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  1. #1
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    Antique / Vintage Sporran Question

    Hi , can anyone advise me on this sporran please,
    I think its Victorian and with goat hair with silver / plate mount
    The stamp is LG & Co Leckie Graham & co Glasgow ?? Any help thanks
    Last edited by macmac; 3rd January 23 at 02:13 PM.

  2. #2
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    What are the dimensions? Especially what is the width of the cantle at its widest point?

    Because the proportions look a bit like a youth's sporran, but it's hard to know from photos sometimes.

    About the date, it's probably not Victorian, but rather probably around 1910 at the earliest and around 1940 at the latest.

    Those cantles were cast from solid nickel-silver AKA German silver AKA cupro-nickel. It was by far the most common metal for bagpipe mounts, sporran cantles, buckles, cap badges, etc from Victorian times up till around WWII.

    For some reason around the 1950s they started casting cantles and buckles from brass and plating them with nickel, later with chrome.

    If you look under the horsehair in front you might see that the front panel of the sporran body is faced with goat hair. That's the older way to make horsehair sporrans.

    It looks like a civilian sporran, which is interesting because the sporrans I've seen stamped Leckie Graham have been MOD regimental sporrans.

    Here's a Seaforth Highlanders sporran stamped Leckie Graham Glasgow 1910

    Last edited by OC Richard; 3rd January 23 at 04:35 PM.
    Proud Mountaineer from the Highlands of West Virginia; son of the Revolution and Civil War; first Europeans on the Guyandotte

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  4. #3
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    A quick look around provided this 1906 Leckie Graham advert, very nice.

    I didn't know anything about the firm other than them making army sporrans.

    They also made leather suitcases.

    (Don't look at that intersection now, it's sad.)

    Last edited by OC Richard; 3rd January 23 at 05:12 PM.
    Proud Mountaineer from the Highlands of West Virginia; son of the Revolution and Civil War; first Europeans on the Guyandotte

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  6. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by OC Richard View Post
    What are the dimensions? Especially what is the width of the cantle at its widest point?

    Because the proportions look a bit like a youth's sporran, but it's hard to know from photos sometimes.

    About the date, it's probably not Victorian, but rather probably around 1910 at the earliest and around 1940 at the latest.

    Those cantles were cast from solid nickel-silver AKA German silver AKA cupro-nickel. It was by far the most common metal for bagpipe mounts, sporran cantles, buckles, cap badges, etc from Victorian times up till around WWII.

    For some reason around the 1950s they started casting cantles and buckles from brass and plating them with nickel, later with chrome.

    If you look under the horsehair in front you might see that the front panel of the sporran body is faced with goat hair. That's the older way to make horsehair sporrans.

    It looks like a civilian sporran, which is interesting because the sporrans I've seen stamped Leckie Graham have been MOD regimental sporrans.

    Here's a Seaforth Highlanders sporran stamped Leckie Graham Glasgow 1910

    Hi , and thanks , the size is 6/14" x 13" ,
    looking under the hair it seems to be all the same soft hair stitched on to leather.
    its also much softer and shiny than horse hair ones i have had.

    Thanks

  7. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by macmac View Post

    the size is 6/14" x 13"
    Sorry but I don't know how to interpret those numbers.

    Do you mean 6 1/4"?

    If so, is that the width of the metal cantle, or the width of the leather sporran body?

    13" long suggests a youth's sporran, as the more-or-less standard length of adult horsehair sporrans is 18". (Goathair ones like yours can be less.)

    Quote Originally Posted by macmac View Post

    looking under the hair it seems to be all the same soft hair stitched on to leather.

    it's also much softer and shiny than horse hair ones i have had.
    Yes I think the entire thing is goat hair. As you say goat hair is much softer than horsehair.

    The interesting thing is how, after they started using horsehair for extra length, they continued to have the front of the sporran faced in goathair, until recently.
    Last edited by OC Richard; 4th January 23 at 12:30 PM.
    Proud Mountaineer from the Highlands of West Virginia; son of the Revolution and Civil War; first Europeans on the Guyandotte

  8. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by OC Richard View Post
    Sorry but I don't know how to interpret those numbers.

    Do you mean 6 1/4"?

    If so, is that the width of the metal cantle, or the width of the leather sporran body?

    13" long suggests a youth's sporran, as the more-or-less standard length of adult horsehair sporrans is 18". (Goathair ones like yours can be less.)



    Yes I think the entire thing is goat hair. As you say goat hair is much softer than horsehair.

    The interesting thing is how, after they started using horsehair for extra length, they continued to have the front of the sporran faced in goathair, until recently.
    Hi Sorry its 6 1/4" that's the width of the metal cantle , but i think the sporran might of had a hair cut .
    if you see the picture of the back where the
    tassels are attached they have been lifted up and secured with a safety pin.

    Thanks

  9. #7
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    Thanks, yes a cantle 6.25 inches wide indicates an adult sporran.

    Goat hair sporrans are often a bit shorter than horsehair ones, but the hair usually ended in uneven wispy bits.

    I wonder if a previous owner wanted more of the look of modern short Evening sporrans.

    Even trimmed, it's quite a find!

    It probably looked something like this when new. (This one looks a bit trimmed as well.)



    They often could be quite long.

    Last edited by OC Richard; 5th January 23 at 08:08 AM.
    Proud Mountaineer from the Highlands of West Virginia; son of the Revolution and Civil War; first Europeans on the Guyandotte

  10. #8
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    Red face

    Quote Originally Posted by OC Richard View Post
    Thanks, yes a cantle 6.25 inches wide indicates an adult sporran.

    Goat hair sporrans are often a bit shorter than horsehair ones, but the hair usually ended in uneven wispy bits.

    I wonder if a previous owner wanted more of the look of modern short Evening sporrans.

    Even trimmed, it's quite a find!

    It probably looked something like this when new. (This one looks a bit trimmed as well.)



    They often could be quite long.


    Thanks , The Inverness photo could be it , LOL thats where it came from

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