Bear mask sporran

[Nighthawk]

So I need a bit of advice. I recently got a black bear head from a full grown adult bear. I will be making a sporran out of it and need a bit of advice. The problem is the sheer size of the head. The nose will come to the selvedge of my kilt, it's that big, and that's if the ears are at the bend of the flap. I haven't found any pictures of anything similar, and I'm not entirely sure where to start. Has anyone seen anything like that? I could use a visual reference to help me get started.

[Father Bill]

I'm not an artisan or sporran maker, but my guess is that there's a reason you haven't seen anything like that, and you just discovered the reason. Too big for this purpose.

[Luke MacGillie]

Hair sporrans are tricky, some are cultural, but something like a full face black bear, your going to get asked if you actually shot the bear, and then get the stink eye if you say you did not from more than a handful of people.

No one asks that for horsehair or goat sporrans.

[Nighthawk]

Hair sporrans are tricky, some are cultural, but something like a full face black bear, your going to get asked if you actually shot the bear, and then get the stink eye if you say you did not from more than a handful of people.

No one asks that for horsehair or goat sporrans.

Next ask me if I care...

[Luke MacGillie]

Next ask me if I care...

I can understand that, been in that way of thinking more than once in life. I let my desire for freedom overcome the responsibility that freedom brings.

As an aside are you a fan of the movie Super Troopers? If I saw you wearing a large bear sporran, I would be thinking of a certain line from that movie during our interaction. While I could certainly say that line out loud, as I have the freedom to do so, I would not as its just not the right and proper thing to say in public.

[LKM]

While bear fur would look great on a sporran, I would think that the head is larger then desired for a full mask sporran. I usually go with between 7" and 9" for the length of a sporran yet I almost never see a bear head shorter then 12" in length, often quite a bit longer. I think that the best way to work with the size of the bear head would be to have the ears at the top of the sporran and not have the sporran go much, if any, below the nose of the bear.

I look forward to getting to see the finished sporran, perhaps at a festival or two in the state this summer.

[Delta Six]

I don't often offer an opinion here--I'm still learning, but the idea of a bearskin sporran is intriguing.

That said, full mask sporrans just aren't my 'cuppa'. However, thinking it over, a really nice sterling or silver-plated dress cantle with a plain bearskin bag...that might just the thing for a regular sized fellow. It could put that special mark on the outfit of someone from North America and still be within the bounds of tradition.

Thanks

[Terry Searl]

Hair sporrans are tricky, some are cultural, but something like a full face black bear, your going to get asked if you actually shot the bear, and then get the stink eye if you say you did not from more than a handful of people.

No one asks that for horsehair or goat sporrans.

........ and another stink-eye from another handful of people if you say ya' did

[Bruce Scott]

Well, it seems that it has been done although I imagine this was a much smaller bear.



Image found here: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/2476...86458/?lp=true

Edit: That said, it is a HUGE sporran.


From: https://kiltguide.com/directory/morr...b396d8dcf.html

[Nighthawk]

Well, it seems that it has been done although I imagine this was a much smaller bear.



Image found here: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/2476...86458/?lp=true

Yeah. That's the only one I found. It is indeed much smaller... Maybe I should take a picture tomorrow when I get to my shop so y'all can see the massive glory...