Horse hair sporran length?

[Patty Logan]

Hi there Serial Kilters!

As I look at different pictures of kilt wearers wearing horse hair sporran, I noticed that it is longer then most kilt wearers kilts. Is supposed to be longer? What is the normal length of a horse hair sporran?

[McMurdo]

That depends on a lot of factors. I have 2 horsehair sporrans. My antique civilian horsehair is much longer than the more modern military style. It all depends on the maker.

[Patty Logan]

That depends on a lot of factors. I have 2 horsehair sporrans. My antique civilian horsehair is much longer than the more modern military style. It all depends on the maker.

Dispite that, do you know if if the length is supposed to go past the kilt or not?

[McMurdo]

Dispite that, do you know if if the length is supposed to go past the kilt or not?

If you look at the evidence we have, specifically the photos that have survived and things like the MacLeay paintings. Given what we see from those examples I would say that yes it’s an excepted way of wearing a horsehair sporran.

[OC Richard]

As I look at different pictures of kilt wearers wearing horse hair sporran, I noticed that it is longer than most kilt wearers kilts. Is supposed to be longer? What is the normal length of a horse hair sporran?

Good observations.

There are four different issues at play:

1) the length of the sporran

2) at what height on the body is the sporran worn

3) the height of the wearer

4) whether the bottom of the horsehair is trimmed to have a clear-cut endpoint (the modern way) or it ends in wispy strands of various lengths (the Victorian way).

About length, post-WWI long horsehair sporrans, made either for the military or for military-style civilian Pipe Bands, are generally around 18 inches long (from top of cantle to bottom of hair).

Around 1970 the British Army introduced shorter horsehair sporrans for Other Ranks, which in my opinion never looked quite right. This was corrected when the Royal Regiment of Scotland was formed and all ranks were given full-length traditional-looking sporrans.

About #2, where the sporran is placed on the body has always varied both in civilian and military usage.

I read with amusement American "Scottish" Drum Major regulations which specify a number of things which varied in the actual Scottish Highland regiments, one that the hair must come exactly to the bottom edge of the kilt. That this is pure fantasy can be seen by looking at any group of Highland soldiers, from the same unit, from any time period.

It's always been quite common for long hair sporrans to extend past the end of the kilt.

About #3, the height of the wearer, obviously this impacts how long a sporran appears to be.

About #4, many Victorian sporrans are so wispy, which each hair of a unique length, that the sporran doesn't have an identifiable end-point.

[Patty Logan]

Good observations.

There are four different issues at play:

1) the length of the sporran

2) at what height on the body is the sporran worn

3) the height of the wearer

4) whether the bottom of the horsehair is trimmed to have a clear-cut endpoint (the modern way) or it ends in wispy strands of various lengths (the Victorian way).

About length, post-WWI long horsehair sporrans, made either for the military or for military-style civilian Pipe Bands, are generally around 18 inches long (from top of cantle to bottom of hair).

Around 1970 the British Army introduced shorter horsehair sporrans for Other Ranks, which in my opinion never looked quite right. This was corrected when the Royal Regiment of Scotland was formed and all ranks were given full-length traditional-looking sporrans.

About #2, where the sporran is placed on the body has always varied both in civilian and military usage.

I read with amusement American "Scottish" Drum Major regulations which specify a number of things which varied in the actual Scottish Highland regiments, one that the hair must come exactly to the bottom edge of the kilt. That this is pure fantasy can be seen by looking at any group of Highland soldiers, from the same unit, from any time period.

It's always been quite common for long hair sporrans to extend past the end of the kilt.

About #3, the height of the wearer, obviously this impacts how long a sporran appears to be.

About #4, many Victorian sporrans are so wispy, which each hair of a unique length, that the sporran doesn't have an identifiable end-point.

Good to know! Thanks!

[OC Richard]

I put together this little collage showing how differently sporrans can be worn in the British Army even in the same unit.

Note where the tops of the sporrans come to in relation to the flaps of the doublets.



And that's the military where one might imagine uniformity.

With Victorian civilians the hair sometimes extends past the top of the hose. Without know the height of this man we can't estimate the length of the sporran (he could be five foot even, or over six feet, who can say).



This is interesting because not only does it show various sporran heights but also how they are trimmed in various ways.

Second from right shows the standard post-WWI way with a nice curve at the bottom. Far right shows the recent and hideous army thing of cutting the sporran straight across.

[Jock Scot]

Having been around the kilt attire World for quite some time, I have come to the conclusion that we worry far too much about civilian horse hair sporran height. If it’s at a comfortable height at the top then the bottom can look after itself. The military can do as they do and that will change from time to time probably on the whim of the Officer Commanding the unit at the time.

[imrichmond]

The most common length for a modern horsehair sporran appears to be 18" from the top of the orb (the decorative ball thing at the top of the cantle) to the bottom edge of the hair. Sporrans made for children, of course, will be shorter than this. Sporrans from earlier periods were often significantly longer. As others have mentioned, the height at which the bottom edge of the sporran sits on the kilt is determined largely by the height of the wearer.

[ShaunMaxwell]

The most common length for a modern horsehair sporran appears to be 18" from the top of the orb (the decorative ball thing at the top of the cantle) to the bottom edge of the hair. Sporrans made for children, of course, will be shorter than this.

Just out of curiosity, I measured mine (circa 1900-1930) and it was almost exactly 18” from the “orb” to the bottom of the hair!

Cheers,

SM