Sporran hangers

[usary]

Who here uses sporran hangers?
Who likes them?
How are yours made?

Brief intro:
I am a recent (~1 year) comer to the klt scene.
I have a Utilikilt and a semi-traditional tartan in poly-viscose fabric.
I am saving my dollars for a nice wool kilt and am trying to direct any spare accessory money in the most effective way.

The standard chain sporran belts look good, but often twist funny when I twist, and they pinch my kilt when I sit sharply. When I walk, they feel like they are attached in a flimsy way.

I recently bought a set of sporran hangers to try.
The ones I got were made of very thick leather, much thicker even than my kilt belt.

They are stiff and they do not bend when I sit.
Instead, they tend to buckle around and the resulting stress causes the main snaps to pop open. Also, the thick straps tend to hang crooked.

In hopes of finding a flexible but simple sporran connector, I plan to go to a local belt-maker and have him/her make me a set of sporran hangers that will be:

1) Made of a soft flexible leather that is only about one third as thick as my current straps.
(Although the thin ones may wear out faster, I would prefer to replace them than to have them last forever, lying unused in the bottom of my drawer).

2) Sewn shut at the leather closure instead of being snapped .
The sewn-style will still be easy to put on by just sliding them onto the belt. When sewn shut though, they will never pop open during use.

For the set I already have, I will sew the leather closures shut by lacing them through holes in the snaps.

Please post any feedback about your experiences using sporran hangers.
Thanks!

[RockyR]

I understand the problem... it doesn't happen TOO often, but it has happened.

I like the idea of having your local belt guy make some for you in a softer leather. One thing I'd suggest... get an extra set made up 'just in case' you lose one or it wears out quick. This way you won't have to wait and you know the leather will be cut from the same hide.

[turpin]

You only mention sporran hangers and chain belts. I'd say the majority of the members here tend to prefer leather sporran belts, about 1/2 to 3/4inch wide, either a continous belt with a single buckle or a two-piece belt with snapt that connect to the D-strap on the sporran. Check out Oconee Leather Works for examples. They also carry hangers.

[Ian.MacAllan]

The hangers you have can be softened significantly by treating them with mink oil and perhaps a bit of pure neatsfoot oil. Use a soft paper towel or saddle soap to remove the excess oil.

Modern tanning tends to fill the pores in the leather so it may take a week or two for the leather to absorb enough mink oil. Be very sparing with the neats foot oil or the leather may become soggy.

.

[Big Mikey]

I regularly use sporran hangers from Oconee Leather. I also have a sporran strap from RKilts that I use for more dressy occasions and chain belts that never get used. Another option of different construction is offered by Stillwater Kilts.

http://stores.channeladvisor.com/Sti...orran%20Hanger

[Nighthawk]

This question comes down to a matter of budget. I have a set of sporran hangers from www.stillwaterkilts.com and I love them. They are two leather loops that attach to the belt with small lengths of chain to attach the sporran to. They work really well and are inexpensive. I believe the leather sporran belt was already, but I will restate it here. They are also great and Stillwater has them as well. I use the hangers for everyday wear, and reserve my belt and chain strap for more formal dressy occasions.

[LewisG]

I use the hanger or sling from Craigie Originals (http://sporrans.com) and am very pleased with it. I have the one made with a short chain.

[Carolina Kiltman]

I have two sporran belts I use. The most frequently used one is a leather strap about 1/2" (13mm) wide. It was a bit stiff, so I liberally coated it with Lexol (R) and that softened it up right a way. The other is made from a pair of dog "choker" chains. These are smooth, welded links and will not catch on the kilt. I use clips to fasten them to the sporran, and a split (key) ring in the back to fasten the two chains together. I cut the chains to the proper length, and since I am the only one wearing them, the non-adjustability is no problem.

On the other hand, I don't have much of a "front", as my waist is still several inches smaller than my hips. I understand that the sporran hangers are better for those gentlemen with "prosperous" builds.

[Moosedog]

For me, sporran hangers are not one size fits all. I have several pairs, including black, brown, and red latigo. I use Chicago screws to hold all together, they allow me to switch things around if need be with no fear of coming unsnapped. I use different types of ends (or dispense with them altogether) to accommodate different sporrans.

Moosedog

[herminator]

They only fit one size, but you can see they are stitched, no snaps!