Let’s talk Sporran Tassels.

**KennethSime** · 1st January 22, 09:14 PM

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When it comes to day sporrans, I prefer no tassels, as I don’t enjoy the drumming sound when walking. I removed the metal chain tassels from my black day sporran, but have opted to leave the leather braid tassels on my Khaki Pigskin Sporran.

When it comes to dress sporrans, I’ll admit I’ve still not had occasion to wear one (what with COVID and all). However, I think I feel the same way as I do with day sporrans. My brown dress sporran came with them uninstalled, but I don’t think I will install them. My black dress sporran and horse hair piper’s sporran came with tassels, but I’m thinking of removing them from both.

Clearly, I need to get myself a hunting sporran so as to have the best of both worlds.

How do you feel about tassels? Does that feeling change for day vs. dress sporrans?

**Jock Scot** · 2nd January 22, 06:56 AM

I like the tassels on my only sporran, although they do drum a bit on occasion. I have solved the problem temporarily with a wee tad of Blue Tac and have considered a wee drop of Super Glue but have not tried it. The problem solved itself in the end, as old age and too many things that go bang over a fairly long life have cured all sorts of irritating noise problems!.

**McMurdo** · 2nd January 22, 07:41 AM

I enjoy the sound of tassels on my sporran. When I first started Scottish Country Dancing I purchased a sporran from L&M without tassels, it was then that I discovered that I missed them. As for evening sporrans I've never really noticed the sound from my sealskin sporran or the horsehair.

**gsmacleod** · 2nd January 22, 08:00 AM

I have a few day sporrans; most without tassels but my favourite is a vintage one with tassels. Occasionally I find the drumming annoying but not enough that I've considered doing anything about it.

I have two formal sporrans, both with tassels and I've never noticed any drumming with either. I assume because on the fur sporran, the tassels hit the fur and don't make much noise and on my horsehair sporran, the tassels really don't move much at all.

Shane

**Recon1342** · 2nd January 22, 04:38 PM

My day sporran drums quite regularly. It doesn’t really bother me, although I do want a hunting sporran from Margaret Morrison- because they look quite nice.

**KennethSime** · 2nd January 22, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by Recon1342

My day sporran drums quite regularly. It doesn’t really bother me, although I do want a hunting sporran from Margaret Morrison- because they look quite nice.

You and me both, pal!

**imrichmond** · 3rd January 22, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by gsmacleod

I have two formal sporrans, both with tassels and I've never noticed any drumming with either. I assume because on the fur sporran, the tassels hit the fur and don't make much noise and on my horsehair sporran, the tassels really don't move much at all.

Shane

This has certainly been my experience also. I have three sealskin dress sporrans with tassels (including a prince charles style with no fewer than 6 tassels) and have never noticed that the tassels make any particular noise when hitting the soft fur. In fact, with a sealskin front and sealskin tassels, you have soft fur hitting soft fur. How noisy can that be? I no longer have occasion to wear a horsehair sporran, but back in the days when I played in pipe bands that did wear them (at least four different bands from the late 1950s to the mid-1980s), there was certainly no drumming sound from the tassels even when the whole band was marching. On a horsehair sporran, there is simply nothing solid for the tassels--or, more accurately, the metal cones--to hit!

**Crazy Dave** · 4th January 22, 06:26 AM

I have a made in Scotland, piper's sporran that I bought in an online auction. No brand but it has the stamp. I would call it formal, because it has a cantle. It is basically a hunting sporran with a cantle. Of course it has no tassels. The workmanship is very high quality. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I would think it would be appropriate for formal dress. Maybe skirting the line? I don't know. I'm not an expert in these things. I just thought I'd put it out there for the rabble to decide!

Dave

**Jock Scot** · 4th January 22, 06:32 AM

Originally Posted by Crazy Dave

I have a made in Scotland, piper's sporran that I bought in an online auction. No brand but it has the stamp. I would call it formal, because it has a cantle. It is basically a hunting sporran with a cantle. Of course it has no tassels. The workmanship is very high quality. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I would think it would be appropriate for formal dress. Maybe skirting the line? I don't know. I'm not an expert in these things. I just thought I'd put it out there for the rabble to decide!

Dave

With the greatest respect, I think you and others here on this website worry too much about civilian sporran formalities. Yes there are extremes that are entirely appropriate on occasion but on the whole wear whatever sporran that you happen to like and get on with life.

**Crazy Dave** · 4th January 22, 06:54 AM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

With the greatest respect, I think you and others here on this website worry too much about civilian sporran formalities. Yes there are extremes that are entirely appropriate on occasion but on the whole wear whatever sporran that you happen to like and get on with life.

I suspect you are right and I also expect I picked it up here! That would make a piper's sporran a good solution. I love mine and wear it often when I wear a kilt. Here is a picture. Apologies for it being sideways, but I can't figure out how to fix it.