Let's play Guess-the-Maker...

[Troglodyte]

Now here's something for all you sporran aficianados...



Nice ain't it..?

But here's the thing - the maker failed to leave his mark, and now I'm left to guess at who it might be.

The style, construction, materials, etc, all suggest the latter part of the inter-war years, and the chain-strap tab at the rear very closely resembles those used by W. E. Scott.

Now, our man Wullie Scott set himself up in business in 1937, at a time when there were several other sporran-makers already answering a ready market need, and each with their trademark tab-style.

Could it be that this is one of Scott's early products..?

You'll see the embossing pattern that features on sporrans from the 1920s onwards in one form or another - often trimmed with small studs - but the inverted pine-cone style of tassel is not so common, and usually only seen on early vintage sporrans, and the tassel-cone is a wrap-around leather plait.

So what's your take..? A Scott possibility..?

Or do you have a better idea..?

[OC Richard]

I have this photo which I've labelled "Rowans stamped"



and beside it this photo I've labelled "Rowans stamp" so I think these two photos are the same sporran.

Sadly I don't have a photo showing the entire back.

[Troglodyte]

I have this photo which I've labelled "Rowans stamped"



and beside it this photo I've labelled "Rowans stamp" so I think these two photos are the same sporran.

Sadly I don't have a photo showing the entire back.

There is a Rowan's catalogue for sale on Abe Books at the moment - the seller is just down the road from you...

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Boo...bi=16239552045

The two sporrans are clearly made using the same cutting templates, or patterns, and the overall appearance is very similar, even if mine has the additional 'broguing' panel on the front and a variation of the tassel style.

So could it be that they were from the same maker, I wonder.

Rowan's were a well-respected department store, and much-lamented when they closed in 1971, but I have been unable to ascertain if they made any Highland accessory items (ie sporrans) in-house or bought them in as 'white label' with their name put on by the maker.

Many of the old Highland dress outfitters seem to have dome this - Romanes and Patterson, Scotch House, Scott Adie, etc - and I suspect that the larger stores' buying power enabled them to commission products unique to them, or in a version not available to others.

All I know of this sporran of mine is that it is 'quite old' according to the person I bought it from, who said it belonged to his father who had connections with the Black Watch. It appears to have had very little wear in its 70+ years.

Scotts seem to have been the maker using this style of chain-strap panel, and has long been a kind of trademark on their sporrans. Pictures are going to them in Edinburgh, in the hope that they can confirm or deny my theory. I know they made sporrans for independant retailers, with the seller's impressed stamp alongside their own distinctive gold oval, but they seem to have never put their own name on their sporrans.

[OC Richard]

Right, it's often the question with old sporrans.

I've been amassing a large collection of photos of sporran backs and these can be grouped according to three things

-strap tab shape
-overall body shape
-fastener tab shape

which three usually go hand-in-glove.

Unfortunately up until a few years ago I was just collecting photos of the stamps themselves, which as we know likely as not will show the name of the retailer, not the maker.

I have quite a few photos of sporran-backs obviously by WE Scott stamped with various retailers' names, and it's quite possible that Rowans was one of these retailers.

Certainly that strap-tab is bang-on WE Scott style.

For example, here's the Rowans 1938 catalogue showing, at bottom left #55, a style WE Scott makes to the present day.

If WE Scott was indeed founded in 1937 then this could be a snapshot of their earliest work.



And here are a couple Evening cantles which WE Scott still uses, #41, 44, and 46, though the latter two have only had one knob since the 1950s if not earlier.

They used the sun-circle cantle #43 for many years, but this cantle lost its zigzag outer border long ago.

I actually picked up a 1950s example of #46 for around $30 recently, silverplate, with a white fur body, with the cantle having only one knob. It came missing two of the three tassels, which were the ordinary ball & chain style. I'm going to try to replicate those seal tassels suspended by seal straps.

[Troglodyte]

Right, it's often the question with old sporrans.

I've been amassing a large collection of photos of sporran backs and these can be grouped according to three things

-strap tab shape
-overall body shape
-fastener tab shape

which three usually go hand-in-glove.

Unfortunately up until a few years ago I was just collecting photos of the stamps themselves, which as we know likely as not will show the name of the retailer, not the maker.

I have quite a few photos of sporran-backs obviously by WE Scott stamped with various retailers' names, and it's quite possible that Rowans was one of these retailers.

Certainly that strap-tab is bang-on WE Scott style.

For example, here's the Rowans 1938 catalogue showing, at bottom left #55, a style WE Scott makes to the present day.

If WE Scott was indeed founded in 1937 then this could be a snapshot of their earliest work.



And here are a couple Evening cantles which WE Scott still uses, #41, 44, and 46, though the latter two have only had one knob since the 1950s if not earlier.

They used the sun-circle cantle #43 for many years, but this cantle lost its zigzag outer border long ago.

I actually picked up a 1950s example of #46 for around $30 recently, silverplate, with a white fur body, with the cantle having only one knob. It came missing two of the three tassels, which were the ordinary ball & chain style. I'm going to try to replicate those seal tassels suspended by seal straps.

I agree with you.

It is interesting how the some designs have endured, but have gone through a simplification - the old originals have a huge appeal.

The cantle maker seems to have been Dalman & Narborough, who are still producing under the Glen Esk brand. The business is now under new ownership (the result of a management buy-out by a long-serving employee) and their current catalogue has many of the old favourites.

I was recently chatting on the 'phone to the new owner, who seems perfectly willing to take on commission work, and with the potential of reviving old models. But the catch is a minimum order - he mentioned at least 250 - but regular production run now has the choice of a bronze finish, which is a specially-treated brass.

Raw brass finish is possible, but, despite a certain appeal, there is virtually no commercial demand for it.

Scotts are still in operation in Edinburgh, and are a retailer supply business rather than a retail outlet - but they are happy to supply elements on request - they have sent me individual cantles along with an invoice - so perhaps they will have the cones you need.