Bear mask sporran

[Tarheel]

May I suggest a redirect for your pelt. When pioneers in America sought uses for bear pelts, it was with coats, bed rolls or large bags to toting items. Maybe a backpack or shoulder strap bag would let you still keep the bear face as a flap and not overwhelm the kilt with its shear bulk.
I'm interested in your final choice. Please keep posting with your progress.

[Luke MacGillie]

Next ask me if I care...

I can understand that, been in that way of thinking more than once in life. I let my desire for freedom overcome the responsibility that freedom brings.

As an aside are you a fan of the movie Super Troopers? If I saw you wearing a large bear sporran, I would be thinking of a certain line from that movie during our interaction. While I could certainly say that line out loud, as I have the freedom to do so, I would not as its just not the right and proper thing to say in public.

[LKM]

While bear fur would look great on a sporran, I would think that the head is larger then desired for a full mask sporran. I usually go with between 7" and 9" for the length of a sporran yet I almost never see a bear head shorter then 12" in length, often quite a bit longer. I think that the best way to work with the size of the bear head would be to have the ears at the top of the sporran and not have the sporran go much, if any, below the nose of the bear.

I look forward to getting to see the finished sporran, perhaps at a festival or two in the state this summer.

[Delta Six]

I don't often offer an opinion here--I'm still learning, but the idea of a bearskin sporran is intriguing.

That said, full mask sporrans just aren't my 'cuppa'. However, thinking it over, a really nice sterling or silver-plated dress cantle with a plain bearskin bag...that might just the thing for a regular sized fellow. It could put that special mark on the outfit of someone from North America and still be within the bounds of tradition.

Thanks

[jumary]

If the head does seem too big, perhaps you can use the fur for trim on a sporran?

Regarding people who get upset by you using a bear, I don't believe Black Bears have ever been close got being endangered, but I don't know that for sure. We even have black bears in southwest Florida within the city limits of Naples.

[Tobus]

The reason you've not seen one before is of course, partly size, but mostly if I'm correct, that the animal is not native to the Highlands. I may yet be corrected on that.

Black bears, no. But European brown bears were native to Scotland until they were killed off about a thousand years ago. Much too early for the types of sporrans that would go with kilts, of course, but still...

[ThistleDown]

There are relatively few furs traditionally used for sporrans in Scotland -- all native beasts such as seal (I've never actually seen a seal mask sporran, but we have lots of their skins), pine martin, badger, wild cat, fox, etc.

Today there are a few more appearing on the market, the work of exceptional craft people. A few weeks ago I was shown a superb silver mounted pheasant by Kate Macpherson. If you have not seen her work, go on line and check her out. All of these traditional sporrans are life-size, of course, so whereas there are pelts from Highland cow, horse, ray, leopard, zebra, bear (black, brown and white), and red deer used, nothing like a cow with its horns, a full horse head, an entire manta ray, a monarch of the glen or bear would be practical now or in the past. Imagine sitting down with a zebra head hanging down there. Whilst I suppose you could rest your arms on it and it might be a conversation starter, I think it would be uncomfortable.

Nighthawk, perhaps some of the pelt for your sporran and the mask mounted on your wall?

[RichardtheLarge]

Well, it seems that it has been done although I imagine this was a much smaller bear.



Image found here: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/2476...86458/?lp=true

Edit: That said, it is a HUGE sporran.


From: https://kiltguide.com/directory/morr...b396d8dcf.html

Holds a laptop, your lunch, and your textbooks.

[Father Bill]

My honest sense from that picture, is that it may have been made as a joke. Sorry if that offends, but that's my first thought and impression from the picture.

[kingandrew]

Father Bill,

When I saw the picture, I didn't think it was intended as a joke, but rather as a special one-off "supersize" item to capture the attention of passersby. It would serve as both an advertising sign and as a demonstration of the sporran-maker's skill and the hand-crafted nature of their wares. But I also figured it was a not-for-sale promo item, like the giant rocking chair in front of the furniture store we used to drive by when I was a kid.

The OP must indeed be a prodigious fellow if he is to wear such a large item comfortably! I look forward to his picture posing with the head in front of his kilt, so we can all see how well the proportions work.

Andrew