Ubiquitous Sporran Anachronism

[OC Richard]

Over the weekend I attended a Comic-Con and there was a guy dressed in complete quasi-18th century garb, with great kilt, huge sword, etc. Without looking I knew what sort of sporran he would be wearing, and I was right: a modern one.

I just don't understand why nearly every person intending to dress in a historical period will get every portion of their outfit matching (more or less) the period in question but wear a modern sporran.

I've seen it over and over, hundreds of times. The examples I see all the time include:

-Renaissance

-18th century

-Dickens fair/Dickens ball

-Victorian fair/Victorian ball

-US Civil War ball

The background is, for those unaware, is that Highland Dress underwent a near-total transformation around the first years of the 20th century. A new suite of jacket styles and sporran styles appeared.

This stylistic break makes it jump out to the person aware of it whenever a person purportedly dressing in the costume of the period before the break wear items which are post-break, or to put it another way whenever a person is purportedly dressing in 16th, 17th, 18th, or 19th century costume but wearing 20th century items.

Not that sporrans are the only thing this ever happens with; there's a general notion that Highland Dress magically floats in its own reality, a reality divorced from the passage of time. For sure I've seen Prince Charlie coatees (a 20th century invention) worn with 18th century outfits, Victorian outfits, at Dickens Balls, at US Civil War Balls. But even when people get their jackets right, the 20th century sporrans remain, immune from the strictures of time.

I could post some photos to demonstrate what I'm talking about, but I don't want to show faces. My intention isn't to say that people are "bad" but to draw attention to the anachronistic sporrans. Re-enactors, generally, view such input as constructive.

Here's one I just found and cropped, a Dickens Ball or Victorian Ball. The men are wearing outfits that didn't exist until the early 20th century, their Prince Charlie coatees and 20th century sporrans.



Here's a 20th century sporran worn with 1860s military costume. (I think I did a pretty good job at photoshopping out the weapons.)

[Luke MacGillie]

There are so few surviving sporrans, perhaps 2 non cantled ones, from the 18th Century and before, very few people making proper cantles, and even MOD cantle prices thru the roof, its kinda, sorta understandable.

Lack of knowledge, lack of supply, thinking that a sporran must always be worn, and then a proliferation of modern and fantasy styles, it all combines into a horrid display of flat out wrong material culture.

[MNlad]

I too have been struck by this incongruity. Equally jarring is people's choice of footwear. Granted, for most it is fantasy, but it seems strange to see many participants at Renaissance festivals spend hundreds of dollars on their costumes only to finish their ensemble with a pair of Crocs or Nikes.

[Stoff]

Would anyone here have a good suggestion for how to get reasonably priced cantles for the average DIY leather worker. Either DIY'ing it or purchasing for a reasonable price. I currently have 4 sporrans all I made myself, three are Rob Roy pattern and one is a flap type with fur front and tooled flap.

Thanks,
Stoff

[Luke MacGillie]

Would anyone here have a good suggestion for how to get reasonably priced cantles for the average DIY leather worker. Either DIY'ing it or purchasing for a reasonable price. I currently have 4 sporrans all I made myself, three are Rob Roy pattern and one is a flap type with fur front and tooled flap.

Thanks,
Stoff

Way back when, in the late 80's before anyone knew that MOD cantles were out there, a well known dirk maker made a sporran cantle and vowed to never make another.

The brazing, engraving, making dies for the punchwork, and then there is the large knob pivot hinge makes a cantle beyond what most folks want to both do, or pay for today.

[Stoff]

Way back when, in the late 80's before anyone knew that MOD cantles were out there, a well known dirk maker made a sporran cantle and vowed to never make another.

The brazing, engraving, making dies for the punchwork, and then there is the large knob pivot hinge makes a cantle beyond what most folks want to both do, or pay for today.

I have been thinking about investigating how to go about producing period authentic sporrans. So far the best I can work out is the standard leather flap with fur face, Rob Roy and possibly a leather cantle. I am open to any affordable suggestions that any here might have.

Thanks,
Stoff

[Taskr]

Stoff,
Its on my list to fabricate a wooden cantle. I have the piece of old, solid maple marked up already.

[Tarheel]

Depending on the material you want, there are some DYI threads on cantles. Some out of brass lamp bases (chromed later or not), wood and leather materials.

Look to the thread I started on sporran collections by members. Most are handmade.
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...gallery-91359/

[OC Richard]

MOD cantles are still available from time to time. Somebody will crop up with a number for sale, cheaply.

I just sold one on Ebay, I still have three.

The one I just sold on Ebay went for $75, hardly a fortune for a vintage cantle in excellent condition.

About 19th century costume, Dickens and Victorian and US Civil War and Steampunk and such, the sporrans would be long hair ones, which are widely available. Lack of availability isn't the issue IMHO.

For example this one, on Ebay, made in Pakistan or India and costing $150, is perfect for a Victorian costume, brown hair as was worn with tweed jackets and plain hose at that time. (Personally I would switch out the cantle for a vintage one, which come up on Ebay all the time.)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-ORIGINAL...4AAOSwgZ1Xs1dP

[OC Richard]

I too have been struck by this incongruity. Equally jarring is people's choice of footwear. Granted, for most it is fantasy, but it seems strange to see many participants at Renaissance festivals spend hundreds of dollars on their costumes only to finish their ensemble with a pair of Crocs or Nikes.

I don't see that much around here, usually the Ren Faire people have the typical modern hand-made Ren-style shoes.

What I do see all the time are modern glasses. Doesn't matter what period: Ren, Culloden, Victorian, WWI, WWII, it's all the same for these people regarding their glasses.

You can pick up nice vintage frames in great condition on Ebay for around $10 and have your prescription put in- once again availability or expense isn't the issue IMHO.