pretty good first attempt

[DWFII]

So...after all the questions and dithering, here's my first sporran. I'm pretty pleased with it.

I planned it as an informal, daywear sporran but wanted to incorporate some elements of both older sporrans I'd seen (brass cantled) and dress sporrans. The thing I didn't like about the dress sporrans I've seen and handled was the hard face and back. Every time you walked the tassel balls would swing and hit the front of the sporran and you'd have this annoying tattoo of rapping noises. So I made the body of the sporran soft...front and back. The bag is attached to the cantle with what is known as "round closing" or butt stitching. It has to be done carefully and all by hand.

I also didn't like the use of metal clips to attach the sporran...especially after some folks here mentioned that the chain was the prime culprit in wear on the kilt so I looked for another option...and while I was at it I decided that the lower part of the cantle needed something to keep it closed. So I made the short sporran strap so that when your wallet, etc., is in the sporran, the weight will keep the cantle closed.

The knots on the thistles and on the straps are pineapple knots. The bag is American Bison, the braid and knots are kangaroo.

I can make the sporran either way of course (for use with a standard sporran chain, and I might use a snap or magnet closure on future sporrans...I am not too sure of the Sam Browne stud. There's always something that can be improved.

What do you guys think?