IDEAL v. BUDGET

[Nick the DSM]

I know most of you said save up for the best, but I'm only 17 and buying a $300 kilt that I'll grow out of doesn't seem like the best idea right now. So I'm gonna stick with buying inexpensive but good quality (like USAkilts) till then.

I like the responses, keep em up!

[English Bloke]

Hallmarked Solid Silver Dress Sporran, Decorative Cantle

Complete your Highland Outfit with the ultimate stand-out dress sporran with solid silver cantle, cones, and chain.
This beautiful sporran is truly stunning. With a luxurious black mink front and solid silver detail... The cantle is made from solid silver, assayed in Edinburgh and has been hand-etched. The three sporran cones are also silver, as is the sporran strap which accompanies it.
Each sporran is made-to-order, and is completely handmade, with every detail carefully considered.
The sporrans can also be made to your exact specifications should you prefer a different fur or cantle design ...

This is a beautiful thing to aspire to when ticking off your "Ideal" list as suggested by MacMillan of Rathdown. This is the real deal and in an ideal world we would all be able to afford one.

Price? Reduced from: £2,950.00 NOW £2,479.00 (US$4,056 - Can$4,195 - AU$4,400 - €2,723 - XE.com's your friend)

I'd love to have one of these but short of a lottery win, it's a bit out of my bracket. Thought members might be interested and someone here might be able to afford one. If anyone does get one, please review it.

Please understand I'm not trying to take the Mickey. As MoR said.
"... The operative word is "I D E A L" ... In an ideal world one does not take economic shortcuts, or accept "fake" instead of "real"...".

[JSFMACLJR]

This is a beautiful thing to aspire to when ticking off your "Ideal" list as suggested by MacMillan of Rathdown. This is the real deal and in an ideal world we would all be able to afford one.

Price? Reduced from: £2,950.00 NOW £2,479.00 (US$4,056 - Can$4,195 - AU$4,400 - €2,723 - XE.com's your friend)

I'd love to have one of these but short of a lottery win, it's a bit out of my bracket. Thought members might be interested and someone here might be able to afford one. If anyone does get one, please review it.

Please understand I'm not trying to take the Mickey. As MoR said.
"... The operative word is "I D E A L" ... In an ideal world one does not take economic shortcuts, or accept "fake" instead of "real"...".

That is a great deal of money for a sporran, no doubt about it. I am curious, though, why the cost is so high, when sporrans made by Hamilton and Inches, the renowned Scottish silversmith and jeweller, sells sporrans for considerably less. Their website has two sporrans listed, from 1,100 to 1,700 pounds ( http://www.hamiltonandinches.com/cat...rice=&ftype=43 ).

The House of Labhran also sells H & I sporrans made of sterling silver. They seem to have a better selection than H & I itself.
http://www.houseoflabhran.net/antiquesporrans.html

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

This is a beautiful thing to aspire to when ticking off your "Ideal" list as suggested by MacMillan of Rathdown. This is the real deal and in an ideal world we would all be able to afford one.

Price? Reduced from: £2,950.00 NOW £2,479.00 (US$4,056 - Can$4,195 - AU$4,400 - €2,723 - XE.com's your friend)

I'd love to have one of these but short of a lottery win, it's a bit out of my bracket. Thought members might be interested and someone here might be able to afford one. If anyone does get one, please review it.

Please understand I'm not trying to take the Mickey. As MoR said.
"... The operative word is "I D E A L" ... In an ideal world one does not take economic shortcuts, or accept "fake" instead of "real"...".

What this is is a giant rip off. Silver is under $20US an ounce ($17.38/ounce as this is written) and there isn't much over 6-8 ounces silver in the cantle and bells. That's less than US $150 worth of silver. Add a more than generous US$50 for the machine engraving and subtract that amount (US$200) from the advertised cost of the sporran and you are left with a mink sporran selling for US$3,856-- about 10X it's retail value.

You don't have to be rich to buy this sporran, just stupid.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I know most of you said save up for the best, but I'm only 17 and buying a $300 kilt that I'll grow out of doesn't seem like the best idea right now. So I'm gonna stick with buying inexpensive but good quality (like USAkilts) till then.

