The Woollen Mill 179 High Street

[OC Richard]

I recently picked up this lot of sporrans on Ebay.

What's intriguing is that they're all new, and all had cord looped through the D-rings on the back. They appear to have been part of a wall display or something.

Except for the black fur one (Pakistani) and the "semi-dress" one they all have identical backs and are obviously by the same maker. Three have Made In Scotland stamped on the sides of the metal cantles. None are stamped on the back of the leather, but two have Made In Scotland stickers on the back.

Most curious is that one has a sticker on the back stating:

The Woollen Mill
EW3/K Grey
ILLUSTRATION 4
(pound sign) 129

There are many "woollen mills" in Scotland but the only one I see that's called simply The Woollen Mill is located at 179 High Street Edinburgh.

Are you familiar with this shop? I can't find any photos online showing a Highland Dress display, but I did see a Yelp review in which someone says they bought a kilt there.

Why would six of their ex-display sporrans end up in the hands of somebody in Texas? Why would the hanging cords never be removed, the sporrans never be worn?

(Top centre and right, and bottom right, have cantles stamped Made In Scotland. Top left is unmarked but obviously by the same maker.)

[Miller6582]

It was part of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill group. That particular shop shut down a year or two back but they hadn't had any highland wear in there for years, that was all done on the second floor of Romanes and Patterson further down the Royal Mile (Near to the Scott Monument). Edinburgh Woollen Mill also own the Hector Russell brand (they have a shop on the Royal Mile where it meets with North Bridge. I used to have to tie all those small string loops on the back of the sporrans for the wall displays. Sporrans and chains were sold separately, we never took the time to cut the string loops off when selling them. The vast majority of sporrans came from WE Scott, a few of the clan badge design from clanart (these were mostly ordered in for a customer based on what clan badge they wanted on the cantle) and some from Glen Esk (I don't recall ever seeing any of Margaret Morrison). It's possible that the person had purchased them whilst on vacation in Edinburgh (they may have been at a clearance price and too good to pass up).

[OC Richard]

Thanks so much!

I'm used to seeing W E Scott sporrans stamped on the back with that gold oval Made In Scotland Real Leather stamp.

Did W E Scott stop stamping theirs?

Yes that makes sense that if the sporrans were on clearance somebody could have bought several and never wore them. Strange, though.

At first I thought they had been the stock of a US shop, but The Woolen Mill sticker with the price in pounds suggested that they had been displayed in a UK shop. Or it's possible they could have been both, purchased in Scotland and continued being displayed in a US shop.

In any case it proved a very inexpensive way to pick up five Scottish-made sporrans (and the one Pakistani one, the all-black one).

[Miller6582]

Yes, I've only seen the oval gold stamps on sporrans from the 80/90's or older. The first WE Scott made sporran I bought was early 2000's and it just had a small square made in Scotland sticker on it. It's a shame they don't do it anymore would certainly make it easier to spot genuine Scottish made sporrans form the cheap imports. I am most jealous of the brass cantled one, such a lovely patina.

[OC Richard]

I've only seen the oval gold stamps on sporrans from the 80/90's or older. The first WE Scott made sporran I bought was early 2000's and it just had a small square made in Scotland sticker on it. It's a shame they don't do it anymore would certainly make it easier to spot genuine Scottish made sporrans form the cheap imports.

Hear, hear! I've made my opinions known already, that the UK should restrict/prohibit imports of specified "cultural products".

At the very least UK makers ought to be proactive and stamp their things. So many UK-made kilts, jackets, sporrans, etc have no markings stating such.

In the USA it's different: complex laws state that all clothing bear a label stating both the fibre content and the country of origin. All leather items must bear a label stating the sort of leather and country of origin.

In any case I worked fulltime in a Highland Outfitter here in the USA through the 1980s. We carried W E Scott sporrans and as I recall they had the gold oval Made In Scotland Real Leather stamp.

I am most jealous of the brass-cantled one, such a lovely patina.

Thanks! The urge is strong to polish it. But yes it looks great as is.

In my years of receiving hundreds of W E Scott sporrans and putting them up for display and selling them I can't recall seeing an Evening sporran with brass cantle. Did you have any pass through your shop?

