Classifying Sporran Critters

[Nanook]

I respectfully disagree with you. There are many sporran owners who like their rabbit fur sporrans (I'm one of them) and don't regard them as "tacky".

You may not regard your sporran as "tacky" but the market perception of rabbit as a fur is hardly one of luxury. Its abundant supply and cheap price alone disqualify it for status . On the practical side (and why its not heavily regarded): they demand a lot of care, careful storage and have a tendency to shed. Rabbit has less of a market stigma in the United States than other fur animals given its presentation as a by-product of meat production--- the other extreme is "raccoon dog" (Nyctereutes procyonoides), considered in Asia as a kind of badger while the American media cowers at the name "dog".

All of this does not matter. Its not a traditional fur for sporrans and what's made in Scotland is almost uniquely aimed at the U.S. market as an alternative fur given the prohibition of marine mammal furs.

The question again is: How can one distinguish (beyond doing a laboratory analysis) the various seals and otter varieties. I've not found any good references. They have all been popular in sporrans for well over a century.

[Colin]

I'm sitting here wondering where this thread is going.
According to your last outpour. Everyone that has a Rabbit fur sporran Has somthing tacky that won't last long. I hope many of our membership whom own rabbit fur sporran aren't insulted by that,

I think you should stick to your original post and ask how to tell the difference.

If you don't know then there are lots of books on wildlife you can read

I am wondering the same thing myself David. At first I thought it was maybe an attempt to bring up the animal rights debate, but that would break the following as the animal rights fight has proven to be quite political in the past here:

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I hope the topic is going somewhere informative.

[Nanook]

I hope the topic is going somewhere informative.

I hope so too since I've asked the question! :-)
But seriously.. I can sure spot the difference between various otters and, of course, seals but the furs as they have been handled, processed (including the use of dyes) and fashioned into sporrans? Unless its a mask you don't get to see a face! Gray seal is often gray but not aways (like blonds are not always really blond). Dense, directional, greasy hair? All of these qualify don't they?
I know of no good reference books on these furs as they have been used. This is the trade of sporran makers, furriers, conservators and custom's agents :-)

[kiltedcougar]

Rabbit is neither robust nor terribly dense or waterproof.

I can understand durability, but is water resistance really an issue?

[kiltedcougar]

and to answer your origional question, i don't think anyone here knows how to classify marine fur based on appearance. sorry.

[Wompet]

How can one distinguish between
- Harp Seal (Phoca groenlandica) [mainly from Canada and Greenland]
- Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus) [mainly, I think, Scottish]
(both not allowed to cross into United States territorial space)
and some more common otters such
- European Otter

All of them, I think, have quite directional hairs, are dense and greasy. Hair length? I don't know.. Any ideas?

Well, to begin with, you're comparing two phocids with mustelids. In unprocessed form the differences are obvious; once on a sporran a trained observer can still identify origin by the characteristics of the hair (length, diameter, color, structure, etc.), spacing of the hair on the hide, and any visible portions of the skin itself.
A well-trained observer could identify the animal not only to family, but to species.

... the other extreme is "raccoon dog" (Nyctereutes procyonoides), considered in Asia as a kind of badger while the American media cowers at the name "dog".

Nyctereutes procyonoides, also called "raccoon dog" or "tanuki," is a small- to mid-sized member of the canine family that resembles a raccoon
(family Procyonidae). If I remember my Japanese folklore correctly, tanuki are considered to be mischievous, trouble-making shapechangers, and only a fool would risk their wrath by wearing the skin of one their dead relatives.

[Chef]

I can understand durability, but is water resistance really an issue?

It's a good thing if you ever spill anything on it. Also if you are going to wear a fur sporran it is less lilely to be damaged during bad weather.

The grey seal one I have has held up wonderfully over the years, just don't tell customs that I bring it back and forth regularly.

[elitekiltedcommando]

Rabbit is neither robust nor terribly dense or waterproof. A rabbit hair sporran would not last long and its not terribly regarded as something luxurious (like mink, chinchilla or sable fur) but tacky.

I have a cow hide sporran... (Yes, ir does have the black and white patches much like those you would find on a common bovine.) When it comes to tackiness, I win here...

[Rusty]

How can one distinguish between
- Harp Seal (Phoca groenlandica) [mainly from Canada and Greenland]
- Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus) [mainly, I think, Scottish]
(both not allowed to cross into United States territorial space)
and some more common otters such
- European Otter

All of them, I think, have quite directional hairs, are dense and greasy. Hair length? I don't know.. Any ideas?

I think Nanook asked a perfectly legitimate question. As I am interested in knowing if one can identify the origin of the fur by just looking at a sporran. I have a dress sporran that was made in Scotland and I have a suspicion that it's made with seal skin but I don't know for sure.

[O'Neille]

I've got my Dad on the lookout for a one foot square piece of spotted seal (ice seal), he's heading back to Alaska tomorrow. I'm mostly familiar with the common harbor seal. The harbor seal is the most common seal and is still hunted in the U.K. in defense of fishing equipment etc... approx. 2500 are hunted each year for subsistence by Northwest Native populations. The coloring of harbor seals is variable. Although I don't know for sure I'd bet the most sporrans are made from harbor seal. The neat patterned seal skins are more often from ice seals. Before anyone gets undone, I can legally have seal products. Enrolled member of Doyon Ltd. (Alaskan Native Corporation). Off topic I was thinking Caribou (Reindeer) would make a nice shorter hair sporran. O'Neille

Here's a little link for further browsing http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/protectedresources/seals/