Kilt Makers, Kilt Wearers, Lend Me Your Ears.

[Dreadbelly]

I have this idea.

Lots of people making kilts these days... And yet most of the sporrans look the same. All sorts of new kilt styles, the neo traditional, but same old sporrans really.

What about a reinvented sporran?

What if, say, somebody made a sporran that looked like a baseball, complete with red stitching. Made of the best leathers, and something any sports fanatic could be proud to wear on his kilt. Or a tennis ball. Basketball. Any kind of sports ball.

They could be called "Sports Sporrans, the balls you wear outside your kilt."

A lot of folks here and other places complain that their big meaty hands do not fit into their teeny tiny little sporran. Or they're not big enough or practical to hold everything. What about a sporran that held more and had a larger opening so guys with big hammy hands could reach inside? But still looked good and had a sleek slim appearance?

Is there a demand for a good sporran? Any kilt makers interested in a new kind of sporran design? I have ideas, just need to know if there is a need and if it's even worth my time to invest and make an effort. I have some rather brilliant ideas, or, at least I think so, that could change the meaning of casual sporran and perhaps cause a few more men to think about wearing a kilt.

[Canuck]

There is a style of sporran called a Rob Roy that is usually made from soft leather and is slightly larger than the dress or day sporran. Opening is bigger and can hold lots of toys. I currently make a sporran with two pockets, the opening big enough for a large hand. Plenty of room for the contents of your wifes purse and a few of your toys. However doesn't firt your criteria for sports design. Mine can be used with a traditional kilt or my contemporary kilt.

[Richard]

check these out
http://www.tartanweb.com/sporrans_period.php
Richard

[Graham]

There's some good creative thinking going on there! we've discussed here before the failings of traditional sporrans, and while I prefer them to sports related sporrans they are often too small.

I like the R Kilts sporran, one of the best I've seen.

[Dreadbelly]

This is my own experience.

I have been looking all over at all sorts of sporrans, even found a store that sells them locally.

What I do not want. Don't want 300 dollar sporran. Don't want sporrans made from small animals that I don't eat. I have no problem with leather sporrans, I do have a big problem with real fur sporrans. Unless I am willing to eat it, I wont wear it. At a local store I saw a sporran made from a badger. Had little marble eyes and everything. I was actually horrified. It was a twisted sick thing to do.

All of the sporrans I have looked at locally were all WAY to small for my hammy hands. While some sporrans were very large in size, their storage capacity was miniscule.

About my sport sporran ideas. I am not a sports buff. But I know many men are. I am guessing such an item would sell quite well.

I am a practical sort of man. I believe that function should come first, then form. I carry a lot of stuff around typically. And the idea of fishing through a sporran for every little doodad that I, or many men like me, carry, bothers me.

Might sound dorky, but what about an office based sporran? Almost pocket protector like. Have a slot in front for a pen or two, for easy access, another easy access pouch pocket for say, a palm pilot or a phone, and a snap pocket for wallet, check book, etc. What about a sporran that is cleverly designed to open up and fold out a bit like a tri-fold wallet, but when closed would still look like a traditional sporran? Something like Batman would wear if he were Scottish and wore a kilt, a Bat Sporran™ that would hold his gadgets and look good while doing it. Something that could hold a full sized check book, a few pens, a phone or a palm pilot, maybe a pair of glasses if needed, your keys, and all your loose bits, all the while tucked and folded into a small compact neat and tidy little package that did not hang to heavy. Something that looked nice enough to wear out for a night on the town with the missus but could be worn every day or every night down at the pub and not look out of place.

I go for walks almost every day. And on these walks, I see men with cargo khakis stuffed to the brim with stuff. These men would never be kilt wearers, there is no place to put their stuff! While you could wear a fanny pack with a kilt... It looks tacky! There needs to be some sort of Cargo Sporran™.

I have some serious ideas on reinventing the sporran... Might even make a business of it. Not sure what to do or how to do it, but I have some very good ideas. If I were to start such a thing, I would need somebody to distribute and sell. Maybe. I don't know. Long ago, I was a fairly skilled leatherworker. I am almost positive I could pick it up again. I was told I had a great deal of talent, just needed to refine my skill. Now is as good of a time as any to do it.

[Graham]

hey, I understand, I'm vegetarian and i find the stuffed animal sporrans quite obnoxious personally.
tho' I'm not opposed to leather.

I've said it before, but I really like the black leather "bum bags", they are practical and cheap ($20) and have zippered compartments.

[Raphael]

That's why Utilikilts are very popular for the common men. The Original Model has 2 huge cargo pockets and a back pocket for your wallet. When I am travelling, I would put a paperback novel in one pockets and other stuff in the other pocket.

[Blu (Ontario)]

.... I like the R Kilts sporran, one of the best I've seen...

I've seen them. These are built to Roberts usual high standard of craftsmanship.

[Dreadbelly]

I rigged up the first prototype out of cardboard.

It's not all that big, but, it's cleverly designed to be much larger then it appears to be. Probably large enough to hold a palm pilot, a cell phone, a wallet, a full sized check book, your change, and your keys. When it's all folded up, it's rather smallish and circular like a regular sporran.

If anybody is even remotely interested... (And for some reason I don't think to many people are) I might try to post a crude diagram.

[GMan]

Shandy,

Go for it, maybe some of us could learn something, as long as giving you hints to make it better, but then it may not need improvement. But you do have to start somewhere.