Quote Originally Posted by OC Richard View Post
Since it's the Army, I would assume that all officers of the regiment wore the same style.

Here's a photo of some officers and you can clearly see the beehive knob at the top

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/gallery/...ndon-scottish/

I really do wonder how those cantles were made, tho the cantle seems so thin that it would have to be leather sewn over sheet metal, I suppose. Well, one of us will have to buy one the next time one comes up on Ebay, so we can dissect the thing! (Well, metaphorically...)
I'm almost 100% certain that this is the case. In my original post I said that there is no way leather of any sort would hold it's shape over time with the spring latch pulling on it. It COULD be stiffened/lacquered, but that's not a long term solution.

In mentally dissecting this and how the interior/hinge section is built, how the stitching is laid, etc, and in a few quick experiments yesterday, I'm willing to be real money there are several metal pieces used in these.

It wouldn't be the first time the British Army has changed completely (or at least covered) one material with/for another to make officers less visible. Officers in WW1 sometimes had their harnesses (Sam Browne) made in canvas so they would be less distinctive.

Quote Originally Posted by OC Richard View Post
Personally, the jury is still out until I actually handle one of these sporrans, because many of the old sporrans I've owned over the years look precisely like that when you open them, tho they do have a fullsize pocket. It's just that the leather of the two sides tends to press together there. On the other hand, I've never owned or examined a vintage sporran where the pocket suddenly ended there like that. (Tho it sure does look like the pocket ends there, doesn't it?)


It may have a full depth pocket, but if you look at the above picture (and a rear picture) it doesn't appear that there is a gusset below the webbed hinge. I imagine that we'd see some of it billow out when opened. I also don't know how you'd maintain proper structure / alignment of the hinge without a pinch point at the base of the hinge (which it has) which would limit the practicality of any gusset below that point.


I'd dearly love to handle one of these as well. So much fun, detective/conjecture on these old pieces.
ith: