Sporran maker?

[triforme]

Hello all,
I recently was given a fur hat that had belonged to my great grandmother. It's Astrakhan wool (picture attached). I'd really like to find someone to make it into a dress sporrran. Anyone have any ideas on where to start?

Thanks

[triforme]

Here's the pic IMG_1809.jpg

[OC Richard]

There are quite a few sporran makers ranging from hobbyists to professionals.

I admit to knowing little or nothing about most of them.

I do know about a top-notch professional maker, Margaret Morrison, and that would be my go-to place for any project.

They have the widest selection I know of leathers, hardware, experience, and know-how to turn that fur into a beautiful sporran.

[Troglodyte]

Hello all,
I recently was given a fur hat that had belonged to my great grandmother. It's Astrakhan wool (picture attached). I'd really like to find someone to make it into a dress sporrran. Anyone have any ideas on where to start?

Thanks

For a start, I would measure the flat area of the hat - you will need at least nine inches by seven inches of fur pelt to make the front panel of a sporran. You will need two strips of at least nine inches by two inches in addition if you want a fur gusset also.

The making-up is fairly straight-forward, once you have decided on what style you want - either the fold-over flap sort normally seen on sporrans favoured for day-wear, or the oval style that has a metal cantle to be a bit smarter. The Astrakhan hat looks like you could go with either option, and have a unique sporran as a result.

The team at Margaret Morrison, the sporran-makers based in Perth, Scotland, are well-accustomed to making bespoke sporrans, and they offer a wide selection of styles and cantles. There is a fair number on this forum who have had MM produce something superb for them.

I am a sporran-maker myself, and would be happy to discuss things further with you by PM. I like to use furs like your hat to re-dress vintage sporrans whose fur needs replacing and prefer to use 1930s - 1950s models, but I also replicate the old styles as completely new items.

[Alba]

Hello,
I'm curious if anyone knows what material was applied to the old style military leather sporran cantle faces to make them shiny? It also seems to have had a habit of seeming to melt and stick to things that the leather face rested against for a prolonged period of time.
Does anyone have any ideas on what this finish was?
Thank you.

[figheadair]

Hello,
I'm curious if anyone knows what material was applied to the old style military leather sporran cantle faces to make them shiny? It also seems to have had a habit of seeming to melt and stick to things that the leather face rested against for a prolonged period of time.
Does anyone have any ideas on what this finish was?
Thank you.

I don't know the answer but would be surprised if anything other than the ubiquitous Brasso was used to polished them.

[Jock Scot]

Hello,
I'm curious if anyone knows what material was applied to the old style military leather sporran cantle faces to make them shiny? It also seems to have had a habit of seeming to melt and stick to things that the leather face rested against for a prolonged period of time.
Does anyone have any ideas on what this finish was?
Thank you.

No idea, but perhaps shoe polish and beeswax and elbow grease?

[Padraicog]

Polishing brass is a chore. A trick I was taught was to polish the brass and then apply clear nail varnish. Many of the brass cantles I have seen have been treated in this way

[Alba]

OK, I'll try again as people don't seem to understand the question. Polishing brass is fairly obvious. The question is what was the black paste that hardened and gave old leather sporran cantles faces their shiny facade. It was clearly an applied application as it tends to warp, flack and run or time. Not sure if this is due to temperature, humidity or what, but the effects are obvious on older military sporrans. Below are some images of what I'm talking about. (I hope. First try adding pictures)

You will note how the leather can be seen under the past on the old Cameron Highlander (Canada) sporran cantle. And how its deformed around the Scots guard one and bubbled on the Cameron Highlanders piper sporran cantle.

You will also note how it's adhered to the Cameron badge of a different cantle. So it's obvious a paste of some kind that was brushed on. The question is, what was?

IMG_8415.jpg
IMG_8416.jpg
IMG_8417.jpg
IMG_8419.jpg
IMG_8418.jpg

[Janner52]

OK, I'll try again as people don't seem to understand the question. Polishing brass is fairly obvious. The question is what was the black paste that hardened and gave old leather sporran cantles faces their shiny facade. It was clearly an applied application as it tends to warp, flack and run or time. Not sure if this is due to temperature, humidity or what, but the effects are obvious on older military sporrans. Below are some images of what I'm talking about. (I hope. First try adding pictures)

You will note how the leather can be seen under the past on the old Cameron Highlander (Canada) sporran cantle. And how its deformed around the Scots guard one and bubbled on the Cameron Highlanders piper sporran cantle.

You will also note how it's adhered to the Cameron badge of a different cantle. So it's obvious a paste of some kind that was brushed on. The question is, what was?

IMG_8415.jpg
IMG_8416.jpg
IMG_8417.jpg
IMG_8419.jpg
IMG_8418.jpg

I would suggest black boot polish, spit and beeswax. That is the traditional British army way of giving leather a high gloss finish.