Quality Sporrans for less money

[OC Richard]

I just noticed this one, sorry if it's been posted here already.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/13385761334...ndition=4%7C10

Classic "day" sporran in generally fine condition. No stamp but it looks Scottish-made to my eye.

It has the flap decoration which was popular in the 1930s but seems to have become less so ever since, a strip of leather woven through a row of holes on the sporran's flap. There's probably a name for it.

[OC Richard]

At first glance (due to two tassels) I thought "youth sporran".

But no, it's a fullsize adult sporran that's missing the middle tassel.

Helpfully the seller has posted a photo of the inside where you can see three normally-placed grommets for the tassels, the middle one empty.

It's stamped MADE IN SCOTLAND.

The price is super low. I do wonder about the fur. Is is musksquash? Or is it artificial?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/17491918336...ndition=4%7C10

[OC Richard]

White rabbit Evening sporran in super condition said to have been purchased for around $300 from Burnetts & Struth (Canada).

They don't have a photo of the back so we can't see a maker's stamp. I just checked a couple of Burnetts & Struth's current offerings and they're made by Margaret Morrison (Scotland) but this sporran looks more like L&M or WE Scott.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dress-Rabbi...p2056016.l4276

[Recon1342]

@OC Richard-

Found this one, courtesy of our very own Father Bill, from JJ’s estate. Black leather, made in Scotland stamp. The part that originally piqued my interest are the three feathers on the flap (bone, or imitation, maybe?). I thought I’d see if anybody could narrow down a maker, just cause I’m a curious lad.
(I have already discussed purchase arrangements with Father Bill, and this is his photograph.)

7B0F3999-51CE-4EB1-881F-B6BB6101E676.jpeg

[OC Richard]

Looks to me like a standard sporran with aftermarket additions.

Since that was a standard pattern made by several makers it would be difficult to pin the exact maker down. W E Scott & Sons Edinburgh is never a bad guess because they made a large number of sporrans which were sold through many retailers.

About when it was made, if the sporran is black then it narrows down to post-1960s.

I'm assuming the feathers are aftermarket because none of the catalogues I've seen offer anything like that.

There are always, on Ebay, standard sporrans which have been modified in various ways, usually by the addition of a civilian clan badge or military badge. Less often one sees aftermarket fur glued to the front of a plain leather sporran, or tassels missing or switched out for other things, or the cantle missing or switched out for a different cantle.

In any case here's a sporran said to be from Scotch House London of fake fur.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/30415552042...ndition=4%7C10

The leading Scottish sporranmakers began producing sporrans with fake fur in 1972 for the US market due to our ban on sealskin importation which took effect that year.

In any case this sporran looks to be from one of the leading Scottish makers with one of the standard patterns of Evening Dress cantles. These came chrome plated and silver plated, this one might be silverplated.

BTW there was also a Scotch House in San Francisco.

[OC Richard]

For under $40 including shipping ***** sporran already within US borders

https://www.ebay.com/itm/39359613632...8AAOSwr~NhT7KZ

[12stones]

For under $40 including shipping ***** sporran already within US borders

https://www.ebay.com/itm/39359613632...8AAOSwr~NhT7KZ

Any idea of what the cantle is? White metal most likely?

[OC Richard]

Any idea of what the cantle is? White metal most likely?

It's most probably silver plated.

That cantle was one of a group which where offered in nickel plate and silver plate.

They were high quality, with the bosses separate screwed-on pieces, and excellent definition of detail.

The silver plated versions usually had Made in Scotland in tiny letters stamped on one side.

Here's the stamp on a different, though similar, cantle



BTW that cantle, with the large central boss, was called "G" in the old catalogues. I have no idea what "G" stood for.

[KiltedNYC]

OC Richard,

Thank you for sharing. I actually purchased the rabbit fur sporran you shared from eBay on September 21.
It came in just yesterday. Great condition. No makers mark on the back however the construction is top notch and there is the aforementioned “Made in Scotland” stamp on the cantle.

All in all a great find, and now my new forma sporran.

Thank you again for sharing!!

[OC Richard]

Thanks!!

I just picked up this one for around $30.

No stamp visible in the auction photos but the sporran has every appearance of high-quality UK or NA make.

You wouldn't get that level of definition in the cantle with a Pakistani re-cast.