Simple Sporran With MOD Cantle

[jthk]

Nicely done! I'm sorry to show my ignorance but what is meant by MOD? Ministry of Defence? And why are they rare?

I finished this sporran almost 18 months ago and have only had the opportunity to wear it a couple of times. It works pretty well and doesn't look too bad. The cantle is one of those rare MOD cantles that I was fortunate to obtain. The bag is plain and will hold a wallet and keys easily. At some point I will make a bag which is a bit more decorative but for now this will do.

[MacRob46]

MOD stands for Ministry of Defense. They are rare because the MOD, for the Scottish regiments, apparently made them only for a short time after WWII, after which they went to simple snap closures and flaps on sporrans issued to the men. They actually mimic the types of closure used on antique sporrans and are relatively easy to install on the leather bag.

As mentioned by most respondents to my post, they were, at one time, very cheap to buy on the surplus market. However supply was limited and they have virtually disappeared from the market place driving the prices upward. If you can find someone making cantles in the old style you better be prepared to pay even more than you would for a surplus version.

[jthk]

Thanks for the helpful information!

MOD stands for Ministry of Defense. They are rare because the MOD, for the Scottish regiments, apparently made them only for a short time after WWII, after which they went to simple snap closures and flaps on sporrans issued to the men. They actually mimic the types of closure used on antique sporrans and are relatively easy to install on the leather bag.

As mentioned by most respondents to my post, they were, at one time, very cheap to buy on the surplus market. However supply was limited and they have virtually disappeared from the market place driving the prices upward. If you can find someone making cantles in the old style you better be prepared to pay even more than you would for a surplus version.

[OC Richard]

Those "Culloden" sporrans were introduced in 1953 as part of an entirely new "Number One Dress".

Why 1953? Because ever since Full Dress was abolished in 1914 soldiers didn't have anything more dressy than their khaki Service Dress, and for the Coronation it was felt something better was needed.

The new uniform for Highland troops included an Archer Green doublet and a sporran which as essentially a reproduction of a mid-18th century sporran. However for some reason instead of the original brown deerskin they decided that they should be white, so the soldiers had to pipeclay them. (Pipeclay is the nasty stuff that got all over the nice red jackets in the 18th and 19th centuries.)

Those sporrans were worn from 1953 up through around 1980 when those short generic horsehair sporrans were introduced for Highland troops. (Actually it varied by regiment, by the late 1960s there are photos of the Argylls on parade wearing horsehair sporrans instead of those Culloden ones.)

Here's one of those sporrans, as it would be worn from 1953, badged for the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.

They must have made thousands of those sporrans! To outfit, what, five battalions of troops for a quarter-century in Scotland alone, and they were worn in the Canadian army too. They will seem rare, then somebody will show up with 50 of the things selling them for $20 each or something.



In situ, worn with the 1953 Coronation Dress or Number One Dress by the Black Watch soldiers in the lower right postcard (pipers continued to wear their old Full Dress)



From 1914 to 1952 this was as dressy as Highland soldiers generally got, the khaki Service Dress jacket, here worn by the Pipe Major and Drum Major of the Seaforth Highlanders 1947

[Seagrove59]

I finished this sporran almost 18 months ago and have only had the opportunity to wear it a couple of times. It works pretty well and doesn't look too bad. The cantle is one of those rare MOD cantles that I was fortunate to obtain. The bag is plain and will hold a wallet and keys easily. At some point I will make a bag which is a bit more decorative but for now this will do.
Attachment 37772

Nice job, the leather colour selection works well.