Antique / Vintage Sporran Question

[macmac]

Hi , can anyone advise me on this sporran please,
I think its Victorian and with goat hair with silver / plate mount
The stamp is LG & Co Leckie Graham & co Glasgow ?? Any help thanks

[OC Richard]

What are the dimensions? Especially what is the width of the cantle at its widest point?

Because the proportions look a bit like a youth's sporran, but it's hard to know from photos sometimes.

About the date, it's probably not Victorian, but rather probably around 1910 at the earliest and around 1940 at the latest.

Those cantles were cast from solid nickel-silver AKA German silver AKA cupro-nickel. It was by far the most common metal for bagpipe mounts, sporran cantles, buckles, cap badges, etc from Victorian times up till around WWII.

For some reason around the 1950s they started casting cantles and buckles from brass and plating them with nickel, later with chrome.

If you look under the horsehair in front you might see that the front panel of the sporran body is faced with goat hair. That's the older way to make horsehair sporrans.

It looks like a civilian sporran, which is interesting because the sporrans I've seen stamped Leckie Graham have been MOD regimental sporrans.

Here's a Seaforth Highlanders sporran stamped Leckie Graham Glasgow 1910

[OC Richard]

A quick look around provided this 1906 Leckie Graham advert, very nice.

I didn't know anything about the firm other than them making army sporrans.

They also made leather suitcases.

(Don't look at that intersection now, it's sad.)

[macmac]

What are the dimensions? Especially what is the width of the cantle at its widest point?

Because the proportions look a bit like a youth's sporran, but it's hard to know from photos sometimes.

About the date, it's probably not Victorian, but rather probably around 1910 at the earliest and around 1940 at the latest.

Those cantles were cast from solid nickel-silver AKA German silver AKA cupro-nickel. It was by far the most common metal for bagpipe mounts, sporran cantles, buckles, cap badges, etc from Victorian times up till around WWII.

For some reason around the 1950s they started casting cantles and buckles from brass and plating them with nickel, later with chrome.

If you look under the horsehair in front you might see that the front panel of the sporran body is faced with goat hair. That's the older way to make horsehair sporrans.

It looks like a civilian sporran, which is interesting because the sporrans I've seen stamped Leckie Graham have been MOD regimental sporrans.

Here's a Seaforth Highlanders sporran stamped Leckie Graham Glasgow 1910

Hi , and thanks , the size is 6/14" x 13" ,
looking under the hair it seems to be all the same soft hair stitched on to leather.
its also much softer and shiny than horse hair ones i have had.

Thanks

[OC Richard]

the size is 6/14" x 13"

Sorry but I don't know how to interpret those numbers.

Do you mean 6 1/4"?

If so, is that the width of the metal cantle, or the width of the leather sporran body?

13" long suggests a youth's sporran, as the more-or-less standard length of adult horsehair sporrans is 18". (Goathair ones like yours can be less.)

looking under the hair it seems to be all the same soft hair stitched on to leather.

it's also much softer and shiny than horse hair ones i have had.

Yes I think the entire thing is goat hair. As you say goat hair is much softer than horsehair.

The interesting thing is how, after they started using horsehair for extra length, they continued to have the front of the sporran faced in goathair, until recently.

[macmac]

Sorry but I don't know how to interpret those numbers.

Do you mean 6 1/4"?

If so, is that the width of the metal cantle, or the width of the leather sporran body?

13" long suggests a youth's sporran, as the more-or-less standard length of adult horsehair sporrans is 18". (Goathair ones like yours can be less.)



Yes I think the entire thing is goat hair. As you say goat hair is much softer than horsehair.

The interesting thing is how, after they started using horsehair for extra length, they continued to have the front of the sporran faced in goathair, until recently.

Hi Sorry its 6 1/4" that's the width of the metal cantle , but i think the sporran might of had a hair cut .
if you see the picture of the back where the tassels are attached they have been lifted up and secured with a safety pin.

Thanks

[OC Richard]

Thanks, yes a cantle 6.25 inches wide indicates an adult sporran.

Goat hair sporrans are often a bit shorter than horsehair ones, but the hair usually ended in uneven wispy bits.

I wonder if a previous owner wanted more of the look of modern short Evening sporrans.

Even trimmed, it's quite a find!

It probably looked something like this when new. (This one looks a bit trimmed as well.)



They often could be quite long.

[macmac]

Thanks, yes a cantle 6.25 inches wide indicates an adult sporran.

Goat hair sporrans are often a bit shorter than horsehair ones, but the hair usually ended in uneven wispy bits.

I wonder if a previous owner wanted more of the look of modern short Evening sporrans.

Even trimmed, it's quite a find!

It probably looked something like this when new. (This one looks a bit trimmed as well.)



They often could be quite long.

Thanks , The Inverness photo could be it , LOL thats where it came from