Sporran leather care

[artificer]

I think a lot of people get an economy sporran sight unseen and then they want it to be better than it is.

+ 1

Be VERY careful conditioning a low-cost sporran. Many of them are leatherboard, which is a fibreboard-like material made of leather scraps which has a very thin veneer of leather over the surface.

If you condition leatherboard you run the risk of the leather surface delaminating as well as the core material deforming.

Even if it is an actual leather product, many lower end pieces have such a heavy topcoat that they tend to be VERY stiff for quite a long time and won't take a conditioner anyway.

Do you have a link or a picture of your new sporran? It would help tremendously in providing advice.

ith:

[Mike M.]

http://www.usakilts.com/simple-pin-day-sporran.html is what I bought.

Yes, it's a starter. I'll probably buy a much better one later.

It may be my first sporran, but I'm accustomed to American Civil War leathers, and good leathers definitely benefit from a good treatment. My standard has been to use the Peccard dressing on the bodies of cartridge boxes and cap pouches, neats-foot oil on anything requiring a lot of flexibility.

[artificer]

http://www.usakilts.com/simple-pin-day-sporran.html is what I bought.

Yes, it's a starter. I'll probably buy a much better one later.

It may be my first sporran, but I'm accustomed to American Civil War leathers, and good leathers definitely benefit from a good treatment. My standard has been to use the Peccard dressing on the bodies of cartridge boxes and cap pouches, neats-foot oil on anything requiring a lot of flexibility.

Nothing wrong with that sporran, it probably just needs a bit of breaking in.

I wouldn't recommend neatsfoot oil for sporrans, it doesn't 'cure' so it stays wet forever. It's VERY easy to over-apply and have it leech back out onto your kilt.

If you've got a Tandy nearby there's a paste call "Dr Jackson's Hide Rejuvenator" which is quite good for working moisture into leather.

I use it to condition my leather peacoat at the start and end of the winter, and the coat is now almost 20 years old.

ith:

[Mike M.]

OK. Thanks for the advice.

[TJ Kelley]

I second the Doc Jacksons... good stuff.

[seanachie]

I am not one of the lucky one's to own one of Scott's wonderful sporrans (yet!) but I do have a couple of gorgeous Wyvern sporrans mentioned above.I more than understand the necessity of keeping to a budget sporran to get started. But as a person who "has been there done that", once you look for a better quality sporran it is well worth saving a little longer and getting a real quality product from people like Scott or Donnie. I compromised and bought a modestly priced but mass produced sporran for my second sporran and (long story) and it broke within 6 months. The leather piece that holds the loops the sporran pass through tore out, really beyond repair. The leather it was riveted to was just too thin and weak. On the other hand, I expect my Wyvern will live beyond me, and it is unique and hand crafted. Sometime real value is found saving a little longer and going for the better quality.

Another great sporran that is really well made and budget priced is RKilts festival sporran. That is my "go to" weekend, running the errands doing the shopping sporran and like all of Robert's product top quality. Though others may have examples, I don't know of a better quality product that I have seen at that price.

+ 1

Be VERY careful conditioning a low-cost sporran. Many of them are leatherboard, which is a fibreboard-like material made of leather scraps which has a very thin veneer of leather over the surface.

If you condition leatherboard you run the risk of the leather surface delaminating as well as the core material deforming.

Even if it is an actual leather product, many lower end pieces have such a heavy topcoat that they tend to be VERY stiff for quite a long time and won't take a conditioner anyway.

Do you have a link or a picture of your new sporran? It would help tremendously in providing advice.

ith:

[English Bloke]

The one you have is a lovely sporran and good quality too. It shouldn't need any treatment.

[Riverkilt]

I'm a great fan of Buffalo Butter for treating leather. I use it on my sporran straps - and let it work in well before wearing the treated strap. Don't know if I've "had" to use it on any sporrans though...