Quote Originally Posted by IEScotsman View Post
I respectfully disagree with you. There are many sporran owners who like their rabbit fur sporrans (I'm one of them) and don't regard them as "tacky".
You may not regard your sporran as "tacky" but the market perception of rabbit as a fur is hardly one of luxury. Its abundant supply and cheap price alone disqualify it for status . On the practical side (and why its not heavily regarded): they demand a lot of care, careful storage and have a tendency to shed. Rabbit has less of a market stigma in the United States than other fur animals given its presentation as a by-product of meat production--- the other extreme is "raccoon dog" (Nyctereutes procyonoides), considered in Asia as a kind of badger while the American media cowers at the name "dog".

All of this does not matter. Its not a traditional fur for sporrans and what's made in Scotland is almost uniquely aimed at the U.S. market as an alternative fur given the prohibition of marine mammal furs.

The question again is: How can one distinguish (beyond doing a laboratory analysis) the various seals and otter varieties. I've not found any good references. They have all been popular in sporrans for well over a century.