Quality Sporrans for less money

[OC Richard]

Thanks! Both gone, it appears.

Not super cheap (around $70US buy it now) an unusually nice vintage-ish example of the style called AZSF, in a lovely patina brown

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Scottish-Ma...p2056016.l4276

[JPS]

Thanks! Both gone, it appears.

Not super cheap (around $70US buy it now) an unusually nice vintage-ish example of the style called AZSF, in a lovely patina brown

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Scottish-Ma...p2056016.l4276

They went quickly, and not surprisingly so. Good money for a durable, nearly-all-purpose sporran with a bit of honest wear.

I like that AZSF. Does this style have a bit more room than your standard round day sporran, or is that just my imagination? It looks more oblong than round.

[JPS]

Here are a couple of really fine brown day sporrans with low starting bids.

The first is about as simple as it gets, in nice chocolate brown, with stud closure, knotted tassels, and leather strap included. I have pretty much exactly this sporran, and I don't know that I'll ever need another. Mine's not marked, but this one does have a maker's stamp, made in Edinburgh, by J. Morrison, if I can make out the letters.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/234321196603

Then there's this pretty medium brown/dark tan sporran with floral stamping. Comes with a sporran chain and has the gold "Made in Scotland" stamp on the back. I believe this one corresponds with model "STM" in Richard's post above.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/334244758543

[KennethSime]

Here are a couple of really fine brown day sporrans with low starting bids.

The first is about as simple as it gets, in nice chocolate brown, with stud closure, knotted tassels, and leather strap included. I have pretty much exactly this sporran, and I don't know that I'll ever need another. Mine's not marked, but this one does have a maker's stamp, made in Edinburgh, by J. Morrison, if I can make out the letters.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/234321196603

Then there's this pretty medium brown/dark tan sporran with floral stamping. Comes with a sporran chain and has the gold "Made in Scotland" stamp on the back. I believe this one corresponds with model "STM" in Richard's post above.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/334244758543

That second one is almost certainly the "Khaki Pigskin" offered by W.E. Scott & Son. A very unique color.

I wear a matching sporran and kilt belt here:

240676547_10165415124985510_5606762116871858590_n.jpg

[OC Richard]

A Dundee seller with two lovely brown Day sporrans, 5 pounds opening bid (but 22 pounds shipping)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334244758...temCondition=4

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234321196...QAAOSwwLdhritw

[OC Richard]

I like that AZSF. Does this style have a bit more room than your standard round day sporran, or is that just my imagination? It looks more oblong than round.

From what I've seen the body shape is one of those things that just varies from maker to maker.

The current maker that's been around the longest and made the most of the post-WWII vintage-y sporrans that come up on Ebay etc is probably W E Scott Edinburgh. They used pretty much the same shape for all their sporrans Day and Eve, and that shape can probably more or less be taken as standard, used by most makers past and present.

The outlier I continue to see many sporrans from on Ebay etc is Nicoll Brothers Bankfoot. Their body shape is rather more round, a bit stubby one could say.

Keep in mind that W E Scott, Nicoll Bros, and most other modern makers used the same cantle size (many of the cantles coming from the same metal fitment makers) which means that the opening access is the same.

Here L-R are sporrans from Margaret Morrison, Nicoll Bros, and an unknown modern maker having pretty much the shape most makers use. You can see how the MM sporran (a reproduction of a 1920s/1930s style) has straight sides and a wider opening.

[OC Richard]

the "Khaki Pigskin" offered by W.E. Scott & Son.

Around WWI when our modern "Day" sporrans became the most common "Day" style, many were made from pigskin.

It's cool to see old catalogues that list the specific animal-skin used.

Here's a 1930s catalogue that offers sporrans in buckskin, pigskin, and leather. ("Leather" and "hide" are often used to refer to cowhide.)



Here another 1930s catalogue, the price-list says

#4. Gent's Leather Sporran, Hogskin, Old Colour.

#6. Gent's Leather Sporran.



In other words #4 is pigskin and #6 is cowhide.

Another 1930s catalogue, numbers 51, 54, 55, and 56 are all stated to be pigskin.



For whatever reason in the post-WWII period most makers stopped using pigskin, but continued offering sporrans with the pigskin look, made of cowhide given a pigskin texture and colour. (I don't actually know if this is true, it's just my impression.)

In this modern catalogue (1990s?) all but one of these sporrans resemble pigskin. (The maker is probably WE Scott Edinburgh or L&M Nova Scotia, who over the years have offered all the traditional Scottish styles)

[figheadair]

Around WWI when our modern "Day" sporrans became the most common "Day" style, many were made from pigskin.

It's cool to see old catalogues that list the specific animal-skin used.

Here's a 1930s catalogue that offers sporrans in buckskin, pigskin, and leather. ("Leather" and "hide" specifically refer to cowhide.)



For whatever reason in the post-WWII period most makers stopped using pigskin, but continued offering sporrans with the pigskin look, made of cowhide given a pigskin texture and colour.

My Anderson's No.17 - Pigskin, with opening top and no studs.
Sporran - Anderson's c1930-Front-sm.jpg

The £3. 8s. 6d price equates to about £250 today. I'm not sure what a modern version in leather, not pigskin, costs from MM?

[OC Richard]

W E Scott hunting sporran said to be pigskin, though I wonder if it's actually pigskin or cowhide made to look like pigskin

$300US so not a big price difference from the 1930s

https://www.artisansofscotland.com/s...-stud-sporran/

[KennethSime]

W E Scott hunting sporran said to be pigskin, though I wonder if it's actually pigskin or cowhide made to look like pigskin

$300US so not a big price difference from the 1930s

https://www.artisansofscotland.com/s...-stud-sporran/

This is the most affordable made-in-Scotland hunting sporran I've found. Combined with the face that I just really enjoy the khaki pigskin color, this sporran's been on my list for awhile.

Thanks for your detail above, Richard. In my mind, the Khaki Pigskin color is unique to WE Scott, simply because I don't see it from other makers these days. Clearly though, it has not always been so.

Here are two dress/evening sporrans from Celtic Vintage Finds on Etsy for about $50/ea with $20 shipping to California:

This one's from an unknown vendor

This one's a Nicols Brothers