Sporran snap

[Mipi]

I have some troubles with the snap on my sporran (closure), it's very hard to close it. Usually I have to press couple of time to close it and it opens on it's own very easily (what Murphy would call "Opens easy", meaning "Can't be closed")

Sporran is covered with rabbit fur, which maid be in a way, when closing.

Any similar problems? I did trim a bit the fur hair around the snap but with no improvement; maybe I have to trim it a bit more.

Thanks!

Regards!

Mipi

[Tiny]

What kind of sporran is it? are we talking about a cheap ebay vendor or something closer to L & M level of quality? Detailed pics of the offending sporran may help find a fix.

If its a fairly cheap sporran and you think its hair getting in the button as its closed I would be tempted to shave the fur everywhere the top flap covers. it might not be the fur getting in the button but the fur pushing on the top flap that is making it pop open.

[Mipi]

Thanks Tiny, I think you nailed it pretty much. I guess fur under the flap is obstructing the closing. I might not go for total shaving off the fur under the flap, but rather try to thin it out a bit.

I'm talking about cheap eBay sporran, like this one, only without thistle and more rounded flap (I can't find the exact one, but really doesn't matter). You can see it in my picture album; first pic in the "made first tartan kilt"

THX again

[Chas]

Something I have found is that the leather of the flap can be very stiff. If the leather was not softened before manufacture, then you get a very stiff, hard sporran. In effect the flap is under 'spring tension' and wants to open as that is its normal 'at rest' position.

You might have to try and soften the leather yourself. If you turn the sporran upside down and let the top curve (which is now the bottom) soak in warmish water for a while till the leather is quite soaked. It should now be more pliable. Dry excess water with a towel. Close the sporran and lie it on a towel in an airy (not necessarily warm) place. A little bit of weight on the top curve might help. Once dry, with any luck, the sporran flap will have taken on the new shape and will want to stay closed.

Regards

Chas

[Tiny]

Something I have found is that the leather of the flap can be very stiff. If the leather was not softened before manufacture, then you get a very stiff, hard sporran. In effect the flap is under 'spring tension' and wants to open as that is its normal 'at rest' position.

You might have to try and soften the leather yourself. If you turn the sporran upside down and let the top curve (which is now the bottom) soak in warmish water for a while till the leather is quite soaked. It should now be more pliable. Dry excess water with a towel. Close the sporran and lie it on a towel in an airy (not necessarily warm) place. A little bit of weight on the top curve might help. Once dry, with any luck, the sporran flap will have taken on the new shape and will want to stay closed.

Regards

Chas

I was under the impression that many of the "cheap ebay" sporrans were not true leather but leather bits glued back together similar to partical board and softening may cause them to fall a part. Just asking as I don't know for sure.

I may try the soaking method on my plain day wear as it likes to pop open at times.

[Chas]

Hi Tiny,

I think it is very hard to make generalisations when it comes to kilt accessories.

In the last year I bought a sporran, direct from Pakistan and am truly amazed at the quality of the workmanship.

By the same token, on my last trip to Scotland, I bought a sporran from a 'reputable' retailer there. By the time I got back home after 4 days use it had fallen apart. Two emails and a phonecall produced an indifferent to negative response. The following weekend I drove back to Scotland and confronted them in person. Only when I paraded, up and down, outside their shop, telling all and sundry, in a loud voice, about the quality of their wares did they finally relent. A new (better) sporran, a shirt, flashes, three pairs of hose, a belt buckle and one of their employees took me across the street for a pub lunch.

The point being that we hear a lot here about poor quality, from here or there. But poor quality, bad workmanship and shoddy customer service can be found everywhere.

Regards

Chas

[artificer]

Hi Tiny,

I think it is very hard to make generalisations when it comes to kilt accessories.

...Only when I paraded, up and down, outside their shop, telling all and sundry, in a loud voice, about the quality of their wares did they finally relent. A new (better) sporran, a shirt, flashes, three pairs of hose, a belt buckle and one of their employees took me across the street for a pub lunch.

The point being that we hear a lot here about poor quality, from here or there. But poor quality, bad workmanship and shoddy customer service can be found everywhere.

Regards

Chas

Chas is correct. We don't know what the flap is, leather or leather board.

Before we talk of softening leather, check the snap itself. On the inside part of the snap, on the inside of the top flap, there is a small metal ring. It rests there to provide the friction to make the snap "snap".

On lower quality hardware, this can lose it's spring right away making the snap near impossible to lock closed and VERY easy to open.

I'm not saying this IS the problem, but I've seen it a lot. You might want to check this before trying to alter leather or fur.

You might want to try to bend one of the cut ends of the ring in toward the center of the snap a tiny bit. Use a small screwdriver or similar. DON'T over do it, you can always bend more, it's harder to unbend.

If that ISN'T the case, you might wish to investigate softening the leather flap. PLEASE make sure to verify that it's leather and not leather board before adding a conditioning creme, moisture and leather board = mush. I would try a conditioning creme like Zymol before I'd use water. Water tends to strip the oils from leather resulting in a stiffer, less flexible leather in the future.

Lastly, if all other venues fail, you could trim down the fur a touch. If you have a trimmer (like Oster or Wahl) I'd use that. Set the guard for 1" and start there. Remember, it's easier to trim again than it is to make the fur grow back

Good luck!

[Mipi]

How many answers?!!?

I'll start with less to more intrusive; snap check to softening and trimming.
No, that's one important reason I'm the member of this fabulous forum.

THX

[kiltedwolfman]

I have a similar sporran and had a similar problem. I found that the placement of the thistle on the flap was the actual problem as it didn't have enough space between it and the mounting point of the snap. I had two options, move the thislte, or move the closure. Both would have looked a little odd so I created a third option, move the thistle and change the closure. I replaced it with a small but very strong magnetic closure that has never and moved the thistle a little to hide the work. It has not given me a problem since, and it cost me about 4 bucks in to do.

I guess my point is, when all else fails, redesign!

[A Hay]

I have a similar sporran and had a similar problem. I found that the placement of the thistle on the flap was the actual problem as it didn't have enough space between it and the mounting point of the snap. I had two options, move the thislte, or move the closure. Both would have looked a little odd so I created a third option, move the thistle and change the closure. I replaced it with a small but very strong magnetic closure that has never and moved the thistle a little to hide the work. It has not given me a problem since, and it cost me about 4 bucks in to do.

I guess my point is, when all else fails, redesign!

*************************
Mipi,

I think a magnetic catch would solve your problem. If you send me a PM with a mailing address I could send you one. I have several on hand.

Tom
A_Hay