Sporrans and 'real' sporrans.

[Micric]

Another Q, if I may;

In other posts, we sometimes see comments re. sporrans that go something like this;
...".....not those awful semi-dress sporrans we see too often these days.."..

Can I ask the traditionalists what their criteria is for choosing a sporran?....as some of us may be in the dark when it comes down to details.

Thank you in advance!

Richard.

[OC Richard]

In my case, I don't know if I'm a "traditionalist" for the sake of tradition itself, or if it's just that my "eye" is a product of what was commonly worn back when I started wearing kilts in the mid 1970s, and all the vintage photos I've seen, and all the vintage sporrans I've owned and worn.

"Traditional" sporrans as they've come down to us might be summed up by taking a look at a couple Highland Dress catalogues from the 1930s through 1950s













When you've worn sporrans like that for many years and seen hundreds of photos of people wearing them and seen hundreds of other people wearing them in person, your "eye" gets used to them, and things that are different stand out as being odd. Not wrong, just different.

[Dale Seago]

I think that last photo best sums up "the convention" where sporrans are concerned:

Day/casual wear -- brown/brass

Evening wear -- fur/silver

Not that I've ever been much for following convention. . .

[MacBean]

I think that last photo best sums up "the convention" where sporrans are concerned:

Day/casual wear -- brown/brass
Evening wear -- fur/silver

Not that I've ever been much for following convention. . .

Brown/brass is virtually unobtainable, making it especially attractive! :-)

[Cygnus]

The convention that I follow is that leather in brown or black, with or without a brass or silver cantle, is appropriate for daywear and that fur or hair with a metal cantle is appropriate for eveningwear (full-mask sporrans being the exception as they're fine for both day- and eveningwear).

These "Semi-dress" sporrans, in my opinion, come out looking like cheap attempts to make a fur sporran and I wouldn't wear one.

If you want a fancier sporran for day wear, a black or brown leather "hunting" sporran with a metal cantle looks quite nice.

[azwildcat96]

I only own one sporran. It is black leather with off-white bovine fur, black leather tassels, and a black leather belt/pewter chain and matching hardware. It is made in Scotland!

I don't consider it a dress sporran, and I do not use it as such. I have no need for a formal dress sporran (at least right now I don't).

I do wear this sporran for casual events with kilt, T-shirt, boots and scrunched-down hose, and it looks fine (not out of place).

I also wear it for semi dress events, with a button-down or polo style shirt, black cap-toe shoes, hose and flashes. For this style dress, the lack of a formal dress sporran works too.

It is not something that I would wear with a prince charlie outfit. It is certainly not something that I want a pint spilled on at the local pub. But then again, neither is my kilt.

I guess what I'm saying is that there is certainly a place for the semi-dress sporrans in todays kilt attire.

[Tobus]

(full-mask sporrans being the exception as they're fine for both day- and eveningwear).

On the same subject, does anyone think horse hair sporrans might fall under this category as well?

[Gryphon noir]

It's important to recognize that living cultures do not stay static. Culture tends to change in response to current sensibilities. The question has been asked many times on this forum and others: "What exactly is traditional?"
--and of course the answer is as varied as those who respond.

For instance, I don't feel comfortable with the idea of fur sporrans or animal masks as both tend to create a demand for the exotic. If it's a matter of putting roadkill to good use, I'm with you on that--you would have a unique and useful item that has a story.

Leather is easier to justify in that it is most often a biproduct of the food industry: I don't eat the stuff, but plenty of people do, and given that there isn't a viable alternative to leather [or at least not one that doesn't involve an enormous environmental footprint], it seems to me to be the obvious choice.

We have seen the emergence of different styles and materials being used in kilts, and as a result kilting subcultures where ankle socks or sandals are accepted [in many cases a matter of climate], and these are all part of dynamic culture that has its reference points in whatever we view as "traditional."

It's good that there are those amongst us who actively try to maintain tradition, and those who try to research the historical, but ultimately there are no regulations, only conventions.

Who knows? Maybe some one will start making embroidered canvas sporrans. Not wrong, just different.

Ironically, most people I have contact with tend to see me as a traditionalist: though all of my kilts look traditional, only two are 8 yd. knife-pleated.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Another Q, if I may;

Can I ask the traditionalists what their criteria is for choosing a sporran?....as some of us may be in the dark when it comes down to details.

Thank you in advance!

Richard.

First and foremost I suppose the sporran has to be big enough to carry all of the stuff one normally lugs around! At last weekend's Virginia Scottish Games my sporran contained the following:

1. One key (to my car);
2. A card case (holding two credit cards and my calling cards);
3. A thin money clip with $50 in bills;
4. Cell phone (not carried if attending a social function);
5. Loose change.

(I fail to see the need to carry any more, and think it shows a degree of insecurity to lug around tons of stuff that really is surplus to requirement.)

The next thing to consider is the "open-close" bit. Is it easy to open, and will it stay closed? My day wear sporran has a brass cantle and a proper catch, so "open/closed" is never an issue, unlike those sporrans fitted with snaps. I also have a full mask muskrat sporran, and the weight of the mask keeps it conveniently closed-- no snap or latch. My seal skin sporran has a slotted tab that presses over a stud on the back of the sporran-- easy to use and totally secure.

Finally, I guess, aesthetics come into play-- is it pleasing? Something too large, or too extreme (a bear's head, for example) is probably best avoided, as is any thing synthetic as it will possibly build up a static charge and look "shocking" with all of it's plastic hair standing out like some sort of deranged broom looking for a dust pan.

So much for "what to look for when buying a sporran".

When do I wear 'em? Easy. The brass cantle sporran gets worn to just about everything that doesn't require formal attire (including dinner with the Lord Lyon tomorrow evening). The seal skin is worn with black tie. So what about the muskrat? If I had it (I left it at Romilly Squire's home in Scotland when I moved to the USA) then that would be my "go to" sporran for dressy evenings out (tweed jacket & tie), or formal day time events (black Argyll jacket with waistcoat, white shirt, and tie). But since I don't have it to hand, if I have to do something "formal" during the day, I wear the brass cantle sporran and don't worry about it.

Hope that answers your question!

[JamesSwagger]

The idea of traditional is an illusion. If you look at the history of the kilt all these things labeled "traditional" are actually modern. Wear what is practical and that will be true traditional Scotland garb. The "traditional" kilt is a great example of this. Many consider the "8" yard knife pleated kilt to be traditional, when in fact that came about in the past 100 to 150 years. The kilt was outlawed and was only made popular again by the upper class of Scottish Lords. It became a ceremonial clothing and therefore was grande and elaborate.

Eight yards of material is not practical for hunting, farming or any other highland activity. Light and functional.

In short the "traditional" kilt is in fact modern and what is referred to as the modern "casual" kilt may in actuality be traditional. Be practical and comfortable, then you will be in the same spirit of the original kilt wearers.