Carryall Sporran

[tpa]

I ordered my brown regimental last Tuesday and got an immediate dispatch. Thanks, Steve. Will have to wait a bit for it to swim across the pond.

[RCoastie]

My sporran, sporran chain and suspenders arrived today. Fantastic work, thank you Steve. Silly it took so long to go less than 300 miles.

[tpa]

I ordered my brown regimental last Tuesday and got an immediate dispatch. Thanks, Steve. Will have to wait a bit for it to swim across the pond.

The above quote regarding swimming across the pond, was made tongue firmly in cheek, but I am regretting it now, because it looks very much like it is indeed the case. According to Canada Post it took 4 days to cross Canada to Montreal. Their shipping time is 10 days and is a weekly service, so that makes 21 days if it just missed a sailing. So it has now been either in the UK somewhere for another 21 days or lost in Montreal for a similar period. Maybe it is just sailing back and forth across the Atlantic, who knows, but it has not moved on the tracking chart for weeks. CP give a delivery of 4-6 weeks for surface mail and they have now exceeded that. So for anyone in the UK ordering from Canada, just remember to factor excessive shipping time for surface mail into your requirement.

I'vre just remembered a few years ago, we sent a parcel to cousins in Vancouver around Xmas time and had already started the claims procedure for non-delivery when it turned up some 50+ days later. Anyone know where the hold up occurs?

[BruceBC]

Hi Steve, what is left in stock?

[The Wizard of BC]

As you all know last August L&M Highland left me high and dry when they decided that they no longer wanted to make my Carry-All sporrans.

The cutting dies are currently in Scotland and I am actively looking for a sporran maker.

We currently have only -

1 - one - Tasseled - Black
1 - one - Semi-Dress - Black
1 - one - Semi-Dress - Brown (Why they every though I wanted a Semi-Dress sporran in Brown leather I have no idea. But they made it and charged me for it)

I have no plain or clipped straps left at all.

The Carry-All Sporrans were very well received by customers. You can see by the reviews here that people like them.
Every sporran maker I have spoken to or communicated with have said much the same thing. "We don't feel we want to make a sporran like this right now."
Everyone seems to feel that having separate compartments is a waste of time and energy. They all say "Too complex".

So until I can find someone willing to take on the Carry-All sporrans or until I just get fed up and buy a walking foot machine and begin to make them myself I guess this project is on hold.

I'm really sorry folks. I like my Carry-All sporran and I know from the number of orders you have all placed that you like them too.

[Father Bill]

Sad! I love mine for sure!

[Mike S]

Steve, I hope that you find a maker willing to supply these, or decide to fabricate them yourself. Those refusing to do so based on perceived marketability are short sighted to put it mildly. These are simply terrific.

As leather worker myself, I will say that the added effort to include the interior pockets is minimal.

Might I suggest that you look at purse manufacturers for possible contracts with them? The interior design of these is more in line with what they do on a daily basis.

[Thekiltedmohawk]

Steve, I hope that you find a maker willing to supply these, or decide to fabricate them yourself. Those refusing to do so based on perceived marketability are short sighted to put it mildly. These are simply terrific.

As leather worker myself, I will say that the added effort to include the interior pockets is minimal.

Might I suggest that you look at purse manufacturers for possible contracts with them? The interior design of these is more in line with what they do on a daily basis.

Good thinking there on the purse manufacturers part.

[The Wizard of BC]

One of the problems I am running into is not that a sporran maker can't make my Carry-All sporran due to the complexity. It is that the complexity eats into their already existing production capability.

You have to remember that most N. American and UK based sporran and/or purse makers are small, custom shops. My sporran would require a complete re-tooling, learning curve, and possibly new supplies source research.

This is why having L&M pull out, with no prior notice, was such a shock. They never offered an explanation or reason for their pulling out. They already had the tooling and the supplies. If they had asked or informed me that it was costing them more I would have understood and been willing to accept a cost increase.

I did hear some rumors about why they pulled out, and if true would have caused me to end any dealings I had with them on that account. This is a very small world and we do all know each other.
It does not take long before word gets around.

Not to fear though. We will continue to pursue this and we have contacted a lot of people. Some specialize in sporrans. Some are purse makers. Some are guys who make leather motorcycle saddlebags. We have even contacted some fetish leather goods workers.

I just have to be careful. Once one of my Carry-All's is sent to Pakistan and copied I simply have no recourse or legal option to stop them from producing my design and selling it all over the world for a 10th of the price. Not even a patent or copyright could stop them without very expensive and time consuming legal battle. By the time a Patent case comes to court they would have thousands of copies of my design out there.

[fw_kilt]

Steve,

I have both a brown and a black carry all - great items - especially here in Texas when its hot and a waistcoat or jacket is out of the question. Wish you all of the luck in finding an acceptable supplier!

John