I like the responses, keep em up!

You've got exactly the right idea. What you should be buying, right now, is anything silver mounted-- kilt pins, sgians dubh, sporrans, belt buckles. My first silver mounted sgian dubh cost $35, brand new, from a shop (JR Christie), in Santa Monica, California. Today the same item is over 300 GBPounds (about $475) in Scotland.

Save up and buy the very best accessories you can because you will never out grow them.

[Nick the DSM]

You've got exactly the right idea. What you should be buying, right now, is anything silver mounted-- kilt pins, sgians dubh, sporrans, belt buckles. My first silver mounted sgian dubh cost $35, brand new, from a shop (JR Christie), in Santa Monica, California. Today the same item is over 300 GBPounds (about $475) in Scotland.

Save up and buy the very best accessories you can because you will never out grow them.

I'm slowly trying, I'm looking at getting sgian dubh and more importantly a better sporran as well(won't be silver yet). I still gotta go through college, so I gotta save money too.

[Jock Scot]

I think that nick the DSM and English Bloke do have a point. For those of us that hail from a kilt wearing family that may go back several generations we have the benefit of inheriting a silver kilt pin from Great Grandfather, a silver cantled sporran that was presented to great uncle Willie by the Duke of "Gumby", father's ten kilts and six kilt jackets, etc.. For those just starting in the kilt wearing world the expense can be huge and daunting and I think it is fair to say that some of us forget that.In passing, I also think that this is the source of the "matching this that and the other" issue. For those of us who wear heirlooms whose age could range over a couple of centuries, they are NEVER going to match closely with anything! We just accept it. Those that are starting afresh have an opportunity to get their attire to match! So the mindset of the two "camps" are bound to differ. I dread to think what an instant, new and complete "ideal" kilted wardrobe would cost, but I can see that cutting the odd corner, or two, or six, is the only route than many of us can go down. I, for one, will thank my kilt wearing ancestors more often from now on!

[Jack Daw]

I'm here to get advice, as my tastes are suspect (even from my own POV); so, I'll not give any. So, of course, I have one question: In addition to a sweater as an alternative choice, casual evening can include the tweed jackets and/or the black argyll (without the ties and waistcoats) as a sports-jacket equivalent? BTW, I appreciate everyone's input.

[Jock Scot]

I'm here to get advice, as my tastes are suspect (even from my own POV); so, I'll not give any. So, of course, I have one question: In addition to a sweater as an alternative choice, casual evening can include the tweed jackets and/or the black argyll (without the ties and waistcoats) as a sports-jacket equivalent? BTW, I appreciate everyone's input.

If one were invited to "supper" as opposed to "dinner" a tweed argyll(waistcoat optional depending mainly on the season) and tie would be the norm. When we have house guests that are friends, the dress for informal supper and drinks, or even a call in for a chat, the tweed argyll(and waistcoat) and tie is worn. For your information,for breakfast, a pullover,shirt sleeves(grrr),or argyll are worn and these days no tie(grrr) seems to be worn. In warmer climes I can, however, see the point of minor adjustments to one's attire.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I'm here to get advice, as my tastes are suspect (even from my own POV); so, I'll not give any. So, of course, I have one question: In addition to a sweater as an alternative choice, casual evening can include the tweed jackets and/or the black argyll (without the ties and waistcoats) as a sports-jacket equivalent? BTW, I appreciate everyone's input.

As Jock Scot has already pointed out "casual" is different here in America-- but yes, if the local custom is to wear a jacket without a tie then following that custom is okay, for two reasons: (1) it will put others "at ease" about how they are dressed ("See, Henry, I told you you should have worn a tie.") and (2) you won't look like you are trying to impress everyone ("Jeez, who does that guy think he is, wearing a tie to a barbeque?").

My caveat would be that if you are going to do this, you might want to consider making an ultra casual kilt jacket out of an old corduroy jacket (or similar) that will be more at home with the "no tie look" than a traditional Highland kilt jacket.