MOD Cantle Newly Bagged

[Troglodyte]

Late last year I came upon a leopard coat from the 1910s and was asked to use some to rebag this MOD cantle. The owner also wanted some tassels to swing as well. I finished this a few months ago, but hadn’t shared it here. I’m very pleased with it, and the owner absolutely loves the end result.

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Now that's a thing of beauty..!

When re-bagging these hinged MoD cantles, I find I have to be careful to limit the thickness of the leather where it mounts around the internal bosses, and to make the holes the bosses pass through a slightly larger diameter than seems instinctive, so that the snap-fasteners can 'bite' sufficiently.

Do you have the same concerns using fur?

The snap-fasteners, I find, have the irritating habit of springing-off the bosses, so my solution is to use C-type circlips - which are a great success.

But the problem of the leather/fur thicknes remains, and it's a trial to get the clips into place without harming the lining.

Incidentally, on the genuine 18th century sporrans with this kind of hinged cantle that I have been fortunate enough to handle and examime in detail, the side tassels are more than simple decoration. The braided cord suspending the tassel takes a specific in-out lacing route that includes a loop over the side boss of the hinge, in addition to the gusset.

The intention, it seems, is to give added security to the sides as internal divisions or compartments, reinforced with wire hoops, are included in these old sporrans. A novel idea that could be easily revived, I think.

Perhaps in these modern 'enlightened' days, we should reclassify vintage furs as 'faux', as in faux-moderne, to save kilties from the paint-hurling brigade. I once heard the snide comment (not directed at me, fortunately) 'Wear it with pride: an animal died...'

So you never know...