[Jock Scot]

Hear, hear! I've made my opinions known already, that the UK should restrict/prohibit imports of specified "cultural products".

At the very least UK makers ought to be proactive and stamp their things. So many UK-made kilts, jackets, sporrans, etc have no markings stating such.

In the USA it's different: complex laws state that all clothing bear a label stating both the fibre content and the country of origin. All leather items must bear a label stating the sort of leather and country of origin.

In any case I worked fulltime in a Highland Outfitter here in the USA through the 1980s. We carried W E Scott sporrans and as I recall they had the gold oval Made In Scotland Real Leather stamp.



Thanks! The urge is strong to polish it. But yes it looks great as is.

In my years of receiving hundreds of W E Scott sporrans and putting them up for display and selling them I can't recall seeing an Evening sporran with brass cantle. Did you have any pass through your shop?

Steady on OCR! With the greatest of respect, what the UK does or, does not do, with its trade stamps is our affair and not yours OCR, or America’s. America has good ideas for sure , but please leave the UK to run their own affaires.

Suggestions are very welcome, but words like "ought" and "should" in the context that you have used them in your post above are a tad near the mark.

[OC Richard]

Steady on OCR! With the greatest of respect, what the UK does or, does not do, with its trade stamps is our affair and not yours.

Right enough, it's not for outsiders to judge such things.

But were you to walk down Edinburgh's High Street and see the rows of Pakistani tat shops and know how the Scottish sporran makers, kilt makers, and jacket makers are struggling to make ends meet wouldn't you think that something ought to be done?

At least couldn't the Scottish makers stamp their products Made In Scotland? Is that too radical, too modern, a thing to ask? The consumer doesn't know where unmarked things are made. There are many who, given an informed decision, would choose a Made In Scotland item over a Made In Pakistan item.

The USA is not alone in wanting consumers to be informed or in wanting to protect local craftspeople from foreign fakes, be it with labelling laws, stiff tariffs, or outright bans.

[Jock Scot]

Right enough, it's not for outsiders to judge such things.

But were you to walk down Edinburgh's High Street and see the rows of Pakistani tat shops and know how the Scottish sporran makers, kilt makers, and jacket makers are struggling to make ends meet wouldn't you think that something ought to be done?

At least couldn't the Scottish makers stamp their products Made In Scotland? Is that too radical, too modern, a thing to ask? The consumer doesn't know where unmarked things are made.

--------------------

Many of us do exactly that. We go to shops with a "name" that we know and trust. Any other shop just will not do. What happens elsewhere outside those particular named shops in the UK, then the phrase "caveat emptor"(buyer beware) applies. That same phrase "caveat emptor" then applies to those buying on the second hand market throughout the world. Of course garments and goods do turn up with a "name of repute" outside the UK, but again care must be taken as "all that glistens is not gold". However, as you well know it is possible to strike "gold" on rare occasion even in an overloaded second hand market.

[Miller6582]

Hear, hear! I've made my opinions known already, that the UK should restrict/prohibit imports of specified "cultural products".

At the very least UK makers ought to be proactive and stamp their things. So many UK-made kilts, jackets, sporrans, etc have no markings stating such.

In the USA it's different: complex laws state that all clothing bear a label stating both the fibre content and the country of origin. All leather items must bear a label stating the sort of leather and country of origin.

In any case I worked fulltime in a Highland Outfitter here in the USA through the 1980s. We carried W E Scott sporrans and as I recall they had the gold oval Made In Scotland Real Leather stamp.



Thanks! The urge is strong to polish it. But yes it looks great as is.

In my years of receiving hundreds of W E Scott sporrans and putting them up for display and selling them I can't recall seeing an Evening sporran with brass cantle. Did you have any pass through your shop?

None in the shop but I have seen a few in other shops fairly recently. One in the 8 yard shop by Haymarket station (Fox Fur) and one version online from Artisans of Scotland (White Mink) who have a 'design your own' where you select all the parts for your own sporran which includes a brass cantle option. The W.E Scott trade website (Grey Bovine) also shows a version of their brass cantle.