Quality Sporrans for less money

[FossilHunter]

Thank you a ton for this thread, I have been learning a lot.

I have my brothers wedding in early August and collecting my accoutrements...looking for a sporran today. Alexis Malcolm is making me an Antarctica tartan kilt which the fabric has forced me to bargain hunt the accessories.

I am looking for a black base with white fur/hair to signify the blinding ice down south. I found the link below on ebay and received some more pictures from the seller. Do you have any thoughts? It looks to be hand sewn and the front/back appear to be sturdy leather but the edge is a slightly different color and I am not terribly keen on the padding hanging out of the end. It looks like it has gotten some use, which I like...also into a vintage look if anything comes up.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/28297036988...m=282970369887

I will be in UK (London and Alfriston) for a few days before heading to Germany for the wedding. Would it be easier to find something out there?

On a side note of curiosity, are the seal skin sporrans supposed to be nicer or is it worth pointing out because we aren't supposed to have it here in the states?

The listing is kind of short on details. That doesn't necessarily mean anything but it's a personal red flag to me as I assume a seller would want to list good attributes and $100 isn't exactly a steal.

Are you looking for a dress sporran or a day sporran? I think you will find plenty of white dress sporrans in the UK. An arctic fox full mask sporran would also be a cool option for your ice theme (though not antarctic, however there are not a lot of leopard seal sporrans as far as I know).

Here is a non mask, arctic fox, dress sporran for 300 pounds from Macgregor and Macduff in the UK:



Here's another cowhide dress sporran from Macgregor and Macduff for 65 pounds:

[randomdude]

The listing is kind of short on details. That doesn't necessarily mean anything but it's a personal red flag to me as I assume a seller would want to list good attributes and $100 isn't exactly a steal.

Are you looking for a dress sporran or a day sporran? I think you will find plenty of white dress sporrans in the UK. An arctic fox full mask sporran would also be a cool option for your ice theme (though not antarctic, however there are not a lot of leopard seal sporrans as far as I know).

The seller sells stuff they got from estate sales, this is the only kilt-like item they had to sell. Also, I forgot to say that they would take $50.

I would prefer the full-formal but my brother is the one getting married so I can't out-dress him which is why I was looking at the semi-formal which is what he is wearing. I love the arctic fox but don't have that kind of cash sitting around at the moment. If I go cowhide I am going to hold out for a totally white one. Thanks for the pictures though, I will keep an eye out for more M and M.

[OC Richard]

Here is an Arctic fox (Evening) dress sporran for 300 pounds from Macgregor and Macduff in the UK:



Here's another cowhide (Evening) dress sporran from Macgregor and Macduff for 65 pounds:

I'll just point out that both of those cantle styles have been around since around the 1950s.

In the old days both styles were high quality detailed castings and usually silver-plated.

The upper sporran, with the large dome cantle, was designated EW6/G in the old price-lists.

The lower sporran, with diamond-shaped thistle button motif cantle, was designated EW6/D in the old price-lists.

Anyhow those are both high-quality Evening Dress sporrans offered by a great Highland Outfitter.

Now here's a strange thing on Ebay. It's a sealskin Evening Dress sporran in a standard pattern that's been around since the 1950s if not longer, but it has an aftermarket addition: the central boss on the cantle has been removed (on these cantles the three bosses are separate pieces) and replaced by a brass monogram thing. I do wonder what WSM stands for- a pipe band??

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Scottish-Ge...p2056016.l4276

[OC Richard]

Not sure if L&M Highland Outfitters in Nova Scotia (Canada) has come up on this thread.

When one speaks of the classic established Scottish makers, who made/make the traditional canon of sporran designs, one must speak of L&M in the same breath.

Their sporrans have the same quality as the best Scottish makers.

Here's an L&M sporran which just came up. Obviously it doesn't have the "Made in Scotland Real Leather" oval gold stamp that the quality Scottish sporrans so often do; L&M have their own distinctive stamp.

This is the modern standard Pipe Band sporran, a Hunting sporran done in black (rather than the traditional brown) with a chrome Evening cantle stuck on the top.

BTW L&M makes a number of unique and lovely versions of the Hunting sporran using various coloured leathers.

