Dress sporran or junk?

**chasem** · 17th November 05, 09:13 PM

Yes, as the others have said, Sealskin is bad.

However... I vacationed in Anchorage over the summer. The native Alaskans (Eskimos and such) are legally allowed to continue living as their ancestors did. In other words, they are legally allowed to hunt whales, seal, and such.

They are also allowed to craft items from seal skin and sell them to tourists. (I almost bought a seal skin thimble, just because it was seal skin.) I'm pretty sure there is a limit set on the amount and such. I'm not sure what it is exactly though.

Anyway, my point is that it may be possible to obtain a seal-skin dress sporran if you could pull some connections with the natives. Again, I'm not sure whether or not it would be possible for sure, but it's a thought, but if you're willing to go to those lengths it might be worth a shot

**Bob C** · 17th November 05, 09:29 PM

There's good advice in this thread. Don't take a chance on an illegal seal skin sporran.

Besides, those prices are hardly outstanding.

**switchblade5984** · 17th November 05, 10:08 PM

yeah go overseas and get one! :P

**Robin** · 18th November 05, 02:12 AM

I gave it a try....

£75...countdown started 8)

Wish me luck :rolleyes:

**Robin** · 18th November 05, 06:08 AM

It's mine!

Payed £75...that's about 50% of the normal price...very nice!

(they have many more if others are interested btw)

Thanks for the link!

**Hamish** · 18th November 05, 10:03 AM

This supplier looks very much to me as if it is a trading off-shoot of 'Clan Albanach', the kiltmaker in High Street, South Queensferry (right in the shadow of the famous Forth Rail Bridge). The village is so small that I cannot imagine there is more than one Highland Dress retailer there! I have been to their small shop on two separate occasions, and both times the shop was shut!

Not having been inside, I cannot advise on the quality of their merchandise - sorry - nor is their website all that helpful or informative:-

http://www.clan-albanach.com/main.html

**bikercelt1** · 18th November 05, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by chasem

Yes, as the others have said, Sealskin is bad.

However... . The native Alaskans (Eskimos and such) are legally allowed to continue living as their ancestors did. In other words, they are...allowed to craft items from seal skin and sell them to tourists.... Anyway, my point is that it may be possible to obtain a seal-skin dress sporran if you could pull some connections with the natives.

I have an Alaskan friend who is a leather-worker. I asked her about this quite some time ago. According to her, she can legally posses sealskin, and she could legally make me a sealskin sporran that I could legally wear, but it would be hard to document that legal right. If some legal representative wanted to hassle me and she wasn't right to hand with her documentation I'd have a hard time retaining possession of the thing. It's just not worth the trouble it would cause. As to importing sealskin, no way, no how is it legal. It still happens but it's not legally defensible and the penalties are very costly.

Jamie

**Wompet** · 18th November 05, 05:02 PM

First, on the legality of sealskin sporrans:
Yes, Native Americans and Aboriginals can hunt fur seals and use their skins to manufacture things (the seals' skins, not the NAs'). They can also hunt whales (within limits), possess bald eagle feathers and talons, and use peyote in religious ceremonies, all of which are highly illegal for us latecomers. Not being critical or racist; just stating some facts.

In the United States, North American fur seals are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which is enforced by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and US Customs (the Men In Blue). There are also South African fur seals, which are protected under the International Convention for Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). There are also populations of seals and/or sea lions in Scotland; I don't know if these are protected or not.

Knowing this, here's roughly what will happen if you try to bring sealskin into the US (I can't speak for any other country). If you try to bring it in personally and declare it, it will be confiscated by Customs to turn over to Fish & Wildlife. If you don't declare it, and it's found, it will be confiscated and you will be spanked. If you try to mail it, it will be caught at a Customs' interntional mail division, where it will be confiscated (and you may still be charged duty). Thinking UPS, FedEX, or DHL - they still have to declare all international shipments to Customs, and if they get caught mismanifesting something (like forgetting the "sealskin" part of "sealskin sporran"), then they can get some serious fines levied against them - and Fish & Wildlife will take your sporran.

There are alternatives - I know McRok ships bovine hair sporrans to the US that look like sealskin.

Second, on the sporran itself, and I apologize for not posting this before Robin bought his. I have handled one of the ones confiscated by US FWS (the FWS inspector didn't know what it was

). The opening under the cantle was barely over three inches across, and the whole sporran (including cantle) was about nine inches in length. There was no gusset between front and back, so there was no room for expansion. I know it's supposed to be a dress sporran, but IMHO those dimensions are too small for it to be functional.