Controversal musing on sporrans- and looking for advice.

[Crazy Dave]

"This seems to be exactly what I don't want, a sporran with a narrow opening at top. Or is the photo deceiving?"

The two leather strings are drawstrings, so it would open up, but the latch sounds like a deal killer to me!

Dave

[Touchstone]

I'm also not a fan of putting strange hardware on sporrans, like that cabinet latch (or whatever it is) or miniature railroad spikes etc.

I also noticed (and didn't like) that "cabinet latch". They started showing up on the belt-pouches sold by merchants in the Society for Creative Anachronism a decade or so ago, and the first few I saw looked inauthentic for something pre-1600, but at least interesting and different. Then they quickly crowded out all alternatives. For a while I NEVER saw any other metallic clasp on a newly made pouch.

It might have been just the "tyranny of fashion" (like the teeny weeny eyeglasses that were virtually the only style available for a decade), but I suspect they must be mass-produced cheaply somewhere. Here's hoping the sporran makers don't follow the same path.

[OC Richard]

I also noticed (and didn't like) that "cabinet latch". They started showing up on the belt-pouches sold by merchants in the Society for Creative Anachronism a decade or so ago, and the first few I saw looked inauthentic for something pre-1600...

Or pre-1980, probably!

At least on sporrans, the early 18th century ones look to me like simple leather bags with drawstrings.

At some point during that century the metal purse-like hinged opening top with integral latch appeared, and eventually evolved into the nonfunctional cantles of the 19th and 20th centuries.

I don't know where the modern makers got the idea of putting a huge stiff flap on the front of a puny soft bag, and putting modern cabinet hardware on the flap.

[kingandrew]

I am not too keen on the "tactical" look of the Stillwater canvas sporrans. However, I have the leather version they used to make (they called it the Nightstalker Cargo Sporran). It is a very roomy bag, with a big compartment that is easily accessed with a zipper, a thinner pocket in front under the flap (velcro closure, secure but easy), and a credit-card size pocked on the flap accessed via zipper. So it does offer lots of carrying capacity and real ease of access.

I wore mine yesterday. Inside the main pocket, I easily held my glasses case, my wallet, a handkerchief, and my wife's phone. My keys were put in the front pocket, under the flap, so I wouldn't have to fish for them when leaving or arriving at our front door. I don't know how this compares with the amount of kit you need to store.

I also have a Rob Roy styled sporran from the late, lamented Thorfinn Custom Sporrans. It is insanely roomy, with a wonderful clip to hold my keys and some small pockets for things like a pencil or an old flip phone (I bought it over a decade ago). It looks nice and neat when you tighten the drawstring and lower the flap (it has a snap closure). So I would recommend this bag, if it were still in production.

I hope this is helpful.

Andrew

[OC Richard]

I am not too keen on the "tactical" look of the Stillwater canvas sporrans. However, I have the leather version they used to make (they called it the Nightstalker Cargo Sporran). It is a very roomy bag, with a big compartment that is easily accessed with a zipper, a thinner pocket in front under the flap (velcro closure, secure but easy), and a credit-card size pocked on the flap accessed via zipper. So it does offer lots of carrying capacity and real ease of access.

I wore mine yesterday. Inside the main pocket, I easily held my glasses case, my wallet, a handkerchief, and my wife's phone. My keys were put in the front pocket, under the flap...

I remember seeing those leather Stillwater sporrans. To my "traditionalist" eye they were just traditional enough to look like a true sporran. I admire the thought that went into the design of it.

For years I've been wearing this goat-hair big-body sporran with a vintage cantle. It's so incredibly roomy that I have a hard time justifying wearing any other sporran. (The beer is a tall can, and it's a big cellphone.)





Not as roomy as that, but my new Margaret Morrison hunting sporran is roomier and has easier access than most traditional sporrans; due to the straight sides it has a full-width "mouth" so to speak.

It came with a key-ring that snaps inside, pretty cool. The leather is soft and pliable.

[Paco500]

I've been in conversation with a lovely guy from Margaret Morrison and once we settle on a design, they are going to make it for me. That it's taking so long is on me, because I can't make up my mind on a lot of things.

[Wareyin]

This seems to be exactly what I don't want, a sporran with a narrow opening at top. Or is the photo deceiving?

It's what I love about the Margaret Morrison reproductions of the c1930 Hunting Sporrans, the sporran body is normally sized but the opening is full-width, there being no narrowing at the top of the body.

That's what I didn't like about my sporran with the Culloden MOD cantle: I found it difficult to squeeze my big hand through it to reach things.

<image snipped for brevity>

I'm also not a fan of putting strange hardware on sporrans, like that cabinet latch (or whatever it is) or miniature railroad spikes etc.

Ditto bits of antler etc.

That bag style of sporran actually has a rather large opening at the top that is cinched in by the leather draw-string you see dangling in the front.

edited to add that I somehow missed there was another page to this thread and that point was already made! Sorry about that!

[KnittedReenactor]

For my ultra casual kilting I have a set up involving a WWII era Meat Can Pouch and General Purpose strap. The Meat Can Pouch, btw, was the canvas pouch on the American canvas haversacks which carried a soldier's mess kit. Rugged, flexible, incredibly utilitarian, and immensely spacious. I can fit my keys, wallet, phone, knife, flask, bicycle tool, kitchen sink...


Here I am a couple years ago at a Boy Scout multi-troop recruiting campout in the town park. I was trying to bring the Cub Scouts' attention to my unit over the other units in town. Anyway... you can see relative size and simplicity of the set. You can get the items off ebay for not much money, it that idea takes your fancy.


Historically, one was not REQUIRED to have a sporran, but where else are you going to put stuff? If you really hate having to wear a sporran for every day stuff, maybe consider having a tailor or someone skilled with a needle sew a pocket to the under apron of your kilts.
As others have already pointed out in this thread, a sporran does help define that line between "Rugged, Noble, Tough-as-the-steel-in-my-Claymore Highlander" and "Dude-crossdressing-in-a-Woman's-skirt".