Leather for Sporran Making

[Orionson]

There is an eBay Shop called Distant Drum(s?) which specialises in already tanned full and partial hides from a wide range of animals. Their prices are very reasonable. I believe they are based in the US. Some may be too soft to sporrans, but you may find something suitable which strikes your fancy. Good luck & have fun.

[HippieLee]

The sporran in my album (linked in my sig) was made at Tandy (with a lot of lacing at home as they don't have all day for me to sit and lace lol)) from Tandy leather - it was a cheap, 4~6oz low-end piece but came out well (I think).
I started going to Tandy as they have classes nearly ever Saturday in my area and that sporran was the first one I made - we did it in a 2 day class where we learend to draw out the pattern, trace it on the leather, cut the pieces, tool the design and lace it all up. It was VERY satisfying and I highly encourage you to try it.

Remember you probably won't be able to tool a design in anything you recover from a leather garment as they are most likely chrome tanned - but still good practice for designing and cutting and sewing.

I have a long way to go to be in the same neighborhood as the fine artisans on this site but I only started this past summer and love it so much that'll be continuing for as long as I live.

[Bluescelt]

If you are close enough to a Tandy store I'd suggest you go there. The range of thickness, suppleness and price can vary greatly so to see and feel the leather is an advantage in making a decision. Another option at Tandy is the scrap bin. They may have a box that all scrap is collected from classes that they give. You buy pieces by weight and you may get lucky finding enough of a specific leather to complete your project. Otherwise you'll have to buy a full side which can run quite a few dollars. I bought the leather for my last brass cantle project this way. Scott (Artificer) may be able to give you a estimate of how many sporrans can be made from a full side hide.
Another place to check is with a Taxidermy shop. You may be able to buy some small fur pieces already tanned from them. Good luck with your project!

[ABG0819]

I looked on the Tandy website and I'm not sure if I am ready to spend the amount on a full side yet but someone said there is a store in Raleigh so next time I'm there I'm going to check out the scraps and see what I find. Boy that was a heck of a run on sentence....but anyway.I want something to practice on first. Thanks for the advice. And Hippielee I admired that sporran when you posted it in another thread. Quite a beautiful piece of work.

[HippieLee]

I looked on the Tandy website and I'm not sure if I am ready to spend the amount on a full side yet but someone said there is a store in Raleigh so next time I'm there I'm going to check out the scraps and see what I find. Boy that was a heck of a run on sentence....but anyway.I want something to practice on first. Thanks for the advice. And Hippielee I admired that sporran when you posted it in another thread. Quite a beautiful piece of work.

Thank you very kindly! Check with Tandy often (or even sign up for their newsletter) as they have sales all the time. I personally think it's worth it to join their club to get extra discounts. I've saved way more than the 35 bucks the gold membership cost me. On stuff I was going to buy anyway.

[ABG0819]

So what would be the appropriate weight for a good sporran? As I said up front I am a total novice at any type of craft. So thankful to have my xmarks friends for advice.

Graham

[artificer]

So what would be the appropriate weight for a good sporran? As I said up front I am a total novice at any type of craft. So thankful to have my xmarks friends for advice.

Graham

A lot of it depends on the temper of the leather (how firm it is). On lots of traditional day sporrans what you see is ~3 layers of pigskin, maybe with a stiffener inserted between the layers. Newer sporrans
are frequently a sandwich of cowhide (or on low-cost models "LEATHERBOARD") and a 'veneer' outer decorative layer of leather.

If you're making a single layer sporran without any lamination (glued up layers), 7-8oz in a firm leather is a safe bet. There are ways to stiffen up lighter weight leathers, but you probably don't want to get
into that right away.

ith:

[MacKenzie]

Graham, there's www.zackwhite.com in Ramseur, NC.

I've purchased a bag of both the earth tone scraps and upholstery scraps.

http://www.zackwhite.com/Leather-by-...und_c_406.html

Each contained enough for more than one sporran-sized project. You get what you get, but the price is good for practice projects.

ETA: If you go to the store I think you can dig through the scraps and pick what you want.

[Theyoungkiltman]

A full rabbit skin makes a fine sporran if you simply use the fur for the outward facing portion and use a sturdy but soft fabric for the inward facing portion. I did it a few days ago and it worked wonderfully

[hag]

You might want to try Crazy Crow Trading Post, that's where I get my leather.
hag.