Types of sporran

[Mikilt]

I searched high and low for this specific topic. I hope this isn't a repeat.

What criteria define different sporran as being day, dress, semi-dress and hunting? As far as I have been able to discern, a day sporran is just leather with a flap that buttons over the front. A dress sporran is furry and has a cantle over the top. A semi-dress sporran is usually furry but has the flap over the front. For the hunting sporran, I have seen examples labeled as such though I am uncertain as to what distinguishes them.

[artificer]

A great visual resource may be found HERE at the Scottish Tartans Museum gift shop.

Here's a short breakdown.

Day sporrans can be brown or black leather. Traditionally (last 100yrs or so) brass was the day metal, silver for evenings. A few styles are:

the plain military style pouch and flap. Sometimes you see this style tarted up with tassels, fur, studs or tooling, but they're all the same basic shape and function. Sometimes the really fancied up ones are called 'semi-dress';

a Rob Roy (sort of a soft-sack with a covering flap which cinches with a drawstring);

a hunting sporran (these open at the top and the body consists of two semi-rigid or rigid panels with a gusset between);

You might also see 'full mask' sporrans worn during the day. A full mask is a fur sporran with the animals head mounted as the flap;

It's becoming a bit more common to see hair sporrans (long horsehair or goat frequently seen on pipers) worn casually, but some people aren't crazy about the look, I personally like it;

Semi-Dress sporrans are usually slightly fancier versions of the above sporrans, with silver metal where required.

Dress Sporrans are usually silver (or pewter or chrome) cantled and can be fur, very nice leather or hair. Leather for dress sporrans is almost always black.

Full mask sporrans can be worn day OR night. They are the swiss army knife of sporrans.

As with everything, there are exceptions to the rules. The STM gift shop is a very nice place to get a feel for the different levels of formality and what is appropriate, but is by no means all-inclusive.

[CMcG]

Some retailers refer to "semi-dress" sporrans as being fur covered with a leather flap and no cantle.

Some traditionalists refer (distastefully) to such "semi-dress" sporrans as being neither fish nor fowl.

[Mikilt]

CMcG,
Thanks!

[Mikilt]

Artificer,
Thank you, this is exactly the info I wanted.

~Mikilt

[Red Stag]

If a full mask sporran is for evening wear why do some have tassles with brass cones(if brass is for daywear)?

When I get a tank I want to get a beaver sporran since I have some Canadian ancestry. I'm just worried that if it has brass on it that I won't be able to wear it in the evening.

[artificer]

If a full mask sporran is for evening wear why do some have tassles with brass cones(if brass is for daywear)?

When I get a tank I want to get a beaver sporran since I have some Canadian ancestry. I'm just worried that if it has brass on it that I won't be able to wear it in the evening.

I believe it is the officers of the Argyll & Sutherland that wear a version of what you're discussing, seen HERE from L&M (civilian version)


Don't worry about the brass cones, if you're sporting a full mask, you're DRESSED.

[Slowburn]

I absolutly love the full mask with the swinging six, but I believe this to be for officers. If I were to buy a full mask I would avoid the swinging six as I was never of any rank in any military. I might concider a full mask without any tassels or three but would avoid six for the reason mentioned.

[gasbag]

I have purchased a true swinging six sporran to wear when i pipe for my mothers family. She is one of six sisters and my reasoning for the swinging six is each tassle represents a sister. Just my reason for the purchase. Sorry for the off topic reply.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Traditionally people have tended to equate brass/gold (aka yellow metals) with daywear and silver/nickel (aka white metals) with evening wear, but I honestly think too much stock is put in this "rule" by most people. I wear white metal during the day and yellow metal during the evening pretty interchangeably and don't give it a second thought.