Leather Hunting Sporrans

**KiltedDawg** · 6th June 08, 01:11 PM

I have always admired the look of leather hunting sporrans. How formal are they considered to be? Are they casual, semi-formal, or formal? I was thinking that one could be used to dress up an outfit without having to break out the formal white rabbit sporran. Am I on the right track with my thoughts or off in left field? Comments from the rabble please......

**JRB** · 6th June 08, 03:24 PM

Forgive my ignorance, but what does a "hunting sporran" look like?

**RobertParker** · 6th June 08, 03:38 PM

I have this one and wore it at my wedding with a Prince Charlie. I don't have digital pics of the wedding, but I think it looked fine.

http://www.landmhighland.com/default...&ptyp=77&pid=8

**Spc. Scott** · 6th June 08, 03:45 PM

That one looks pretty formal to me. Admittedly I don't have a lot of knowledge about what differences there may be between the types of sporrans but I know that one looks really nice.

**Kiltman** · 6th June 08, 05:21 PM

The "tradition" is that sporrans are informal, semiformal and formal. As far as I can tell to be semiformal or formal it must be a fur sporran. To be formal it generally has a cantle, etc. So, it's not a question of leather or not. I suggest if it looks good it is good.
A hunting sporran generally opens at the top with no flap that goes over the front as in the Rob Roy and many cookie cutter sporrans.
There a many web sites that will explain all of this. Also see Charles Thompson's So You're going to wear the Kilt.

**george7** · 7th June 08, 09:03 AM

EDIT: That sporran in the link is amazing, and I've since found a new fondness for hunting sporrans.

**Brewboy** · 7th June 08, 09:27 PM

As I understand it, cantle=formal and full mask=formal

Everything else could be used for daywear, including full mask.

Some might call you on wearing a semi-formal (read fur front) with a thrifty and combat boots, but certainly not me. It's an outfit, not a uniform.

I think this is right, but might not be 100% accurate as I am still learning accessories-dress-code.

**JSFMACLJR** · 9th June 08, 06:34 AM

Originally Posted by Brewboy

As I understand it, cantle=formal and full mask=formal

Everything else could be used for daywear, including full mask.

One certainly can wear a sporran with a cantle for rather "informal" daywear. Many, many styles of old sporrans have cantles. I believe Matt Newsome has a wonderful Fergusson Britt sporran with a brass cantle:

The Duke of Argyll wears sporrans with metal cantles to Gatherings and Games, and at daytime events of all sorts:

Kind regards,
Sandford MacLean

**Deil the Yin** · 9th June 08, 07:33 AM

I have been wearing the kilt for over ten years now, and have worn my only sporran- what you would call a leather day sporran- to both black tie and casual affairs. Given the material poverty in which MANY clansmen would have lived during the heyday of the Highland clan system, I have no quams whatsoever about declaring my lowly status as a poor and common clansman (and not to mention the fact that I am a starving artist). I think it's certainly nice if you can have the "proper" sporran for every occasion, but I feel that this tradition is based on commercial exploitation of our heritage.

Just my two sense worth...