Role of the Hunting Sporran

[Joshua]

I've always heard that it was called a "Hunting Sporran" because it had less moving parts to make noise. But then again, that sounds like a major assumption that made it's way into popular opinion. I like the way Hunting Sporrans look, and as far as crafting, they are one of the easier styles of sporran that a fledgeling sporran maker like myself can put together.

Picture (courtesy of KiltMart) for everyone confused about the style "Hunting Sporran", but generally it's a flat, open-topped sporran, traditionally with a leather cantle, and tacked-down ribbon tassels built into the face...

[Spartan Tartan]

Personally, I do not much care for the stylings of the "hunting" sporrans. I do, however, like that they have no tassles. I do not like the tassles tapping about--I suppose if they had a function that would be different.

I only have two sporrans. One plain leather and one fur with silver cantle.

[OC Richard]

Boy that's a good question, the sort of question I always ask myself about things... what is the origin? What is the earliest evidence?

So here is the classic "hunting sporran" made by many sporranmakers in Britain and North America for many years, this example by L&M Highland Outfitters in Nova Scotia



This style is one of several styles which don't appear in The Highlanders Of Scotland and which I haven't come across in 19th century photographs.

I have several vintage Highland Dress catalogues from the 1920s through the 1950s and Hunting Sporrans don't appear in my old Paisley and Lawrie catalogues.

But my 1936 Wm Anderson & Sons catalogue has an illustration of a man in Day Dress, tweed Argyll jacket &c wearing a brown leather Hunting Sporran nearly identical to the L&M example I show above.

On the page which illustrates sporrans two very interesting Hunting sporrans can be seen, similar to each other (both brown) but different from the L&M example above. Listed as

16. "Hunting" pattern, pigskin with opening top and silver studs 4 0 0
17. Pigskin, opening top and no studs 3 8 6

In my 1950s Anderson catalogue the Hunting sporran (brown as usual) is closer in style to the modern style.

26. Hunting Pattern, Pigskin with Brass Stud ornamentation



What does seem to be a modern, perhaps post-1950 thing, is taking this traditional Hunting sporran but making it in black and sticking a chrome Evening cantle on it. Here is a lovely example by L&M



When Pipe Bands, in the 1970s and 1980s, began the wholesale dropping of the older Pipe Band dress (usually either military style Full Dress or civilian Evening Dress) and all went for the modern look of ghillies, black Argyll jackets, black Glengarries &c the majority went for this style. It became so common that I could see a dozen pipe bands in a row all wearing these. Here is SFU with them



And here are some modern variants, on the left by Gaelic Themes (Glasgow) and on the right by Nicol Bros (Bankfoot)



and here is an inferior Pakistani or Indian copy

[artificer]

One type I haven't seen mentioned yet (probably because I've not seen anyone else make them) is the "soft" hunting sporran which is favored by HRH Prince Charles for daywear.


If you search the "Vintage Kilt Pictures" thread, or threads with various chiefs pictured, you can see them pop up occassionally.

I LOVE this type of sporran as it's far more comfortable than hard bodied sporrans.

Here's one I did not too long ago for our own xman.




You can see from this shot how flexible the body is. All of the structure is in the cantle.


The bags on this type of sporran are constructed a little differently than we're used to seeing today as well, with the gusset attached behind the face rather
than being rolled over the front edge of the face.

As far as I can tell this type of bag simply vanished from production somewhere around 1910-1920, but OC Richard might have a better idea.
It's a pity, as it really is a much more comfortable bag than the current style of hunting sporran.

ith:

[OC Richard]

I'm glad you posted that!!

That style is rather similar to the one which appears in the 1936 Wm Anderson & Son catalogue.

I'll try to scan the page and post it.

How soft or hard the old Anderson one was is a matter of speculation I suppose, as all we have is a photograph.

[artificer]

I'm glad you posted that!!

That style is rather similar to the one which appears in the 1936 Wm Anderson & Son catalogue.

I'll try to scan the page and post it.

How soft or hard the old Anderson one was is a matter of speculation I suppose, as all we have is a photograph.

I'd be very interested to see it if you can get a scan! That would be much later than I'd seen for commercial offerings.

If the face has the exposed front edge (usually pinked and brogued) it's quite likely to be of the soft style.

ith:

[auld argonian]

Artificer, my compliments on that soft hunting sporran...very, very nice.

Best

AA

[OC Richard]

I'd be very interested to see it if you can get a scan! That would be much later than I'd seen for commercial offerings.

Well here it is! Scanned from my 1936 William Anderson & Sons (Edinburgh and Glasgow) catalogue.

First the illustration of "day" dress showing a sporran which appears to be more or less similar to modern Hunting sporrans, but it's hard to tell from the drawing whether those are intended to be flaps or pleats on the front of the body



And here's a scan of the "day" sporran page where you can see the Hunting sporrans quite well

[Paul Henry]

and a colour picture from 1938 ( Rowans of Glasgow - The hosue for Kilts)

[Jock Scot]

Well at least I now know what a "hunting" sporran looks like. What the connection to huntin', shootin' and fishin' is, I cannot fathom. I am just thankful my ancestors saw fit not to buy these styles!