Too plush or not too plush

[Laird_M]

Ok, I'm looking at getting a full dress sporran, but am confused by those shown on websites.
In his e-book, "Kilts & Tartan - Made Easy", Nick Fiddes says that they generally have 'a body dressed in fur (or some other lush material)', and most searches indeed bring back fluffy sporrans.
A few have the same style of cantle but have decorated leather instead of 'plush' bodies.
What are peoples views on non-plush full dress sporrans?

[CMcG]

Personally, I'm not too keen on the "fluffy" dress sporrans... especially the ones in bright colours!


But a nice sleek fur (eg. seal or, post-ban, cow) is OK and probably what Nick Fiddes means by "lush."



A dress hunting sporran (decorated leather with metal cantle) is an acceptable alternative as well.

[Laird_M]

So that's what a dress hunting sporran is!

Had me totally confused!

[artificer]

I don't mind "fluff" as in a fox, angora goat, beaver, badger or other nice fur or hair-







my problem lies with the "fuzzy bunny" sporrans. Rabbit fur just looks cheap to me, and there is too much fluff and not enough body to the hair for my taste.

Seal is gorgeous, but illegal to import into the US at this point, which is a pity.
ith:

[CMcG]

I don't mind "fluff" as in a fox, angora goat, beaver, badger or other nice fur or hair-

...

my problem lies with the "fuzzy bunny" sporrans. Rabbit fur just looks cheap to me, and there is too much fluff and not enough body to the hair for my taste.

Seal is gorgeous, but illegal to import into the US at this point, which is a pity.
ith:

Yes, exactly! Those nicer furs have a sleekness and body to them that rabbit doesn't.

I'd almost put angora goat in a different class though... the length makes it feel more like a horsehair sporran.

[Tobus]

my problem lies with the "fuzzy bunny" sporrans. Rabbit fur just looks cheap to me, and there is too much fluff and not enough body to the hair for my taste.

My opinion on rabbit fur sporrans is that the issue lies not so much with the fur itself, but with the usual construction. The red rabbit fur sporran shown above does look a bit silly to me (aside from the color) because it's too round and has rabbit's foot tassels.

I would think that a natural-colored rabbit fur sporran could look decent if it had leather tassels, a body shape that wasn't so round, and a well-done custom cantle. Possibly even a leather cantle.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

What are peoples views on non-plush full dress sporrans?

Probably the most elegant dress sporran I've ever seen was worn by a gentleman at the Knights of Malta Ball held in the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh about twelve years ago. The bag was a deep, sea green silk velvet, embroidered in gold wire with the owner's crest. The silver gilt cantle was fully engraved in the style of a fine shotgun, and the tassels were gold and silver wire acorns, suspended from braided, black leather thongs. To finish it off, his velvet sporran strap matched the sporran, right down to the acorns!

[JSFMACLJR]

Probably the most elegant dress sporran I've ever seen was worn by a gentleman at the Knights of Malta Ball held in the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh about twelve years ago. The bag was a deep, sea green silk velvet, embroidered in gold wire with the owner's crest. The silver gilt cantle was fully engraved in the style of a fine shotgun, and the tassels were gold and silver wire acorns, suspended from braided, black leather thongs. To finish it off, his velvet sporran strap matched the sporran, right down to the acorns!

Two thumbs up from me! I would love to have a sporran like that.

It also would be right up our friend Jock Scot's alley...remember the thread he started awhile ago about a non-fur dress sporran?

[Laird_M]

That green velvet sporran makes me the same colour with envy!

Glad my dislike of plushies is not unique. Those 'fluffy dice' style sporrans, no matter their colour, just do not appeal!

[Bugbear]

My opinion on rabbit fur sporrans is that the issue lies not so much with the fur itself, but with the usual construction. The red rabbit fur sporran shown above does look a bit silly to me (aside from the color) because it's too round and has rabbit's foot tassels.

I would think that a natural-colored rabbit fur sporran could look decent if it had leather tassels, a body shape that wasn't so round, and a well-done custom cantle. Possibly even a leather cantle.

It's a daywear sporran, but I was wearing a brown, rabid fur sporran with leather sides, binding, and flap in the picture you commented on in the corduroy jacket thread, Tobus. It's just a Stillwater sporran, and has the same basic shape and size as their other daywear sporrans. Guess it has rabit fur tassels on chains, though.

I like the idea of the velvet sporran.