Finally got one!!!!!!

[creagdhubh]

My membership pass to this exclusive club will be shipped today! Managed to find one on eBay a wee bit ago and I have been informed it begins it's journey to me today.

Lucky dog!!! Well done mate!

[Tobus]

They are solid brass, although I have one that has been silver plated. I used a bath of diluted vinegar on the worst of mine which was very green and pitted, followed by scrubbing with toothpaste and vinegar and finishing on a buffing wheel with silver polish. That's the one pictured with the original bag and added tassels. Yours looks much less corroded.

Super! I'll give that a shot. I tried working on it last night with some Brasso, but that was slow going and seemed like it would only go so far on the heavy corrosion. Maybe I can let the vinegar and toothpaste do the bulk of the work, perhaps even using my Dremel buffing wheel on low speed in certain areas, and then use the Brasso for just a final hand polish.

I'm going to try to re-use the little button clips that were on the original sporran when I build a new sporran body for it. But for other sporran bodies I might build in the future (my intent is to make the cantle a base for several different sporran builds), I'm going to try using flat washers and E-clips for the attachment. I really like the idea of being able to have several different bags for different looks, that I can swap out on the same cantle.

[ShaunMaxwell]

When I received my cantle in the mail, it was pretty dull and had a fair amount of corrosion on it. It was late in the evening and I didn't have any Brasso on hand, so I Googled "how to clean brass" and got the following tip from Heloise (of "Helpful Hints from Heloise" fame):

To clean lacquered brass, simply wipe with a soft, damp cloth; do not use any kind of household cleaner. If it's nonlacquered, squirt a dollop of ketchup on a rag, and rub over surface. Wipe off residue with a damp cloth and buff dry. For a homemade cleaner, dissolve 1 teaspoon salt in 1/2 cup vinegar and add enough flour to make a paste. Rub onto the brass and leave for 10 minutes; rinse and buff dry.

I tried both methods and was most impressed with the results from ketchup. I put it on pretty thick, let it sit for a few minutes, then worked it over pretty hard with a toothbrush. The results were not perfect, but a great improvement.

SM

[Downunder Kilt]

I don't know if they're all built exactly the same, but mine would look pretty awful when turned inside out, due to the exposed stitching and edges of the leather where the gusset is stitched to the front/back panels.

Tobus I have done this to one of mine and put photos up of it on here some time back. Yes it is a bit rustic, but considering it's 60 years old I think it goes OK. I have worn it to many functions and no-one has ever asked or mentioned that the bag is inside out.

The button clips that are on the originals can be purchased from any haberdashery section of large department stores and usually come 6 on a card in chrome or black. If you have any problem locating same. I think I have product numbers somewhere around. In my opinion they are far better to use than washers and C clips as the holding rivits/knobs can work loose when just too much pressure applied to them.

[ShaunMaxwell]

Just got a message from Artificer this morning... My re-bagged cantle and strap are on the way. Here's the teaser:



Can't wait to get it!

Cheers,

SM

[creagdhubh]

Shaun,

You are one lucky chap!!! This style of sporran will give you many, many years of pleasure, as well as many, many years of wear for your children's children. Very nice!!! Well done, Scott!!!

Cheers,

[Tobus]

Nice, Shaun!

Dang it, though, that sporran is almost exactly what I was going to do with mine, even down to the same colour (the only difference being that my tassels would have slightly different ends). Now I'm going to have to re-think my plan so that we don't look like twinkies at the next Highland Games.

[ShaunMaxwell]

Great minds think alike, right Toby? HA! Can't wait to see what you come up with. (And I don't think we'd look like twinkies... Your stunning jacket acquisitions and cromach will cause you to outshine me any day!)

Cheers,

SM

[Tobus]

Well at least you've set the bar with yours. I'm going to have to invest in a BeDazzler so I can cover mine in rhinestones for extra bling. Whaddayathink?

[artificer]

Well at least you've set the bar with yours. I'm going to have to invest in a BeDazzler so I can cover mine in rhinestones for extra bling. Whaddayathink?

Not rhinestones, but I've done one with brass studs...


and rayskin looks like mad beading.


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