Sporran Cantles

[Arnot]

I have noticed in a lot of photos lately that sporrans (both fur and leather) with antique/brushed pewter cantles are being worn with some of the more dressy-looking tweed jackets. They seem to be wearing the brushed pewter like brass would be. I know that this is probably too much sporran for the rest of the outfit. Just wondering what the thoughts of the rabble might be regarding where this brushed pewter fits into the scheme of things.

[Tobus]

Could you post some examples of sporran cantles you're talking about?

When I think of brushed pewter, it seems very non-dressy to me like brass, which would fit well with a tweed jacket. But a lot might depend on the style of the cantle, not just the material.

[Arnot]

Could you post some examples of sporran cantles you're talking about?

When I think of brushed pewter, it seems very non-dressy to me like brass, which would fit well with a tweed jacket. But a lot might depend on the style of the cantle, not just the material.

This is the one that actually prompted me to post. It's from a Lochcarron advertisement. I guess it is more antique than brushed pewter. Same basic look, though.



This one is from Kinloch Anderson.

[David Dubh]

My personal dress sealskin sporran has that brushed pewter sporran cantle. I went with that pewter finish because my wife and I preferred a less shiny finish. I have worn it as black tie with no comments about it. However I have never really been amongst anyone who would know the difference. Hopefully our members from Scotland will chime in with their vast knowledge of THCD.
Slainte David

[OC Richard]

...sporrans (both fur and leather) with antique/brushed pewter cantles...thoughts of the rabble regarding where brushed pewter fits into the scheme of things.

Coming from the long viewpoint, pewter and brushed finishes neither fit nor fail to fit because they are quite recent innovations in Highland Dress AFAIK.

Going back at least into the 18th century sporran cantles were brass or silver. Throughout the Victorian period and up through the 1950s the most common material was German Silver, sometimes silver plated.

From around the 1960s nickel plating and chrome plating have become common.

All of these finishes were polished. I don't think a "brushed finish" would have occurred to anyone. (Wear your sporran long enough and the high polish will get knocked off the surface anyhow.)

I think these modern "brushed nickel" and "brushed pewter" finishes are an attempt to make things look antique/vintage. At least one pipemaker has started using "antique" finish on their pipes.

Whatever the material or finish, in the Highland Dress as it became codified in the early 20th century silver is for Evening and brass is for Day.

In Victorian times the long hair sporrans worn for Day Dress often had all-leather cantles and cones, with no metalwork at all, or German Silver rimmed leather cantles. Brass wasn't often seen. The 20th century brass = Day and silver = Evening dichotomy hadn't been codified yet.

Here are three vintage Evening Dress sporrans which were all made with highly polished silver plated cantles.

As you can see through lack of polishing the first two have acquired the sort of look that modern "antique" or "brushed" finishes are imitating.





When polished up they would look like this