Sporran hangers or Sporran Belts

**ABG0819** · 25th February 10, 06:45 AM

I was just wondering what the rabble had to say concerning sporran hangers or belts in regards to comfort, style, and "correctness". I have a pair of hangers that I really like, just wondering what others opinions were.

Graham

**Jack Daw** · 25th February 10, 06:57 AM

I have and appreciate both. I have only one hanger, for a casual leather day sporran. I prefer a full leather sporran belt versus one with chains, which I wear with black-tie events only.

**Tobus** · 25th February 10, 07:20 AM

I've never used sporran hangers because it just seems to me that if you carry any weight in your sporran it would be pulling down on the front of the belt. I feel like I'd be constantly having to pull the front of my belt back up. Plus, the sporran seems like it would want to "swing" a lot when you walk, being suspended from the hangers like that. Which seems like it would be uncomfortable on the... uhhh... anatomical parts behind it. Do those of you who use sporran hangers find this to be the case?

A sporran belt, on the other hand, seems like it distributes the weight more evenly around the hips and minimizes the swinging action. I like a 3/4" wide sporran belt or strap (leather) for comfort. Chains look nice, but they're not terribly functional for carrying anything. Not only will it create more of a pressure line around your hips, but it can wear your kilt pretty badly.

Just my non-expert opinion.

**davidlpope** · 25th February 10, 07:27 AM

I think it is safe to say that sporran straps are traditional, sporran hangers are not. To some that means a great deal, to others not much.

I don't always wear a kilt belt, so hangers don't make much sense to me.

For whatever reason, I tend to see sporran hangers worn by more "ample" kiltwearers. Perhaps different waist to hips ratios make one approach better than the other?

Cordially,

David

**ForresterModern** · 25th February 10, 07:54 AM

Traditional or no, for us Men of Substance who carry moderate to considerable guts/pottbellies around the use of sporran hangers is more of a necessity than a variance from tradition. If you have any size gut hanging below the typically high position of a kilt belt, your sporran on a standard sporran strap or chain will tend to wander south below the gut and bunch up and wrinkle your apron big time between your sporran and your belt---the bigger the gut, the more this happens. I agree that sporran hangers do tend to pull down on your belt, requiring you to occasionally readjust, but not nearly so frequently as with a sporran chain or strap.

I envy those of you who can wear a standard chain or strap because of this, and I actually try to reduce the weight of my sporran by adding a sidecar---a small belt pouch-- to the side of my belt to carry some of the more frequently used and often heavier items like keys, change, cash, credit card. Others have used devices on the underside of the belt to keep it from slipping down as easily---no-slip belts and grippy rubber dots and such.

One other problem of sporran hangers is when one dons a dress coatee and waistcoat and should not be wearing a belt buckle with the waistcoat becasue of the disarray it causes when the two meet and bulges and ruffles occur at one's midriff---how is one to hang sporran hangers off a belt when one cannot wear a belt? I am working on a novel solution to that problem using sporran hangers made of money clips attached to short chains and sporran clips, such that the money clips attach to the top of your kilt apron directly and the sporran hangs from them----this still has the side effect of pulling down on the front apron of one's kilt disproportionately, unfortunately, but at least allows you to get away with not wearing a belt. An alternative I have used on occasions like this was to actually wear a belt with a low profile buckle, attach the sporran hangers to one side of the belt, the turn the belt 90 degrees around my body so only the flat part of the belt is in front with the sporran hangers dropping from it, the buckle off to one side below my armpit and hidden by the coat, and much less interference between the flat belt and the overlying waistcoat.

Being large in the kilted world has its own set of issues to deal with, sporran hangers only being one.

jeff

**Chas** · 25th February 10, 09:43 AM

I use a sporran strap because I tend to move my sporran about a bit - when driving, dancing close, sitting down for a meal, standing up at a urinal.

The strap buckle is down low, close to the sporran on the right side. I slide the sporran along the strap on to my left hip, out of the way. The buckle doesn't catch on the kilt and there is no abrasion of the fabric.

I don't know how I would be able to do that if I was using sporran hangers.

Regards

Chas