Thoughts on selling pre-ban seal sporrans?

[plaid preacher]

My initial thought to the original post was - I think selling pre-ban seal sporrans is a great idea (provided the necessary documentation is available). My thinking is that if you are not wearing it, it would be good stewardship of a natural resource to allow someone else to wear it. Additionally, there may be those who are looking for sealskin.

But as I have read posts, a question springs to mind: is it just a trade prohibition (i.e. - no product can be made with and / or new product transported which contains sealskin) or it is much more universal, as Anne noted with the ban on Ivory? If I happened to pack a sealskin sporran for my next trip to Scotland, would it be confiscated at the airport in the UK? anyone know the ins and outs on this?

[Geoff Withnell]

Even WITH documentation, it is very likely that if you get it into Scotland, you may still have a lot of trouble getting it back into North America.

My initial thought to the original post was - I think selling pre-ban seal sporrans is a great idea (provided the necessary documentation is available). My thinking is that if you are not wearing it, it would be good stewardship of a natural resource to allow someone else to wear it. Additionally, there may be those who are looking for sealskin.

But as I have read posts, a question springs to mind: is it just a trade prohibition (i.e. - no product can be made with and / or new product transported which contains sealskin) or it is much more universal, as Anne noted with the ban on Ivory? If I happened to pack a sealskin sporran for my next trip to Scotland, would it be confiscated at the airport in the UK? anyone know the ins and outs on this?

[creagdhubh]

Even WITH documentation, it is very likely that if you get it into Scotland, you may still have a lot of trouble getting it back into North America.

I have two mates that purchased sealskin sporrans in Scotland several years ago and got them back with no problems at all, but there's always a risk.

[RockyR]

In contrast to Kyle's experience, I've had (in the past several years) at least 2 instances of Scots, who had come to the US for a wedding, coming to our shop for an "emergency dress sporran" where their sporrans were confiscated by US Customs for being seal.

[Nathan]

So glad we have no such ban here...

[Piobair]

I played in a Grade II band in Boston about 10 years ago that was fully kitted in seal sporrans that were brought over in luggage... must have been at least 30 of them, if not more. The band went under a while back, so I'm guessing there are quite a few floating around...

I've done a little reading, and the law is murky on seal traded within US borders. I imagine there's an issue of enforcement - unless you're flagrantly selling illegally imported sporrans, I can't see the feds swooping in. I will probably wind up "lending" one of the sporrans I have to another piper for a chanter (an ivory soled Hardie seems grimly appropriate) or some other bit of kit.

Richard - loved the linked post about sporran canon. As to the Prince Charles guys - I seem to recall them in evening wear in band photos from seventies, probably posted in The Voice at some point. Seemed like a common look for bands at the time (I think Kenmure might have gone that route, and maybe COW as well in the Denny and Dunipace days?). Interesting to see the transition of pipe band uniforms for competitions - from number 1 to formal to what we have now. It also illustrates why xmarks is such an interesting spot - the forum shows that there lot of takes on kilt wearing that aren't always on display in the piping world.

Anyway - thanks all for the input. I appreciate it.

[OC Richard]

Yes the evolution of pipe band kit is interesting. Back in "the old days" most bands wore military-style Full Dress but not all: there were bands wearing civilian Evening Dress back to the beginning of the pipe band scene.

Here's a band in 1935



And here's the MacFarlane band in the 1960s, showing the sort of dress popular before our modern "Glen & Argyll & ghillies & bobbletop white hose" era took over



Here are Highland Games in the 1960s. Note that there's no Glens, no Argyll jackets, no ghillies...





BTW here's yours truly in the earliest photo I have of myself in Evening Dress, wearing a lovely vintage Prince Charlie sealskin & silver sporran I picked up used (picked up literally: that PC jacket and PC sporran were lying on the ground in the dirt when I bought them, the jacket having a big dirt footprint on it)

[Nathan]

Some are surprised to see dress sporrans with a flap top, often referred to as a Prince Charlie style sporran. In fact, they have been around for a very, very long time. Not all dress sporrans had metal cantles, some had decorative flaps. These old portraits are a couple of examples.

[KiltFitz]

Since we are on the topic (sort of), I bought this off ebay a little while ago. I have loaned it to my dad for the time being as it was unusual and I am trying to find matching chain to extend it's length.

It has a very unusual chain attachment in that the chain passes through the backing and attaches to the flap. It's also very heavy, thick leather. It was in a sorry state when I got it and I did my best to restore the leather.




I am curious however as to:

What kind of fur is it?

How old is it?

[creagdhubh]

Since we are on the topic (sort of), I bought this off ebay a little while ago. I have loaned it to my dad for the time being as it was unusual and I am trying to find matching chain to extend it's length.

It has a very unusual chain attachment in that the chain passes through the backing and attaches to the flap. It's also very heavy, thick leather. It was in a sorry state when I got it and I did my best to restore the leather.




I am curious however as to:

What kind of fur is it?

How old is it?

Very interesting sporran, mate. Thanks for sharing. I'm not entirely sure what kind of fur it is. Perhaps red fox, musquash maybe? It seems far too light (and ginger in colour) to be otter, mink, or pine marten.