Quality Sporrans for less money

**MacKenzie** · 30th December 23, 10:45 AM

Interesting/good info. Thanks Richard.

**Hauge** · 31st December 23, 02:29 PM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

If the kilt might fit, you should probably go for it.

I would be jealous about that buckle, if it's as cool as the blurry pics make out.

Also jealous if that sporran is Nicoll Brothers, like it appears.

Now the auction is o'er...

Burned my pockets, and got rid o around £100 incl post and VAT (25%)...

Well. Will see whut's commin...

**OC Richard** · 1st January 24, 02:38 AM

Well done you!

It would be nice to see what that sporran and belt buckle look like, if you could please post photos. (Blurry photos are the bane of Ebay.)

Projecting from what I've seen in the past, the side of the cantle will be stamped Nicoll Bros, as well as the leather on the back.

That buckle is intriguing. I can't recall seeing that pattern.

Here's another mixed lot. For those hankering for a long-link sporran chain it might be worthwhile.

The sporran itself, probably Black Watch, is in poor nick.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-WW...p2056016.l4276

**Hauge** · 1st January 24, 05:08 AM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

Well done you!

It would be nice to see what that sporran and belt buckle look like, if you could please post photos. (Blurry photos are the bane of Ebay.)

Projecting from what I've seen in the past, the side of the cantle will be stamped Nicoll Bros, as well as the leather on the back.

That buckle is intriguing. I can't recall seeing that pattern.

I'll get back to it, when the lot land here...
I do have a idea, that i'we seen a buckle like it. But definitely not certain.

It shall be a long wait!

**Hauge** · 2nd January 24, 11:06 AM

Maybe this lot could be interesting to someone? - Two sporrans, one with horsehair, and all...

**OC Richard** · 3rd January 24, 03:45 AM

Originally Posted by Hauge

Maybe this lot could be interesting to someone? - Two sporrans, one with horsehair, and all...

For me the only item of interest is the traditional brown Scottish-made Day sporran, which I really like.

Likewise the lot below has only one thing of interest, what appears to be a Scottish-made seal Evening sporran, though modern with bright nickel or chrome cantle.

Interestingly the studs on the targe are the older-type nickel-silver.

The other three sporrans are Pakistani, I'll wager. Look at how low the tab for the sporran belt is on all three of them, usually a telltale sign of Pakistani origin.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/22594179644...%7C1750%7C3000

Here's a c1980s WE Scott "semi dress" seal sporran, a nice example of that style, made when they were still using the gold oval Made In Scotland Real Leather stamp

https://www.ebay.com/itm/26659136790...%7C1750%7C3000

Here's one not unlike it, but later, with no stamp but rather a sticker. Once again a nice example of this style

https://www.ebay.com/itm/25635978799...%7C1750%7C3000

**OC Richard** · 3rd January 24, 04:32 AM

About the evolution of stamps in WE Scott sporrans, the trouble is they didn't stamp their name on their work.

This makes identifying their work liable to mistake.

What seems to have been consistent, up until their 1953 Patent Evening sporrans, is the shape of the leather tab where the sporran belt goes.

Granted the assumption that another Scottish maker wasn't using the same tab shape, here's the evolution of the stamps.

Top left: their early tabs were ornate, and deeply stamped Made In Scotland. (That 'sun circle' stamp was also often used to decorate the flaps of their leather sporrans.)

Top right: at some point they changed to stamping in gold ink on the surface of the leather.

Bottom left: then their tabs became plain and they switched to the familiar Made In Scotland Real Leather stamp.

Bottom right: more recently they stopped stamping their sporrans altogether, substituting stickers, which are often missing on used sporrans.

Now why would they change they tab shape when they introduced their Patent sporran model in 1953?

Because these were initially scored across the back, creating a hing of sorts, and the pointy bottom of the tab would go cross the hinge.

So they introduced a point-less tab to fit the smaller available space.

If they only had used the new short tab on the Patent sporrans! But no, they used them sometimes on Day sporrans as well, muddying the waters.

Lower right is the new 1953 Patent Evening sporran closure by WE Scott. It meant getting rid of the back plate and pair of rings on the traditional Evening and long hair sporran cantles.

Of course another maker WAS using the WE Scott tab shape, just not a Scottish one.

They're identifiable by being stamped L&M (who were diligent about stamping their name of their work) and by the single row of stitching at top.

**OC Richard** · 5th January 24, 03:01 AM

For ten pounds a mixed lot including a nice WE Scott "EW6D" seal Evening sporran.

The "D" presumably stands for "diamond" and the cantle incorporates a diamond-shaped jacket button.

"Will not post to the United States"

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266592782...Bk9SR6DI8ZCbYw

**OC Richard** · 8th January 24, 06:10 AM

I much prefer to mention sporrans that haven't yet received bids, but in this case bidders beat me to it.

A very nice classic WE Scott brown "day" sporran nicely stamped with the sun-circle (AKA bullseye AKA Goddess eye) motif. It comes with one of the older-style high quality chain-straps with nice clips.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/23537427183...tion=10%7C3000

A classic EW2/EW4 with high-quality cantle and what appears to be sealskin going for very little (currently).

It's by Manacraft, which for some reason rivets the D-rings on the back (there's no tab for a plain leather sporran belt).

https://www.ebay.com/itm/22595004889...tion=10%7C3000

**Troglodyte** · 11th January 24, 02:21 AM

Has everyone seen this..?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/176167503291

Something for the vintage sporran collector here, and the long-link chain-strap is a bonus.

Dont' worry, I'm shan't be bidding - I wouldn't tell you all about it if I was..!