Anybody any good at dating items?

[Steve Barclay]

Here we are:-



On the back it says "Wm Jardine and Sons Military outfitters, Edinburgh".

[OC Richard]

Thanks for the photo!

About dating that sporran, it would help to see the back of it, as the rear of horsehair sporrans has changed more over the years than the front.

In the book Scottish Regiments and Uniforms by A H Bowling there is a photo captioned:

Men of the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, Cameron Highlanders, in Foreign Service Uniform for the South African campaign, 1900.

These men are wearing sporrans which look very much like yours.

So until I find out more, that's my guess: 3rd Batt Cameron Highlanders 1900.

The use of white rope to suspend the tassels hints at an early period- by the 20th century chain was normally used.

[Steve Barclay]

Now that's VERY interesting, I was assuming about WWI time.

[Fit2BKilted]

I call this picture "Siren and old fat guy with great doublet"


http://picasaweb.google.com/MacLowli...99024860459186

Anyone capable of making my link work as a photo and then capable of making it clear to me how you did it will have a star in their crown. I am just grateful to be able to give you a link- and to have had my picture made with my lovely friend...

This is accomplished by going to the source website, right-clicking on the image you want to display in your posting, clicking "Copy Image Location", and then opening a message (here) and clicking on the little yellow icon over the text box that looks like a mountain with the sun in the upper right, and then pasting in the text you got from the right-click into the box and clicking OK. ;-)

Slainte!

[MacLowlife]

MOLTO GRAZE, FIT2! A New Skill for the New Year.

[NorCalPiper]

I don't think this sporran is that old. That cantle looks like the generic chrome one that is modeled after the early Argyll & Sutherland brass rim top. These cantles are still used en masse for the "standard" sporran that has the thistle or shamrock on the leather panel. The metal is in extremely good condition. I think this sporran is from the 50's , or even 60's. Knowing when the maker closed shop would help tremendously. Anyone got into on JArdine and co.?

[Steve Barclay]

How about the rope/chain issue?

[OC Richard]

Yes those plain metal rim cantles are still made, but they were also common much earlier. The pipers of the Cameron Highlanders began wearing sporrans with rims like that in the 1850's, and Other Ranks in the 93rd Highlanders were wearing them at that time if not earlier.

Of course back then they weren't chromed, but made of solid "white metal", nickel silver or German silver.

Dating is tough on some of that stuff, because for example the Cameron Highlanders pipers adopted their grey "Pipe Fund" sporrans in the 1850's and wore the same exact pattern up until amalgamation with the Seaforth Highlanders in 1959 to form the Queens Own Highlanders. So, the same sporran for 100 years! Actually the pipers of the QOH continued to wear the same sporran until 1994 (with a change of badge on the cantle, and the tassels changed from white to black, but the sporran itself stayed unchanged).

[Steve Barclay]

Well Wlliam Jardine's shop was there in the 1950's but was called "Wm Jardine & Son Outfitters and Tailors" with no mention of military wear, so it would be handy to know when they started making clothes for civvy street.

[MacLowlife]

Check out THIS item o' interest: I believe it may be a small man's jacket, can't tell about the kilt.


http://cgi.ebay.com/Victorian-Scotti...item3a56023642