ease of access sporrans

[OC Richard]

It's something that's come up before. I think it's an issue with men with big hands.

Oftentimes people complain about the smallness or lack of capacity in traditional sporrans.

For me that's not the biggest part of it. The main thing is being able to get my hand in the sporran to grab something.

Throughout the 20th century the standard cantle width has been 6 inches or around 153mm.

For me that makes for tight access.

Here's a comparison between two sporrans I own, one by Nicoll Brothers (Bankfoot) and one by Margaret Morrison.

The Nicoll Bros used a somewhat different body shape than W E Scott & Son (Edinburgh) and L&M Highland Outfitters (Nova Scotia) more round and squat. However all these makers used 6 inch cantles so access was the same.

Here note the rather different body shape of the Margaret Morrison sporran, with straight sides.

As far as measurements go, the Nicoll Bros sporran is 152mm across the base of the cantle and 180mm across the widest part of the body.

The MM sporran is 161mm across both those points.



It seems like a small difference but for me it makes access to the MM sporran far easier.

The MM sporran by the way is a reproduction of a style made, sold, and worn in the 1930s, here at bottom right in 1938

[Shinenotburn]

It's something that's come up before. I think it's an issue with men with big hands.

Oftentimes people complain about the smallness or lack of capacity in traditional sporrans.

For me that's not the biggest part of it. The main thing is being able to get my hand in the sporran to grab something.

Throughout the 20th century the standard cantle width has been 6 inches or around 153mm.

For me that makes for tight access.

Here's a comparison between two sporrans I own, one by Nicoll Brothers (Bankfoot) and one by Margaret Morrison.

The Nicoll Bros used a somewhat different body shape than W E Scott & Son (Edinburgh) and L&M Highland Outfitters (Nova Scotia) more round and squat. However all these makers used 6 inch cantles so access was the same.

Here note the rather different body shape of the Margaret Morrison sporran, with straight sides.

As far as measurements go, the Nicoll Bros sporran is 152mm across the base of the cantle and 180mm across the widest part of the body.

The MM sporran is 161mm across both those points.



It seems like a small difference but for me it makes access to the MM sporran far easier.

The MM sporran by the way is a reproduction of a style made, sold, and worn in the 1930s, here at bottom right in 1938

You might find it easier as there is no stiff metal cantle to get in the way on the M M sporran as it is a traditional hunter sporran is it not?

Great sporran by the way.

[KennethSime]

Richard, I appreciate your insight, as always. I tend to wear XL gloves and find most sporrans quite a tight fit - my hadn't certainly doesn't fit inside the sporran with items in there.

I've been thinking that my next sporran will be a hunting sporran, and this is just even more reason to make it so. Cheers!