48HofC]

Is the Seaforth cantle a reproduction?

[OC Richard]

I'm sure it is.

I suspected that when I bought it, but the price was right, and the detail in the scrolls etc is pretty good.

[48HofC]

I'm sure it is.

I suspected that when I bought it, but the price was right, and the detail in the scrolls etc is pretty good.

I noticed the detailing was very good compared to the reproductions I've seen in the past. They seem to have improved to a point were it's difficult to tell them apart unless you have them in your hand. Nice work.