Christmas In July

**thescot** · 15th July 13, 01:43 PM

It was another partly cloudy day that threatened rain--the kind of day we've grown used to this summer with all the rain we've had.

I was not really expecting anything special until The Package arrived. I was engaged in a telephone conversation, so my work associate placed the box prominently on the floor next to the door to my office. I had begun to have inklings of coming joy and even anxiety at what it might contain.

So, I ended the phone conversation as quickly as I curteously could, and moved around my desk to retrieve the box. The return address bore the name of Articifer Custom Sporrans with an address in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. It was my new sporran. At last. After these many months of back-and-forth, of testing and discussing and planning, it was here. I resisted the temptation to whoop and holler as I quietly and even sedately walked back behind my desk.

I gently and gingerly opened the box, making certain that my knife touched nothing of value, and, as I pulled back the flaps, there was a letter-sized, printed paper which thanked me for choosing Articifer for a commissioned sporran and addressed various issues of the care and feeding of the contents of the box. I read it slowing and carefully before I peered underneath to see the sporran itself. I wanted to prolong the moment when I would at last behold the item itself; it was almost a self-flagellating exercise that produced an near painful ecstacy. I didn't really want it all to end.

Two things I learned from my reading:
1. Lexol (which I own) and Zymol (which I've never heard of) are both excellent conditioners for the leather.
2. Buffing the strap with a hair dryer on medium heat will restore the luster to the strap itself.

Who knew?

Then, after exhausting the process and building the anticipation to a fever pitch, I removed the brown paper and bubble wrap to reveal what is arguable the most beautiful sporran I've ever seen. I had asked for a hunting style akin to the one you often see HRH the Duke of Rothesay wear, the one without the brass cantle. But I wanted tassels on mine instead of those little sewn-down flap things. I've always liked the tassels best (which he does have on his brass-cantled sporran).

Well, enough of that. I shall now show you the beauty that I have only just received. These are photos I took here at work, so I don't have one of the sporran on me yet. It's similar to the photo on Scott's site, but I wanted a darker brown and that is exactly what I got. The picutres won't do it justice, but hopefully you can see the excellent workmanship of the piece, the supple nature of the fine leather, and the suede lining.

This is the best representation of the true color of all the photos. You can see how supple the leather is; it just feels good to the touch.

For some reason, the lighting didn't work out on this shot, but it does show the fine workmanship which we have come to expect from Artificer.

Note the nice lining of the sporran. Another little "extra" that you only see in better sporrans.

Overall, you can likely tell that I am quite happy with my new sporran which, I suspect, my children and grandchildren will enjoy wearing many years after I am gone.