The Woollen Mill 179 High Street

[Miller6582]

Yes, I've only seen the oval gold stamps on sporrans from the 80/90's or older. The first WE Scott made sporran I bought was early 2000's and it just had a small square made in Scotland sticker on it. It's a shame they don't do it anymore would certainly make it easier to spot genuine Scottish made sporrans form the cheap imports. I am most jealous of the brass cantled one, such a lovely patina.

[OC Richard]

I've only seen the oval gold stamps on sporrans from the 80/90's or older. The first WE Scott made sporran I bought was early 2000's and it just had a small square made in Scotland sticker on it. It's a shame they don't do it anymore would certainly make it easier to spot genuine Scottish made sporrans form the cheap imports.

Hear, hear! I've made my opinions known already, that the UK should restrict/prohibit imports of specified "cultural products".

At the very least UK makers ought to be proactive and stamp their things. So many UK-made kilts, jackets, sporrans, etc have no markings stating such.

In the USA it's different: complex laws state that all clothing bear a label stating both the fibre content and the country of origin. All leather items must bear a label stating the sort of leather and country of origin.

In any case I worked fulltime in a Highland Outfitter here in the USA through the 1980s. We carried W E Scott sporrans and as I recall they had the gold oval Made In Scotland Real Leather stamp.

I am most jealous of the brass-cantled one, such a lovely patina.

Thanks! The urge is strong to polish it. But yes it looks great as is.

In my years of receiving hundreds of W E Scott sporrans and putting them up for display and selling them I can't recall seeing an Evening sporran with brass cantle. Did you have any pass through your shop?

[Jock Scot]

Hear, hear! I've made my opinions known already, that the UK should restrict/prohibit imports of specified "cultural products".

At the very least UK makers ought to be proactive and stamp their things. So many UK-made kilts, jackets, sporrans, etc have no markings stating such.

In the USA it's different: complex laws state that all clothing bear a label stating both the fibre content and the country of origin. All leather items must bear a label stating the sort of leather and country of origin.

In any case I worked fulltime in a Highland Outfitter here in the USA through the 1980s. We carried W E Scott sporrans and as I recall they had the gold oval Made In Scotland Real Leather stamp.



Thanks! The urge is strong to polish it. But yes it looks great as is.

In my years of receiving hundreds of W E Scott sporrans and putting them up for display and selling them I can't recall seeing an Evening sporran with brass cantle. Did you have any pass through your shop?

Steady on OCR! With the greatest of respect, what the UK does or, does not do, with its trade stamps is our affair and not yours OCR, or America’s. America has good ideas for sure , but please leave the UK to run their own affaires.

Suggestions are very welcome, but words like "ought" and "should" in the context that you have used them in your post above are a tad near the mark.

[OC Richard]

Steady on OCR! With the greatest of respect, what the UK does or, does not do, with its trade stamps is our affair and not yours.

Right enough, it's not for outsiders to judge such things.

But were you to walk down Edinburgh's High Street and see the rows of Pakistani tat shops and know how the Scottish sporran makers, kilt makers, and jacket makers are struggling to make ends meet wouldn't you think that something ought to be done?

At least couldn't the Scottish makers stamp their products Made In Scotland? Is that too radical, too modern, a thing to ask? The consumer doesn't know where unmarked things are made. There are many who, given an informed decision, would choose a Made In Scotland item over a Made In Pakistan item.

The USA is not alone in wanting consumers to be informed or in wanting to protect local craftspeople from foreign fakes, be it with labelling laws, stiff tariffs, or outright bans.

[Jock Scot]

Right enough, it's not for outsiders to judge such things.

But were you to walk down Edinburgh's High Street and see the rows of Pakistani tat shops and know how the Scottish sporran makers, kilt makers, and jacket makers are struggling to make ends meet wouldn't you think that something ought to be done?

At least couldn't the Scottish makers stamp their products Made In Scotland? Is that too radical, too modern, a thing to ask? The consumer doesn't know where unmarked things are made.

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Many of us do exactly that. We go to shops with a "name" that we know and trust. Any other shop just will not do. What happens elsewhere outside those particular named shops in the UK, then the phrase "caveat emptor"(buyer beware) applies. That same phrase "caveat emptor" then applies to those buying on the second hand market throughout the world. Of course garments and goods do turn up with a "name of repute" outside the UK, but again care must be taken as "all that glistens is not gold". However, as you well know it is possible to strike "gold" on rare occasion even in an overloaded second hand market.

[Miller6582]

Hear, hear! I've made my opinions known already, that the UK should restrict/prohibit imports of specified "cultural products".

At the very least UK makers ought to be proactive and stamp their things. So many UK-made kilts, jackets, sporrans, etc have no markings stating such.

In the USA it's different: complex laws state that all clothing bear a label stating both the fibre content and the country of origin. All leather items must bear a label stating the sort of leather and country of origin.

In any case I worked fulltime in a Highland Outfitter here in the USA through the 1980s. We carried W E Scott sporrans and as I recall they had the gold oval Made In Scotland Real Leather stamp.



Thanks! The urge is strong to polish it. But yes it looks great as is.

In my years of receiving hundreds of W E Scott sporrans and putting them up for display and selling them I can't recall seeing an Evening sporran with brass cantle. Did you have any pass through your shop?

None in the shop but I have seen a few in other shops fairly recently. One in the 8 yard shop by Haymarket station (Fox Fur) and one version online from Artisans of Scotland (White Mink) who have a 'design your own' where you select all the parts for your own sporran which includes a brass cantle option. The W.E Scott trade website (Grey Bovine) also shows a version of their brass cantle.