Yet another sporran project :)

**OC Richard** · 16th October 23, 04:04 PM

I've always liked the classic sporrans with the ancient concentric-ring motif.

In the old catalogues it was called EW5 and most often had five tassels.

I believe that the cantles were made by Frederick Narborough (later Dalman & Narborough). They're seen in solid brass, solid German silver, silver-plate, and Sterling Silver.

This sporran came up on Ebay and I got it fairly cheaply, considering I've seen the cantle alone sell for more.

It's the older style, with the cantle having a backplate with rings for the chain-strap, and the body having a very cramped near-useless pocket.

I'm all about practicality and I want a big roomy fully-opening sporran body.

Below, upper left, I picked up this sporran with oversize body with attractive coyote fur, ill-served by the cheap-looking cantle and huge fluffy tassels.

Below right, top to bottom, three of the steps of the conversion

1) matching the colour of the scrap leather tassels to the cord

2) the bits gathered. I also painted the filthy stained once-claret gasket to match

3) the tassels wrapped around the cords, glued, and held with zip-ties till dry

Below, bottom left, the finished sporran.

**12stones** · 16th October 23, 06:38 PM

Looks great. What did you use to clean up the cantle?

**ShaunMaxwell** · 16th October 23, 09:17 PM

Very nice! I always enjoy seeing the before and after shots and the explanation of the process. Thanks for sharing!

SM

**OC Richard** · 17th October 23, 03:47 AM

Thanks!

I polished the cantle with a German product called Simichrome. I used a light touch! I don't want to polish the silver plating away.

As usual I'm not really satified with the new look of the tassels.

I'll probably take them off, do some weathering/antiquing/ageing, and reassemble everything.

It's like the bells, which were far too gleaming to match the cantle. I knocked the shine down with fine sandpaper and steel wool.

The difference can be seen in the 2nd collage if you compare the bells on the sporrans lefthand top and lefthand bottom.

**MacKenzie** · 17th October 23, 03:42 PM

Well done!

If you ever decide to part with it, I'm your guy. :-)

**12stones** · 18th October 23, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

I polished the cantle with a German product called Simichrome. I used a light touch! I don't want to polish the silver plating away.

Thanks for the recommendation! I was able to pick some up on Amazon and use it on a vintage chrome cantle I recently picked up. It’s night and day difference.

**Panache** · 19th October 23, 08:25 AM

Wonderful job Richard!

Cheers

Jamie

**Tomo** · 19th October 23, 08:46 AM

Great job - my favourite cantle by far (been outbid on a few of these in the last couple of years) - no idea why this style seams to have fallen out of favour with sporran makers

**RegisJohanns** · 21st October 23, 05:41 AM

Thanks for sharing your project. I am also working on making my own sporrans. I haven’t made any formal yet but am making some daily wear with elk fronts.

These handcrafted ones are so unique and beautiful. The cheap mass reduced ones on eBay and Amazon are so uninteresting me.

Lastly any hints on where I can find cantles and hardware to make my win formal styles?

**OC Richard** · 24th October 23, 03:12 AM

About finding cantles, all three of these were got on Ebay.

Left: cast Nickel Silver with zoomorphic knotwork. It could have been made anytime between, say, 1920 and 1950. This was being sold on Ebay attached to a new horsehair "pipers" sporran. The cantle being cast was probably made in quantity for Pipe Bands but I've never seen another.

Centre: silverplate EW5 cantle, could likewise be from c1930 to 1953.

Right: Sterling Silver cantle marked FN (Frederick Narborough) with the date letter for 1967. It came attached to the original buff leather sporran which was thrashed. I sent the sporran to Margaret Morrison who made that lovely Hunting style body. Later I added the bells.