This arrived about a week and a half ago, been too busy to post a pic, much less shorten the chain to the proper length (I haven't worn it yet), but here it is...a beautiful piece, based on the "Rustic" but with the minor change of a pair of tassels rather than the engraving and rivets on the pouch.
I got the idea from a small day sporran which was loaned to me by my last piping instructor for last year's competition. His was a very simple light brown sporran, the flap closing with a hole in the leather over a small brass knob, two tassels, no beading or engraving. It was old and well-used to the point that the hole in the flap was starting to elongate, and the tassels had drummed marks in to the front of the sporran. I really liked the basic, clean lines of that sporran, so when I saw the "Rustic", I asked about making a couple changes...this:
Became this...on my MacLaren Modern 16x8 from Robert MacDonald:
(Click for a (slightly) larger picture)
The photo is a little washed out (I took the pic with my phone). It's more of a deep reddish brown, than the brown it appears in the photo...the colors in the leather from the Custom Celtic site (the first photo) are more correct. The tie around the tassels is a very dark brown that contrasts well with the lighter brown of the cords and bells, and both are a slightly different color than the weathered reddish brown of the body and flap.
The sides of the pouch are very soft, and there's enough natural volume in the pouch to fit a couple corks, some thread, a couple pieces of music, cell, card carrier, and keys.
The belt is sturdy and supple at the same time, with precise beading and cut. The belt comes around my hips before the chain starts, so rather than mess with poking holes in a perfectly good piece of leather, I'm going to pull a few links from the chain to shorten the belt, and try to find some brass chain while I'm at it.
I'm very, very happy with the work and there will eventually be a belt to match, and I'm thinking a hunting-style sporran with a brass cantle in this particular leather would look awesome as well, when I have the money.
Many thanks to Pat, at Custom Celtic! I can't recommend him enough, plenty of advice along the way, and absolutely beautiful workmanship.
www.customcelticinc.com
-Sean
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