Zebra Day Sporran

[MacCathmhaoil]

There is a zebra day sporran on eBay at the moment if anyone has had a long standing need for one!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333574922654

[Jock Scot]

I seem to recall that the late Duke of Atholl used wear one similar on occasion. He was of South African extraction and it didn't look half bad when being worn by him.

[OC Richard]

There's something not quite right about that sporran.

I'm very familiar with that pattern of Day sporran, which was in regular production from the 1920s through 1990s if not still.

I have never seen it, or any other adult size modern Day or Evening sporran, made with two tiny tassels like that. Child and youth sporrans have long been made with two tassels, adult sporrans with three.

The tassels, in other words, scream "aftermarket" modification.

If I had to guess, I would guess that if you looked inside you would see the holes for the original three tassels, only two of which are currently utilized, and that the zebra fabric was glued onto the front of an originally plain-leather sporran. To know for sure one would have to look inside and see if the fur was originally sewn into the gusset, or just stuck on the front.

To do that the original tassels had to be removed. Perhaps one was lost, perhaps all were lost and two tassels were obtained from a youth sporran. The spacing indicates they're using the outside two of the original three holes. And the tassels are far too short and high, something an actual sporranmaker wouldn't do.

I see that on Ebay all the time, old sporrans that an owner at some point modified. There are a few on Ebay right now.

[MacCathmhaoil]

The tassels appear to be made of the same type/colour of leather so I’m not sure about being an after market add on. Perhaps there were three at one time and the centre one has been lost.

[OC Richard]

The tassels appear to be made of the same type/colour of leather so I’m not sure about being an after market add on. Perhaps there were three at one time and the centre one has been lost.

Yes, the tassels appear to match. Sporrans have been made from that same colour leather for a century so the fact that they match does suggest, but does not prove, that they're from the same sporran.

However they're too short. That tells me they're an aftermarket modification.

I would need to look inside to know for sure about the fur and tassels.

I've seen many instances of fur being added to plain sporrans by previous owners. I did similar myself many years ago, I picked up a balding Evening Dress sporran and added new fur.

[MacCathmhaoil]

Richard,
I agree you’d need a peek inside to tell for certain regarding the tassels, I do believe the zebra is original to the sporran due to the way it’s constructed. It may be that the tassels are intentionally shortened for some reason, personal preference perhaps or to reduce the drumming of them bouncing on the front. I’m sure your collection could use an exotic addition, you could buy it and we’d all know for certain!

[Pleater]

Whenever I have been running my gaze down the list of threads I have come to this one and wondered when Zebra Day features in the callender, and have I missed it.

Every time.

Anne the Pleater.

[Shinenotburn]

Whenever I have been running my gaze down the list of threads I have come to this one and wondered when Zebra Day features in the callender, and have I missed it.

Every time.

Anne the Pleater.

You must have missed it, it's right there in black and white.

[OC Richard]

when Zebra Day features in the calendar

We need a Zebra Day kilt to complete the outfit.

About Ebay aftermarket-modified sporrans, I just saw this one. Wow.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Scottish-Bl...temCondition=4

It started life as one of those generic Other Ranks MOD sporrans that were issued in the 1980s. Evidently a money-saving scheme, a single sporran design was issued to all the kilted regiments. It had several holes so that you could arrange the tassels according to your regiment.

This one has had tassels put on in a creative non-regulation way, and to top it off (literally) they replaced the original MOD cantle with a civilian one.

[M A N N A]

It was my Zebra Sporran that was listed on ebay and it is now sold and en-route to America.
I've just joined the forum and I'm looking for some advise on where I can buy a cantle for a pheasant sporran. Any help is greatly appreciated!