To pipers, L&M is famous for their nearly indestructible "elk hide" (chrome tanned cowhide) bagpipe bags. You could play those for 20 or 30 years, no problem. They're no longer made due to the necessary chemicals being now banned.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/L-M-HIGHLAN...YAAOSwkLJbKY-h

[OC Richard]

There are a number of vintage plain brown leather 3-tassel classic Day sporrans up on Ebay now.

Several have the typical oval gold stamp "made in Scotland real leather".

One is missing two of the three tassels.

A couple sporrans stood out from the crowd a bit, first this Day sporran with lovely Celtic tooling, for $50.

The seller says it's black but the photos of the front make it appear to be the extremely dark brown that one sees in old sporrans sometimes.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SCOTTISH-LE...wAAOSwcSFbQAN5

Here's the stamp on the back, new to me



Second was this one, a modern brown leather Day sporran from a maker I'm not familiar with, going currently for under $20.

I really like the style, and the leather they used, which has a vintage used look even when new.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Modern-Brow...EAAOSwE2tbQyYW

Here's the back with the stamp Braveheart Sporrans Scotland.



My nitpicky eye notices that it does not say "made in Scotland" and I have seen non-Scottish-made Highland dress items labelled "such-and-such firm Scotland" where the firm in based in Scotland but they import their goods. I'm not claiming that this is the case here, only that not specifically saying "made in Scotland" leaves the door open.

[kiltedsawyer]

There are a number of vintage plain brown leather 3-tassel classic Day sporrans up on Ebay now.

Several have the typical oval gold stamp "made in Scotland real leather".

One is missing two of the three tassels.

A couple sporrans stood out from the crowd a bit, first this Day sporran with lovely Celtic tooling, for $50.

The seller says it's black but the photos of the front make it appear to be the extremely dark brown that one sees in old sporrans sometimes.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SCOTTISH-LE...wAAOSwcSFbQAN5

Here's the stamp on the back, new to me



Second was this one, a modern brown leather Day sporran from a maker I'm not familiar with, going currently for under $20.

I really like the style, and the leather they used, which has a vintage used look even when new.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Modern-Brow...EAAOSwE2tbQyYW

Here's the back with the stamp Braveheart Sporrans Scotland.



My nitpicky eye notices that it does not say "made in Scotland" and I have seen non-Scottish-made Highland dress items labelled "such-and-such firm Scotland" where the firm in based in Scotland but they import their goods. I'm not claiming that this is the case here, only that not specifically saying "made in Scotland" leaves the door open.

Your suspicion is well founded. Here is the identical sporran in black leather.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Handmade-Gh...kAAOSw4apbPhKA

It clearly states that it is from Pakistan. I guess it could happen that identical sporrans, (save the color of the leather,) were made in two different places.

[kiltedsawyer]

Okay, so we have one brown sporran that is stamped "Braveheart Sporrans Scotland" and an identical sporran in black leather on E-bay that is clearly coming from Pakistan. A search for Braveheart Sporrans turns up a company in South Africa that may in fact be named "Braveheart Products" that just happens to make and sell sporrans. A further search uncovers "Highland Kilt Connections which on their facebook page mentions "at braveheart we have one of the biggest collections of sporrans," and clearly shows a sporran with the same perforation pattern as the sporran OC Richard's post. Highland Kilt Connection has four retail locations in the UK but it appears that this one location may also go by "braveheart kilts" in their reviews. So, is this the home of "Braveheart Sporrans?" We may never know.

[FossilHunter]

Okay, so we have one brown sporran that is stamped "Braveheart Sporrans Scotland" and an identical sporran in black leather on E-bay that is clearly coming from Pakistan. A search for Braveheart Sporrans turns up a company in South Africa that may in fact be named "Braveheart Products" that just happens to make and sell sporrans. A further search uncovers "Highland Kilt Connections which on their facebook page mentions "at braveheart we have one of the biggest collections of sporrans," and clearly shows a sporran with the same perforation pattern as the sporran OC Richard's post. Highland Kilt Connection has four retail locations in the UK but it appears that this one location may also go by "braveheart kilts" in their reviews. So, is this the home of "Braveheart Sporrans?" We may never know.

Perusing the South African site here, it appears that they are well-made, artisan, sporrans in both leather and local furs (zebra, SA fur seals, etc) and none that I see match the brogued pattern of the ones on ebay.