Quality Sporrans for less money

[kiltedsawyer]

There are a number of vintage plain brown leather 3-tassel classic Day sporrans up on Ebay now.

Several have the typical oval gold stamp "made in Scotland real leather".

One is missing two of the three tassels.

A couple sporrans stood out from the crowd a bit, first this Day sporran with lovely Celtic tooling, for $50.

The seller says it's black but the photos of the front make it appear to be the extremely dark brown that one sees in old sporrans sometimes.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SCOTTISH-LE...wAAOSwcSFbQAN5

Here's the stamp on the back, new to me



Second was this one, a modern brown leather Day sporran from a maker I'm not familiar with, going currently for under $20.

I really like the style, and the leather they used, which has a vintage used look even when new.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Modern-Brow...EAAOSwE2tbQyYW

Here's the back with the stamp Braveheart Sporrans Scotland.



My nitpicky eye notices that it does not say "made in Scotland" and I have seen non-Scottish-made Highland dress items labelled "such-and-such firm Scotland" where the firm in based in Scotland but they import their goods. I'm not claiming that this is the case here, only that not specifically saying "made in Scotland" leaves the door open.

Your suspicion is well founded. Here is the identical sporran in black leather.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Handmade-Gh...kAAOSw4apbPhKA

It clearly states that it is from Pakistan. I guess it could happen that identical sporrans, (save the color of the leather,) were made in two different places.

[kiltedsawyer]

Okay, so we have one brown sporran that is stamped "Braveheart Sporrans Scotland" and an identical sporran in black leather on E-bay that is clearly coming from Pakistan. A search for Braveheart Sporrans turns up a company in South Africa that may in fact be named "Braveheart Products" that just happens to make and sell sporrans. A further search uncovers "Highland Kilt Connections which on their facebook page mentions "at braveheart we have one of the biggest collections of sporrans," and clearly shows a sporran with the same perforation pattern as the sporran OC Richard's post. Highland Kilt Connection has four retail locations in the UK but it appears that this one location may also go by "braveheart kilts" in their reviews. So, is this the home of "Braveheart Sporrans?" We may never know.

[FossilHunter]

Okay, so we have one brown sporran that is stamped "Braveheart Sporrans Scotland" and an identical sporran in black leather on E-bay that is clearly coming from Pakistan. A search for Braveheart Sporrans turns up a company in South Africa that may in fact be named "Braveheart Products" that just happens to make and sell sporrans. A further search uncovers "Highland Kilt Connections which on their facebook page mentions "at braveheart we have one of the biggest collections of sporrans," and clearly shows a sporran with the same perforation pattern as the sporran OC Richard's post. Highland Kilt Connection has four retail locations in the UK but it appears that this one location may also go by "braveheart kilts" in their reviews. So, is this the home of "Braveheart Sporrans?" We may never know.

Perusing the South African site here, it appears that they are well-made, artisan, sporrans in both leather and local furs (zebra, SA fur seals, etc) and none that I see match the brogued pattern of the ones on ebay.

[OC Richard]

Here's a sad case.

It's a lovely vintage brown Day sporran with a sealskin-fronted body, by L&M in Nova Scotia, from a US seller so no problems with importation for US buyers, and for a great price.

BUT some eejit has glued a brass plaque right onto the sealskin! (I messaged the seller asking if that plaque was glued on, or held on with rivets, or what, and the answer was glued, the worst-case scenario.)

I guess it depends on what sort of glue. Perhaps some glues can be dissolved without ruining the fur? I don't know.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Scottish-Ki...p2056016.l4276

[Tarheel]

I guess it depends on what sort of glue. Perhaps some glues can be dissolved without ruining the fur? I don't know.

I would try WD-40 or PB Blaster penetrating oil to dissolve the glue. The fur looks dark enough not to stain terribly, the plaque is at the bottom of the sporran and less intrusive, both products will aid the underlying leather and the price is okay if a horrible mistake occurs.

[kiltedsawyer]

I would try WD-40 or PB Blaster penetrating oil to dissolve the glue. The fur looks dark enough not to stain terribly, the plaque is at the bottom of the sporran and less intrusive, both products will aid the underlying leather and the price is okay if a horrible mistake occurs.

The horrible mistake has already occurred. This is a sad story.

[OC Richard]

I would try WD-40 or PB Blaster penetrating oil to dissolve the glue. The fur looks dark enough not to stain terribly, the plaque is at the bottom of the sporran and less intrusive, both products will aid the underlying leather and the price is okay if a horrible mistake occurs.

Thanks for the info.

I myself am going to pass on that sporran, I just don't want to take the risk.

[OC Richard]

Perusing the South African site here, it appears that they are well-made, artisan, sporrans in both leather and local furs (zebra, SA fur seals, etc) and none that I see match the brogued pattern of the ones on ebay.

Yes that's what I saw too.

About the brogued sporrans, I wonder if that design was originated by one of the leading Scottish or Canadian makers and later copied in Pakistan. That's usually how it happens.

[OC Richard]

1) Here's a lovely Evening Dress sporran, Scottish-made, for under $50 with shipping.

The back of the sporran doesn't have the typical "made in Scotland real leather" stamp, however from the description it seems that the cantle is stamped "made in Scotland".

With vintage sporrans one generally sees that "made in Scotland" stamp on the side of the cantle only on silver-plated cantles; the same cantle will be seen in chrome lacking the stamp. I don't know why. However I have seen chrome-plated cantles with the stamp, especially on Nicoll Brothers sporrans.

The seller says this sporran is from the 1950s but I would say 1970s or newer. Not sure why, it just doesn't look like a 1950s sporran to me.

The sealskin has an unusually interesting pattern. It looks like the body was made from one skin and the rim and the tassels from another. Of course sealskin sporrans are illegal to bring into the USA but AFAIK they're fine in the EU and in Canada.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-MEN...temCondition=4

2) Not sure what to make of this, it doesn't seem right to me.

The box is from L&M Highland Outfitters in Nova Scotia Canada who makes high quality traditional sporrans.

However the sporran doesn't look to be of L&M quality, and doesn't have one of the distinctive L&M stamps. Instead, it's stamped "Pipers Choice". I've not seen a Pipers Choice sporran, but I've seen plenty of their bagpipes, which have a low reputation.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/L-M-Highlan...temCondition=4

[OC Richard]

After a thin period there are nice things up on Ebay now.

Here's a sporran by RG Lawrie Glasgow, the style called EW4, in white sealskin (banned for USA buyers) but at a fantastic price. The fur is worn on one side as you can see.

I'm not sure if I've seen a sporran with THREE different oval gold stamps on the back: the Made In Scotland Real Leather stamp, the RG Lawrie stamp, and a stamp with a patent number which I think concerns the closure method (which soon became standard).

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-LAW...p2056016.l4276

Here's the back of the Lawrie sporran showing the three interesting stamps



Here's an XMarks thread about that patent, showing another RG Lawrie sporran

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...e-scott-89892/

By the same seller, another sealskin EW4, this time with lovely mottled fur. It lacks the usual oval gold stamps but I can just barely make out a "Made In Scotland" stamp.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/GOOD-VINTAG...S/283257100898

This Evening Dress sporran, having the appearance of being Scottish made, going for very little money. Be warned, though, that the seller says it's rabbit fur but I'm pretty sure it's sealskin and thus illegal to ship to the USA.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Full-Dress-...temCondition=4