WW1 World War One Canadian Day Sporran

[Howling Dingo]

As you can see it is not perfect. The tassels are all different lengths, and should probably be rearranged and trimmed for the best look.
It will hold a smartphone wallet and flask of good Islay, just not all at once.

After I clean, oil and buff, I'll post completion pictures.

Cool thanks for the photo's .Looks like the beeswax treatment is not going into the leather just sitting on top. These are the white streaky marks that we can see on the photographs.

Will you need to do is leave it out in the sun on a hot day, or use a hair dryer to melt with beeswax into the leather. Also exposure to UV light will darken n the leather and give it a more aged effect.

[KnittedReenactor]

Those streaks are actually down in the embossed pattern of the leather. It is also not evenly distributed (if it is actually beeswax), better to remove and get a proper finish.

[Crazy Dave]

I doesn't look like you have room for much else with that flask of Islay, but then you don't need much else when you have a flask of Islay!

Dave

[Howling Dingo]

Those streaks are actually down in the embossed pattern of the leather. It is also not evenly distributed (if it is actually beeswax), better to remove and get a proper finish.

Okay got you photo's can be misleading.

[Tobus]

The issome waxy powdery substance on the leather surface, that will have to be washed off, then heartily buffed with oil.

That white powdery substance is mildew*, and is a stubborn annoyance on sporrans or any leather item that gets stored for long periods of time. As a collector of historic militaria, I see it on every belt, rifle sling, ammo pouch, holster, bayonet frog, sporran, etc. Even some of my sporrans that were made new have developed it over time. It can be cleaned off easily enough with warm water and saddle soap (and an old toothbrush), but it will develop again if the item is stored in a closet or box. I wish I knew a good way to kill it permanently and prevent it from ever developing again, but alas, I don't. At least, not while preserving the patina and character of the items.

*Sometimes, old military sporrans can have the remains of "blanco" on the leather, and it could be that. But looking at your sporran photos, and assuming it's a WPG reproduction, it doesn't look like one that was blancoed. Especially with the other signs of mildew I see in the photos. I could be wrong.

[Howling Dingo]

That white powdery substance is mildew*, and is a stubborn annoyance on sporrans or any leather item that gets stored for long periods of time. As a collector of historic militaria, I see it on every belt, rifle sling, ammo pouch, holster, bayonet frog, sporran, etc. Even some of my sporrans that were made new have developed it over time. It can be cleaned off easily enough with warm water and saddle soap (and an old toothbrush), but it will develop again if the item is stored in a closet or box. I wish I knew a good way to kill it permanently and prevent it from ever developing again, but alas, I don't. At least, not while preserving the patina and character of the items.

*Sometimes, old military sporrans can have the remains of "blanco" on the leather, and it could be that. But looking at your sporran photos, and assuming it's a WPG reproduction, it doesn't look like one that was blancoed. Especially with the other signs of mildew I see in the photos. I could be wrong.

Could be mildew which is a worry if the sporran in brand new.Is hard to see in my phone pics .This sporran should come new with just plain veg tan untreated cow hide. No beeswax,mink oil, blanco or mildew.

This is how the originals were issued in WW1.Over time the leather will darken down as oils/ beeswax are added. Also veg tanned cowhide will darken with exposure to light.

[Tobus]

Could be mildew which is a worry if the sporran in brand new.

It may be brand new as in "not previously used", but it has definitely been in storage for a while from what I see. The white mildew in the surface texture of the leather, some darker mildew on the inside lining, and green corrosion around the snap where it contacts the leather. Those are all signs of having been stored for some time, and possibly in a humid environment. Again, it's perfectly normal with any leather object and nothing to necessarily be concerned about. But it does need to be cleaned before any further treatments such as oils, waxes, etc.

[Howling Dingo]

It may be brand new as in "not previously used", but it has definitely been in storage for a while from what I see. The white mildew in the surface texture of the leather, some darker mildew on the inside lining, and green corrosion around the snap where it contacts the leather. Those are all signs of having been stored for some time, and possibly in a humid environment. Again, it's perfectly normal with any leather object and nothing to necessarily be concerned about. But it does need to be cleaned before any further treatments such as oils, waxes, etc.

If I purchased new leather goods and the had mildew,I be sending then back that pretty sloppy .Okay form a Ebay seller not WPG website so my well the case it has been in storage for a bit.

I kind of was thinking of geting this sporran but photos posted put me off a little bit.

[kingandrew]

Tobus,

I was having a very frustrating time with mildew on all my leather items (not to mention felt hats) when I moved to Shenzhen. Even though I ran the AC constantly, the problem persisted. It seemed like I was cleaning and spraying with Lysol almost weekly for some items. Eventually I got a dehumidifier and that has resolved the issue. It wasn't super-cheap, but it has really done the trick.

Knowing that the Gulf Coast of Texas has a similarly hot and humid climate, you might want to give a good dehumidifier a try to see if helps reduce or eliminate your mildew issues.

Andrew

[Tobus]

Tobus,

I was having a very frustrating time with mildew on all my leather items (not to mention felt hats) when I moved to Shenzhen. Even though I ran the AC constantly, the problem persisted. It seemed like I was cleaning and spraying with Lysol almost weekly for some items. Eventually I got a dehumidifier and that has resolved the issue. It wasn't super-cheap, but it has really done the trick.

Knowing that the Gulf Coast of Texas has a similarly hot and humid climate, you might want to give a good dehumidifier a try to see if helps reduce or eliminate your mildew issues.

Andrew

Yes, I'm sure humidity is to blame. It stays humid here throughout most of the year, except when we get cold fronts in the winter. That only drops it for a few days at a time, but it causes havoc with my sinuses. Up here in the Hill Country, we don't get the really oppressive humidity like they do down on the coast. I'm about 1700 feet above sea level.

I try to keep my house at a stable 45% humidity level. I have a lot of expensive antique musical instruments that need it: guitars, violins, mandolins, mandolas, banjos, and my baby grand piano. Not to mention that the house itself is about 100 years old and when humidity levels drop, it drastically opens up joints in my wood flooring and trimwork. There are actually times when I try to keep the house more humid than the ambient humidity.

On the flip side, my antique & "curio & relic" collection of (things which shall not be named on this forum) needs to stay on the less humid side. I use DampRid in each of my safes to thwart rust on the steel and mildew on the wood/leather. It works fairly well, but is quite a hassle to deal with over time. The tablets soak up humidity and drop water into a reservoir, which must be dumped every few days and the tablets replaced. Ideally, I could store my sporrans in one of these safes, but they're full to the brim already. No more room!

I've considered converting an old wardrobe into a storage closet for kilts and related gear (including sporrans). I'd line it with cedar for moth protection and keep it at a low humidity level for the accessories. One of these days, LOL...