What makes a quality sporran?

[MacRobert's Reply]

As others have said, two sporrans are really all you need: a leather one for day wear when in tweeds and a formal one in fur with a silver cantle. Actually, a full mask sporran would do for any occasion, so you only really need one. However, a full mask is not to everyone’s taste.

If you are the groom at a wedding, a formal sporran should be fine, even if you are in tweeds.

In my opinion, you need to consider quality and practicality. For the dress sporran, I would go for silver plate rather than chrome or pewter. Some cheap chrome does flake off and never looks quite as good as silver.

Decent used sporrans with silver-plated cantles can still be found in Scotland but most have seal-fur covered bags. If it is legal to import these into your country, then this is probably your best option. They are available for around £60 to £70 plus postage for a good one, and the sky is the limit for solid silver and unique design!

From the 1950s most of these have opening cantles (a flap at the back, closed with a sam-brown stud or popper gives access to the whole sporran bag). From the late 19th Century through to the 1940s most formal sporrans just had a wee coin purse that was accessed from the back of the sporran and are a bit impractical as a bag for carrying things like mobile phones, car keys, etc.

One very practical exception is the Bonnie Prince Charlie sporran with its flap on the front with a silver plate (often a crowned thistle) and six tassels in three rows. However, again, most of these are in seal fur that cannot be legally imported into many countries even though the sporran was made before the ban.

For a traditional used leather day-wear sporran, try a well-known online auction site where they can be picked up for £10 to £30 plus postage.

[MacCathmhaoil]

May I suggest you follow OCRichards Quality sporrans thread, with some effort you may be able to obtain a sporran or two at a reasonable price. There is a brown day sporran he has identified that is presently listed for a very decent price.

[Crazy Dave]

This may be just the thing or a terrible choice depending on the crowd and your tastes/sensibilities. Since this is a semiformal sporran, it is appropriate for both day and formal (IMO). When I was ordering a Rob Roy Sporran from UT kilts, I noticed that the Black Leather Coyote Sporran https://www.utkilts.com/black-leather-coyote-sporran/) was on sale for $15. I googled coyote fur and it actually has very good characteristics though the idea of coyote fur my not appeal to everyone. I figured for $15, what did I have to lose and now it is my favorite sporran. It looks great on me and is big enough to hold my wallet, cellphone and a few extras. Not the best choice for a PETA meeting, but great where people are accepting of fur. As far as morals go, coyotes are considered pest, so I seriously doubt any coyotes were specifically killed for their coat, and IMO, killing an animal and waisting the products of that kill is the greater sin.

It also comes in a formal style with a cantle, a semiformal with a flap and an all coyote one with a coyote fir flap. Lots of pictures and pictures of customers wearing then on utkilts.com. The one I bought looks great on me and my dog did not object. Now it is regular price of $30. Still a good deal IMO.

I know UT Kilts gets a lot of flack, but I think the quality is very comparable and good in the $80 and under price range.

Dave

[figheadair]

One very practical exception is the Bonnie Prince Charlie sporran with its flap on the front with a silver plate (often a crowned thistle) and six tassels in three rows.

I've never been a fan of the so-called Bonnie Prince Charlie sporran. The original, which I've seen close up, looks to be 19th century rather than mid-18th and I wonder about the attribution.
sporran.jpg

Andersons used to sell versions of this in the 1930s (4 and 5 below) and at least two members of the Royal Family wore it.
Wm. Anderson Sporrans.jpg

Prince Arthur of Connaught, Braemar Gatherng 1932 wearing a Bonnie Prince Charlie sporran.
Prince Arthur of Connaught, Braemar Gatherng 1932.jpg

Some of the modern versions are less attractive. It shows that one gets what one pays for.
mmprince.jpeg

[Father Bill]

A word of caution:

Semi-formal sporrans are, in the opinion of many experts, neither fish nor fowl, and so, less suitable for either situation. They're a relatively recent invention and not a longer-time traditional style.

[DougH]

Very thorough answers gents, thank you so much. I feel much more informed to evaluate options on ebay.
Watch this space.

[Father Bill]

We ALL wanna see pix!

[DougH]

We ALL wanna see pix!

Oh definitely, that is half the fun of these things.

I kinda like that coyote pelt sporran Crazy Dave linked, at that price point I may have to pick one up for my day wear sporran.

I'm currently looking at this design on ebay:

sporran-small.jpg

And I was wondering what the expert opinion is on construction, is it likely that the red leather is merely sandwiched between the bag and the cantle and that I could replace it with a color that would accent my kilt (Henderson Modern) , or is it likely to be cemented? I may still get it either way, just curious.

[Crazy Dave]

Your link does not show in you post.

Dave

[OC Richard]

I'm currently looking at this design on ebay:

sporran-small.jpg

That's one of the classic modern sporran styles that's been in production throughout most of the 20th century.

In the standard catalogues from c1960-c1990 it was called EW3, here, centre left



This photo is one of the six pages of a widely printed tri-fold B&W photo brochure which was used for a quarter-century by a large number of sporran makers in Scotland. All the various firms used this same brochure, used the same codes, and made the same range.

EW3 had a pierced cantle so the leather liner or gusset showed through, often red, sometimes green, sometimes black. Years ago I made my own blue gusset just to have something different.

The EW3 and EW2 cantles are similar, one pierced, one solid.

(EW3/P is pony rather than the usual seal.)

Now about pipers wearing Evening Dress sporrans with Day tweed, they've long done that.

Here are some contemporary examples, some of the top solo pipers today. It's why as a piper, if I only had one sporran, it would be a brownish seal Evening sporran (bottom photo, right).

Nick Hudson with a rather fluffy Muskrat sporran with chrome cantle



On the right is Connor Sinclair, dapper in Lovat green tweed and seal Evening sporran, the young piping prodigy.

Left is Craig Sutherland in charcoal tweed.