Margaret Morrison sporrans

[Troglodyte]

I have one of the old 1950s MoD sporrans with the hinged brass cantles that needs a new bag, and, following up email enquiries to Margaret Morrison in Perth, I took the thing over to see what the options were.

Well, what can I say..?

Sporran heaven is about what it amounts to! Their premises on an out-of-town industrial estate hides a showroom lined floor to ceiling with samples - sporrans, leathers, furs, linings, you name it! What's displayed on their website only hints at the possibilities, and their exhibition pieces belong in a museum. Wonderful stuff..!

After a long discussion about possibilities and options, we settled on a design close to what I had in my mind, and now the deal is going down, so to speak. The finished sporran should be in my hands (and so slung over the kilt) before the end of the month.

I happened to ask about their acquiring Nicoll Bros business a few years ago, and learnt that Margaret Morrison have Nicoll's designs and pattern cutting tools - so that the old designs can still be made, or vintage sporrans repaired with authenticity. Theoretically, they can produce any of the old designs if required, and they seem more than willing to oblige.

Genuinely kind and friendly people, too.

[ShaunMaxwell]

Very interesting!

I recently acquired my first Margaret Morrison sporran and impressed with its quality.

It's good to know that they can do custom work and repairs.

Cheers,

SM

[Paco500]

I can also attest to their helpfulness and willingness to as least discuss custom designs. I say discuss, as that's what I've been doing- I've not yet pulled the trigger. But I've gone pretty out there with my thoughts and design ideas, incorporating unusual material and hardware, and they have not blinked. If I ever go ahead, I'll let you know.

[OC Richard]

I've owned sporrans from the 1930s on, from many of the major makers, and my Margaret Morrison sporran is the highest quality of them all.

The leather is both thicker and more supple than any I've encountered from old or new mainstream fulltime makers.

I had a new bag on my MOD "Culloden" cantle by Artificer, which is of the highest quality, but as I understand he's no longer making sporrans.

The other sporranmaker of comparable quality I know is a professional saddlemaker who occasionally makes a few sporrans as a hobby or side business.

Here are my two Hunting sporrans, the black one by Nicoll Brothers Bankfoot, the brown one by Margaret Morrison.

You can well see the squat round shape typical of Nicoll Brothers sporrans. I believe that cantle was unique to them (it's stamped NICOLL BROS BANKFOOT in tiny letters on the side).