which white metal do you prefer for formal wear?

[FossilHunter]

Additionally the only reason I picked chrome and pewter as the choices for the topic was only that they seem to be nearly all of the selection that most sellers seem to carry, not that silver wouldn't be something I'd be interested in.

[Jock Scot]

I think plating might be the ticket. That and possibly a full mask sporran with no cantle.

Frankly, the prices I see for sterling cantled sporrans are somewhat obscene considering I may wear the sporran 2-5 times a year. Barring a miraculous rise to a clan chiefdom and needing to entertain The Queen, I can't see ever spending £1600 (I did see some plain "budget" silver sporrans for £900) on an accessory.

Not that I don't appreciate everyone's opinion. I have no doubt that sterling is a superior material. I have studs and cufflinks in sterling and will eventually get a kilt pin too. Maybe a cantle is just too specialized of a product for competitive pricing.

I am not suggesting for a second that you follow my example that I have successfully used for some thirty odd years, but-----.

Let me say, first, that I think many tend to overdress for minor formal occasions and sporrans are often---usually---- overdone. I am not sure why, but I think ignorance is at the root of this and unwittingly aided and abetted by misleading internet pictures placed by hire companies and those wearing hired outfits. Plus the awful term of "semi-formal" that seems to have become a common term in the kilt world in the last decade or two.

So what do I do? I wear my plain black leather sporran(my only sporran) for everything including minor formal events(Morning Dress, and minor and not so minor black tie events) and that has got me by without a comment in all that time. I don't do ultra formal(white tie) events these days, but when I did on rare occasion, I could borrow a silver sporran chain and silver cantled sporran from one of my sons. Yes, they would cost a pretty penny to buy!

OK lucky me! But in truth there really are very few occasions where I have felt that a quality plain black sporran has been outdone by a cheap-----and not so cheap-----crome/pewter cantled, fur/hair of some type sporran. But a large amount of knowledge, experience and confidence does also help!

[Taskr]

..ignorance is not always bliss

I did get a chrome cantle hunter styled at a very good price. I only had a very plain black sporran; time and wallet was of the essence, and I liked it. I still have it and do wear it on those few occasions, but doing it again I'm looking to find a silver cantle because the chrome seems to lack 'depth' . Quality plate can be had as solid is a bit rich for me - but never know what might come along. Silver mostly because it would compliment other items.

I am also in the planning stage for a wood cantle, the material having a sentimental value. If all goes well for a subtley elegant look, I think it will do quiet nicely for formal events.

[Tobus]

Additionally the only reason I picked chrome and pewter as the choices for the topic was only that they seem to be nearly all of the selection that most sellers seem to carry...

That would be, to me, one of the best reasons to avoid them!

[Luke MacGillie]

What gets me, is that historically, gilted buttons, buckles and sporran cantles were the more expensive option over silver, yet today folks have lost the ability to differentiate between gold and brass.....

Says the guy with the really nice set of repro 18th Century gold colored Scottish buttons and shoe buckles :-)

[FossilHunter]

That would be, to me, one of the best reasons to avoid them!

I don't disagree. Lordy, if it wasn't for this website I'd be wearing white hose, ghillies brogues, and a pirate shirt for all the items suggested by the bulk of highland outfitters, both in the US and, perplexingly, in Scotland.

I do wonder though, if most of the Scottish-made dress sporrans I see sold online are pewter and chrome, does that mean that those are the most common things worn in Scotland these days at formal events? Kind of like white hose and prince charlies, where people who don't wear the kilt much see it in the hire shops and assume that's the correct or even traditional way to do it?

[FossilHunter]

My conclusion based on what I've read here is that I should just go ahead and get a full mask sporran, which I wanted anyway, and save myself the hassle of worrying about which cantle to get. ;)

[super8mm]

What gets me, is that historically, gilted buttons, buckles and sporran cantles were the more expensive option over silver, yet today folks have lost the ability to differentiate between gold and brass..

Do you have some pictures of your gilted items, I would love to see them.

[Nomad]

I would have to agree with previous comments, silver is lovely but out of my price range. I have a brown bag type, for casual wear a full leather black hunting for smart wear (mistake on the website saved me £90). I recently purchase a 2nd hand white seal skin with chrome cantle for smartest occasions - looking to tone down the bling with some very fine sandpaper.

In truth I could get away with just the black hunting, but I like the variety.

[McMurdo]

My Montrose Doublet has silver buttons on it, I bought it from ebay.co.uk, I have several kilt pins in silver also from ebay.co.uk some are from the Victorian Era, and recently got a new to me sporran with what I think is a silver cantle, dated 1911, this one was from an estate sale a friend purchased as part of a lot, as he already had a similar one he offered it to me. I was also given a Sgian Dubh with silver fittings that my girlfriends grandfather carved from ebony. My point is that if you look long enough and hard enough you will find what you are looking for.