Sporrans and 'real' sporrans.

[Dale Seago]

So, here's what I've gathered about sporrans - please correct any aspects that are wrong or add any combination I may have left out.

Brown leather = Daywear
Black Leather = Daywear/Informal eveningwear
Black leather + silver = Daywear/Informal eveningwear
Brown Leather + Brass = Daywear
Fur + Silver = Eveningwear, Formal Eveningwear
Fur + Brass = Daywear/Informal Eveningwear/Eveningwear?
Full Mask = Any occasion


Is that correct?

Obviously there will be exceptions to the above, such as an incredibly ornate and well-worked leather sporran that would work formal wear, but is this list acceptable as a general guide to "sporran appropriateness"?

Matt Newsome has a nice "summary" article for kilt wearers at http://albanach.org/advice.htm. Regarding sporrans, he comments that

An all leather sporran in black is ok for formal or casual wear, and an all leather sporran in brown usually for casual wear only.

The article is well worth reading in its entirety. He seems to know a fair bit about the history of Scottish attire; is Director of the Scottish Tartans Museum in North Carolina; makes kilts (and is making two for me right now, or at least will be once the fabric arrives from Scotland); and is a member here.

[tulloch]

Richard it seems to me that you might have noticed some people commenting on some of the junk that is out there. Like anything there are sporrans and other accessories that are not well made but are out there and affordable. I recommend getting good quality where you can find it at a good price. I have been careful and am quite happy. I think that good standards for quality are traditional.

[Cygnus]

Matt Newsome has a nice "summary" article for kilt wearers at http://albanach.org/advice.htm. Regarding sporrans, he comments that...

Thanks, Dale - I had missed that somehow when perusing Matt's site.

[Micric]

Thank you again chaps.

M.O.R,

I didn't thank you for your logical reasons behind sporran choice. Thanks,... It all makes sense!
Also, I have it now, re. fur and brass, etc.

Tulloch,
I too have been fortunate (it would appear!!) re. purchases. I have a good friend living up near Nairn who gathered most things for me from antique emporiums, etc!
My sporran is muskrat, and though in lovely order, cost very little.
Also a plain leather day sporran, though the gusset isn't as wide as in the muskrat, (2" instead of 3") so when I want my wallet in there, + other junk the muskrat seems a better choice!
My questions were to find what more experienced sporran-wearers saw as important in a sporran, And.... if I was wearing what I had in an appropriate manner, Or if I should be looking for something else. It would appear my pal hasn't let me down!

At the recent Highland games, I did see a lot of 'plasticky" looking sporrans, and under my breath thanked my pal for getting me something a bit nicer.....for a good deal less!
Thank you to all for adding to this thread.

This site is a wonderful resource!

Best,
Richard.

[artificer]

Thank you again chaps.

M.O.R,

I didn't thank you for your logical reasons behind sporran choice. Thanks,... It all makes sense!
Also, I have it now, re. fur and brass, etc.

Tulloch,
I too have been fortunate (it would appear!!) re. purchases. I have a good friend living up near Nairn who gathered most things for me from antique emporiums, etc!
My sporran is muskrat, and though in lovely order, cost very little.
Also a plain leather day sporran, though the gusset isn't as wide as in the muskrat, (2" instead of 3") so when I want my wallet in there, + other junk the muskrat seems a better choice!
My questions were to find what more experienced sporran-wearers saw as important in a sporran, And.... if I was wearing what I had in an appropriate manner, Or if I should be looking for something else. It would appear my pal hasn't let me down!

At the recent Highland games, I did see a lot of 'plasticky" looking sporrans, and under my breath thanked my pal for getting me something a bit nicer.....for a good deal less!
Thank you to all for adding to this thread.

This site is a wonderful resource!

Best,
Richard.

It sure sounds like your friend is steering you in the right direction! We should all be so lucky to have a friend like yours when starting out!
You probably owe him a dram (or bottle) of something nice and peaty.

BTW: those 'plasticky' looking ones are the cheap Pakistani imports you might see people go off about occasionally.

