Synthetic/Normal Horsehair Sporrans

[Chas]

Hello All,

I've not seen a horse hair sporran close-up, so I am wondering how they are constructed. I am guessing that we are not talking about the hairy skin from the tail or neck of a horse. Are the individual hairs knotted onto 'something' which is attached to the front of the sporran and if so, is it one strip or many?

I really don't know, what I don't know, so I am struggling to ask the right questions. Any chance of a close-up picture from someone showing the construction?

Regards

Chas

[McMurdo]

Hello All,

I've not seen a horse hair sporran close-up, so I am wondering how they are constructed. I am guessing that we are not talking about the hairy skin from the tail or neck of a horse. Are the individual hairs knotted onto 'something' which is attached to the front of the sporran and if so, is it one strip or many?

I really don't know, what I don't know, so I am struggling to ask the right questions. Any chance of a close-up picture from someone showing the construction?

Regards

Chas

Here is a link to Shaw Highlanders thread with the Horsehair sporran
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/a...x.html?t=46562

[Chas]

Hi Glen,

Thanks for the link. What I am seeing is the horse hair hanging down the front of the sporran as a kind of curtain - does that sound right? If that is right, there must be tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of individual hairs - no wonder they cost so much!

Regards

Chas

[goodrat]

Funny you should ask about that, i was thinking the same thing myself until i got my authentic horsehair sporran. if you look at pictures of real ones next to synthetic ones you will notice that they do not carry the same shape. I'm not quite sure why, but it almost seems as though the synthetic "hair" is cut to a different pattern, and does not have the same texture as real horsehair. One more thing to consider is the quality, there is an extensive amount of work that goes into making a horsehair sporran, and alot of it is the actual conditioning of the hair itself. Most the reviews i have read on synthetic ones have been negative, saying things like, the hair texture is not the same at all, and that it doesnt swish like the real ones do when you walk. I would say that it is definetly worth your extra money to buy an authentic, and like the other gentlemen have said, it can also one day become a family treasure.

[Snowbear]

They cost this much because they are genuine. A real horse hair sporran will not only look good, but it will also reflect your own spirit. There is a reason that they are made of horse hair, and that is not just because thay look better.

[tyger]

Some time ago I priced horsehair in anticipation of making DIY sporrans for me. You got a lot of horsehair for not many dollars. It is sold by the pound, a pound is A BUNCH of hair. I will split a pound with somebody, if interested PM me.

[tyger]

Some time ago I priced horsehair in anticipation of making DIY sporrans for me. You got a lot of horsehair for not many dollars. It is sold by the pound, a pound is A BUNCH of hair. I will split a pound with somebody, if interested PM me.

On second thought, a way to get free horse hair: make friends with your local veterinarian.