Full badger sporran

[Mark E.]

Hello all...After spending a good bit of time in the living history community, both American and Scots, as well as modern events, I decided to re-evaluate what the original function of a sporran was. This is the conclusion I came upon-it was meant to hold STUFF. Now, granted, folk likely had less stuff back then, or different stuff, but without the luxury of autos, and five or more pocket cargo britches, or a wife with a purse like we do, they adapted both ways, by making stuff carriers to carry whatever stuff they had.

So I did the same-and below is the result. It's a winter badger, skinned cased and well tanned, not from the native land, granted, but does the job well.



Photo 1 is of it on my belt, in situ with dirk and pistols (real ones, and fine shooters-not for modern events though!). I have a pair of snaphaunce 1612 pistols on my drawing board, and barrels being made…another project. You can never have too many pistols-fighting with a sword or pitchfork is tiring stuff…



The second is with my junk-left is the period stuff, right is modern.




The third is the method of how it the “straps” attach to the sporran-brass buckles and slip thrus so the extra strap length isn’t poking me, or looking goofy sticking out. The fourth one is of the straps separate-these allow me to remove the sporran without removing my great kilt.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/m...-sporran-4.jpg

The fourth is of the straps laid out, in case someone gets adventurous and tries the method.





The fifth is with the flap open. It’s here that I haven’t finished…While making reinforcing at the mouth out of elk skin (similar to stag-which would have been authentic, but getting a full hide out of the native country is a pain... heavier than roe deer), I decided to sew a pair of small finger pockets immediately out front, for pistol balls and wadding. This way I can at least get one reload into my pistols, instead of firing and tossing in the reputed traditional way. The button strap is light weight book leather-I was forced to sew a piece to the back where the button hole is for a couple of reasons-One, the leather was too thin-if a sword swipe caught it, it was done for, and I would have to replace the whole piece. The second reason was that the loop post on the back of the brass button I used was long, and the leather slid around too much-didn’t want my sporran popping open, so when I close it, I button on the thin top, then pull up on the strap to snug things. Discourages picksporrans and handsy wenches.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/m...-sporran-6.jpg

The sixth photo is of the inside-no false bottom in this one. I sewed a pocket at the back early on, to ensure I could stash things like a wallet, or in the old way, a quill case and portable inkwell. Also of elk leather-because I did not want to deal with the thinner stuff tearing out, and be forced to a half **** patch up and new pocket things. Similar mentality went along with the leather backers to the buckle pieces-I riveted thru an extra piece of harness leather-badger skin isn’t but about twice the weight of rabbit, and I didn’t want the burs biting thru. Waxed linen cord used to sew throughout.

When folks ask me why the heck I used a whole badger, I generally have two responses, depending on the temper of the questioner…One being “they don’t skin bears cased style, just rug style”, the other…"Well, it covers a multitude of sins". It isn’t pretty, or formal (not that I wear it to formal events!), but nobody has criticized me yet…No idea why not…

[D.A. Guertin]

Clearly quite a lot of thought and work went into that. Well done indeed.

[Mark E.]

It's not quite finished...still needs the little pockets, and waterproofing. The leather takes forever to dry once wet-can't exactly wax or oil it like a regular leather. Have been thinking about some taxidermy eyes for the face, too.

Mark

[Bigkahuna]

You should post THAT on the EDC forum!!

[Nighthawk]

Dude, that work is fantastic! I need to get myself some furry leather to start working with.

[Dale Seago]

Wow, that is REALLY superb work!!

However. . .

. . .didn’t want my sporran popping open, so when I close it, I button on the thin top, then pull up on the strap to snug things. Discourages picksporrans and handsy wenches.

I s'pose you can't preclude one without the other as well. Yet somehow the phrase "throwing out the baby with the bath water" comes to mind.

[Mark E.]

Thanks! I am always looking for improvement hints, so if anyone sees something glaringly obvious, I'm all ears. Or eyes, as it may be.

You should post THAT on the EDC forum!!

Pardon, but whats the EDC forum? Sometimes the 21'st century acronyms get past me...

Dude, that work is fantastic! I need to get myself some furry leather to start working with.

Well, start with bunny fur-cheaper, and if you can't deal with it, you haven't lost much. I started that sporran in an encampment-absolutely could not wait until I got home, so...I made a bone needle with my sgian, ended up poking holes/sewing with some borrowed linen threads from my hunting frock to get things started. I still haven't figured out how to keep the fur from coming thru the holes, other than to use a wee electric styling razor to try and buzz things short beforehand. Or do like me, and use one of these-they don't hang up as much: http://www.theartofshaving.com/shop/product/67014/11

One of my next furry projects is a cross or silver fox-lined greatcloak...a midweight wool, waxed inside and out, with blue fox furs sewn inside-vertically, so all of the seams are going north south (hate the patchwork look, and the vertical seams, though will be done with black linen thread, will make me look taller) Planning to flannel line the hood, and split the tails to go around the outside of the cowl. It will be a dry winter cloak, and blanket. At least, that's the plan. Anybody know of someone who can make BIG cloak clasps from tempered steel? Or cast copper with a steel piece inside for a hook? Thinking a pair of bosses with link hooks at the neck, and some smaller bosses at 1/3rd points down the front, with an overlap. Leather reinforcers behind, of course, to mount the rivets thru.

Let's just say the whole "greatkilt as garmet, blanket, and tent" is indeed possible-but when it's 5 degrees out, you need all three happening. Been cold, don't plan to be again.