Sporrans and 'real' sporrans.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Another Q, if I may;

Can I ask the traditionalists what their criteria is for choosing a sporran?....as some of us may be in the dark when it comes down to details.

Thank you in advance!

Richard.

First and foremost I suppose the sporran has to be big enough to carry all of the stuff one normally lugs around! At last weekend's Virginia Scottish Games my sporran contained the following:

1. One key (to my car);
2. A card case (holding two credit cards and my calling cards);
3. A thin money clip with $50 in bills;
4. Cell phone (not carried if attending a social function);
5. Loose change.

(I fail to see the need to carry any more, and think it shows a degree of insecurity to lug around tons of stuff that really is surplus to requirement.)

The next thing to consider is the "open-close" bit. Is it easy to open, and will it stay closed? My day wear sporran has a brass cantle and a proper catch, so "open/closed" is never an issue, unlike those sporrans fitted with snaps. I also have a full mask muskrat sporran, and the weight of the mask keeps it conveniently closed-- no snap or latch. My seal skin sporran has a slotted tab that presses over a stud on the back of the sporran-- easy to use and totally secure.

Finally, I guess, aesthetics come into play-- is it pleasing? Something too large, or too extreme (a bear's head, for example) is probably best avoided, as is any thing synthetic as it will possibly build up a static charge and look "shocking" with all of it's plastic hair standing out like some sort of deranged broom looking for a dust pan.

So much for "what to look for when buying a sporran".

When do I wear 'em? Easy. The brass cantle sporran gets worn to just about everything that doesn't require formal attire (including dinner with the Lord Lyon tomorrow evening). The seal skin is worn with black tie. So what about the muskrat? If I had it (I left it at Romilly Squire's home in Scotland when I moved to the USA) then that would be my "go to" sporran for dressy evenings out (tweed jacket & tie), or formal day time events (black Argyll jacket with waistcoat, white shirt, and tie). But since I don't have it to hand, if I have to do something "formal" during the day, I wear the brass cantle sporran and don't worry about it.

Hope that answers your question!