[GG]

Be practical and comfortable, then you will be in the same spirit of the original kilt wearers.

It is a very good point. I really like it.

Greg

[OC Richard]

The idea of traditional is an illusion. If you look at the history of the kilt all these things labeled "traditional" are actually modern.

The "traditional" kilt is a great example of this. Many consider the "8" yard knife pleated kilt to be traditional, when in fact that came about in the past 100 to 150 years.

You're using the word "traditional" in a different sense than I use the word, and how it's used for example in the music world.

"Traditional" doesn't mean never-changing. Something that's "traditional" is something that has come down to the present time in an unbroken sequence of evolutionary changes.

So the handsewn 8-yard kilt as it's been made since the late 19th century is "traditional" because it evolved from the early 19th century kilt which evolved from the 18th century kilt which evolved from the belted plaid in an unbroken evolutionary process.

Now, if you go back and pluck one of those earlier kilts out of its original spot along the evolutionary path, and recreate it today, it's a "historical" kilt rather than a "traditional" kilt.

With sporrans, they followed a well-documented evolutionary path from the mid 18th century style with fully functioning brass cantle and leather body, to the late 18th century style with fur, with the fur becoming long hair in the early 19th century. By the mid 19th century long hair sporrans were worn in all modes of Highland Dress, civilian day wear with tweed jacket, evening wear, and military uniform.

By the 1920s a new range of sporrans had evolved, a plain leather pocket for day wear, and a sealskin pocket with semicircular silver cantle for evening wear (the cantle being shaped like the cantle of 18th century sporrans, but being a decorative plate only).

So yes these 20th century sporrans are a more recent development, but they're "traditional" in the sense that they evolved from earlier sporrans styles.

[Micric]

Artificer,

Yes, I am very fortunate in having a friend to find things for me!
Actually he's a "she"......(purely Platonic,).......and deserving of a few bottles of the very best (wine, in her case!)
She also found me my Hugh MacPherson argyle jacket, (fits perfectly!!) a couple of belts, a pin, and some very nice hose, all to go with the hand-made 1960's and-still-looking -new worsted Mackenzie kilt that I recieved from her, of which she said she would be honoured if I would wear it.
To me though, it is I who have the greater honour, being given the opportunity to wear such a kilt from such a friend.
I can't even imagine ever looking for another kilt!

I think I'll go and write her a letter.

R.

[auld argonian]

I'm going to have to put a word in for the leather version of the Stillwater Nightstalker sporran. Somewhere back there in another thread long deceased, I mentioned that I liked the "cargo" type sporran...something that will hold everything and have room to spare.

I remember that Jock Scot mentioned that he didn't care for cargo type sporrans but the Stillwater sort of occupies the middle ground. One main zippered compartment and another velcro closing pocket on the front with a small zippered coin purse sized section on the flap of the velcro-ed pocket. The coin purse section is particularly convenient for the urban kiltie...especially one who grew up in this city...since you can just put a few bills in a clip and toss a couple of coins in the coin purse section and be able to whip out your cash without mounting a major expedition to the bottom of your sporran...often speed is essential and you want to complete a transaction before you attract any unwanted attention...like a guy in a kilt in Chicago doesn't attract ANY attention.

The capacity is good for those days that you can't get away with wearing a jacket and having those pockets to fall back on.

Best

AA

[OC Richard]

I just got these images today.

They're an example of another early influence on my notions about Highland Dress, these old tartan books.

As you can see, the Highland Dress shown is on all fours with the dress seen in the catalogues from the 1920s through the 1950s.

In daytime outdoor contexts Highland dress is always shown with a tweed jacket, plain leather sporran, selfcoloured hose, lovat Balmoral bonnet, etc.

In formal evening contexts Highland dress is shown with a black formal jacket, sealskin sporran with silver cantle, tartan or diced full hose, and buckled shoes.





In the mid 19th century, long hair sporrans would have been worn in both contexts, as the sporrans styles above hadn't evolved yet.