Thumpity, thumpity, thumpity

**xena** · 27th January 10, 08:43 AM

Originally Posted by Mr. MacDougall

Now, I wear my sporran front and center, and I don't have a limp, or any other kind of hitch in my giddieup. But over time, the tassel on the right side of the sporran has become far more "worn-in" and flexible than the center or left tassel.

I don't have an explanation for it, but it's kind of an interesting phenomenon.

Are you right handed?

It may have something to do with it. No seriously! If you're right handed, you're also "right-footed" which means your right foot takes a slightly longer stride than the left.

Most of the time it isn't noticeable, but people who are lost in the woods tend to walk in circles, and that's actually the reason. Doing cross-country navigation as one of Her Majesty's hit men (read: in the Army), that was one of the things we had to counteract. Believe it or not.

Now, I'm not 100% sure, but it may have something to do with the differing wear on your sporran tassels.

**kiltedsawyer** · 27th January 10, 09:57 AM

I added antler pieces to the laces on my Rob Roy day sporran. I am actually quite fond of the sound they make. Just my 2 cents,
David

**TecScot** · 27th January 10, 10:12 AM

My informal sporran has no tassel on it and that's why I bought that one. The dress sporran has tassels that I just put up with. I wish they were attached and didn't flop around making noise.

**Schiehallion** · 28th January 10, 05:03 AM

In my experience any free hanging tassies make the drumming noise .. double chained ones and leather ones. It's more to do with back and forth rather than side to side.
Learn to enjoy the sound!

**Schiehallion** · 28th January 10, 05:18 AM

Every sporran with tassles makes a drumming noise...even with crossed chains and my day sporran with leather tassles.... so enjoy the sound.

**Rex_Tremende** · 28th January 10, 06:20 AM

I've noticed it on my semi-dress sporran which has a hard hair-on leather front and metal balls on the tassels, but not on my Rob Roys, which are made from softer leather. I rather assumed that was the way it was designed to sound. Has anyone tried dampening the sound of the thrum by adding, say, a loosely wadded silk kerchief to the contents of their sporran?

Regards,
Rex.

**Galician** · 28th January 10, 06:41 AM

Not exactly the same, but the habit of my religious order includes a large rosary worn from the belt. When we were young students, the older friars could almost never sneak up and catch us when we were doing what we shouldn't have been.

Trust me, you get used to that noise with time.