Question about cantle sporrans: When are they appropriate?

[ShaunMaxwell]

I'm wanting to acquire some type of skunk sporran, but am not sure what would be the most appropriate type, given that I have very few, if any, occasions to really dress up. Probably the fanciest attire I'll ever wear will be a crail jacket, waistcoat and tie.

Given that, what would be the most appropriate type of sporran? I have day sporrans in black and brown leather, and a semi-dress fur front sporran. I was thinking it might be nice to have a skunk fur dress sporran with a pewter cantle, but am not sure I'd ever have an appropriate time to wear it.

I know cantle sporrans, such as hunting sporrans, etc. with brass cantles are appropriate for day wear, but what about a pewter cantled fur sporran? Too dressy for daywear, right?

I'm of the opinion that you can ALWAYS wear a full mask sporran, but my wife is a bit creeped out by them, so that option is off the table.

So let's hear it. What do you think?

SM

[Bugbear]

Somebody had interchangeable cantles a while back.

Just a thought, and I really can't answer the rest of the questions.

[artificer]

You might look into commissioning a Skunk sporran with a leather cantle, perhaps the Ferguson Britt sporran available through the Scottish Tartans Museum.

This would serve the dual purpose of avoiding the full mask, and still being flexible enough for anything but the MOST dressy of occasions.

[JSFMACLJR]

Nothing wrong with a silver/pewter cantled sporran for daywear.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

My day wear sporran is made from deer hide and has a brass cantle. There is no reason why you can't have a metal cantle on a day wear sporran. No reason at all.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

While it's true that there is no reason why you cannot, in theory, wear a metal cantled sporran for day wear, I can see the reason for Shaun's concern. Most readily available skunk fur sporrans with a metal cantle will look something like this one:

In my opinion, a bit much for day wear, though it might look just splendid with a formal doublet.

On the other hand, a similar sporran without the metal bits could be more versatile. Consider this skunk fur Glengyle from the Ferguson Britt line.


Here I am wearing one for a black tie Burns Dinner.


And here is McMurdo wearing the same style sporran in a more casual daywear setting.