Your thoughts on vintage sporran chains

[OC Richard]

Traditional well-made sporran chains were smooth as glass and didn't wear the kilt at all. Ditto the rears of well-made sporrans... everything smooth and flush, no projecting or sharp bits.

It's one of those pennywise/pound foolish things that dismay me, an example being when a local pipe band bought horrible-quality Pakistani sporrans (complete with matching horrible-quality chains) which immediately began tearing up the fronts of their lovely $500 kilts.

Anyhow I too have a fantastic vintage sterling long-link chain which came with a vintage sporran I bought and resold decades ago. Far too small for me to wear, and I can't bring myself to cut off the lovely Oxblood leather straps to replace them with longer ones.

I wear a modern long-link chain strap from Nicoll Bros Bankfoot that came with the sporran I ordered from them several years ago, with either of my Nicoll Bros sporrans. With my vintage goathair sporran I wear a plain leather strap, old school.

Here's the Nicoll Bros modern long-link chain. The sporran it came with is on the upper right. Glad I ordered an authentic Nicoll Bros sporran while I still could.



Here's that chain being worn with a Nicoll Bros sporran I picked up on Ebay not long ago

[creagdhubh]

A nicely made long link chain is a thing of beauty-

I'd gladly wear one for dress, but I'd stay with the one piece strap for daily wear.

ith:

Aye, it is indeed, Scott. I purchased mine from Ian Grant of Edinburgh when I ordered an evening dress sporran. It's made of hallmarked sterling silver and is definitelty the only sporran chain I'll ever need. And I agree...chain for evening attire, strap for day attire. Though, I think many of us have seen a long chain-link strap worn with a leather daywear sporran, which looks quite smart...especially when "you know who" is wearing it.

[gwynng]

As promised here is a pic. It isn't a long link chain, but still nice and smooth.

[OC Richard]

Here's the vintage chain I have.

It came attached to a c1900-1920 goathair sporran with silverplate top. Sold sporran, kept chain.

Sorry for the fuzzy I-thing pics. The leather is actually more of a burgundy colour, akin to Oxblood... or was, because the leather is more faded than it originally was, it appears. (Don't know why the leather appears orange-ish here.)

The metal appears to be solid 'German silver'.



Here it is compared to the recent (2005) long-link strap from Nicoll Bros Bankfoot. As you can see the two chains are constructed differently, the new one having three small round links for every long one, the vintage one simply alternating round and long links.

[Downunder Kilt]

Beautiful sporran chain you have there Richard. My silver fob watch chain is of exactly the same design. I believe in the jewellery trade, they are known a "trombone links" Cheers