Leather Sporran Colors

[geomick]

or is that colours?

From what I have seen so far, it seems like leather day sporrans are produced in a wide rainbow of colors, as long as black and brown are the only colors in the rainbow.

Is that true? Would the sight of a sporran in oxblood be shocking? (red-brown color, not actual blood, just to be clear) Or should I go with Spanish Brown (an orangish light brown) without objection?

What about a really dark green or navy blue?

Trying to get a sense of the sensibilities before starting a few upcoming projects.

(intending to link the Fiebing's dye color chart, hopefully it works)

[kilted2000]

Sporrans can be in a variety of colors but not every seller offers the range. This is the website of a popular sporran maker. You can select what color you want, mostly shades of brown as well as ox blood and navy. https://morrison-sporrans.co.uk/prod...ar-sporran-l6a

[geomick]

They stay mostly with the brown section of the spectrum, and it looks like the bolder flash of color is done with the interior suede lining choices

I still may consider a dark green as an option. Planning to do 2 with the same carved design (thistles and knotwork). One will likely be a shade of brown with additional dark antiquing stain. The carving will be given a resist layer to stay lighter than the background while still letting the cuts be antiqued.

[Troglodyte]

or is that colours?

From what I have seen so far, it seems like leather day sporrans are produced in a wide rainbow of colors, as long as black and brown are the only colors in the rainbow.

Is that true? Would the sight of a sporran in oxblood be shocking? (red-brown color, not actual blood, just to be clear) Or should I go with Spanish Brown (an orangish light brown) without objection?

What about a really dark green or navy blue?

Trying to get a sense of the sensibilities before starting a few upcoming projects.

(intending to link the Fiebing's dye color chart, hopefully it works)

Most retailers of sporrans are not the makers - but buy-in from the maker what is both economic and likely to sell fairly quickly. Naturally enough, colour choice is limited.

There are now only a couple of actual sporran-makers left in Scotland, working on what you might call a commercial scale, but these offer a choice of shades and finishes in their colours readily available. They will also make up a sporran from materials supplied by the customer.

High Street shoe-repair services usually offer a leather dying option, so buying a light-ish tan sporran and having a tint of the shade you are after may be a good and easy alternative option. Dying already coloured leather is always a bit of a risk, as they dyes may combat each other, and the amount of residue oil in the leather will be an influencing factor. Also, they type of leather needs consideration - bovine leathers respond differently from pigskin or goat leathers.

In other words, a bit of trial and error before applying dye to a finished sporran is highly recommended..!

Ox-blood is usually a deep red/brown, or chestnut, colour which can be very attractive in a sporran - indeed, some vintage sporrans are ox-blood and appear much less muddy or chocolate-toned than many browns.

It is also useful to remember that oil-based leather treatments (avoid wax-based for sporrans) will often take the leather colour a shade darker than original - especially if the leather is particularly dry. The oils from the hands that get transferred during handling do the same thing, but may take years to do - and gets called patina.

As for other colours, vintage fur-front sporrans are often seen with red or green backs, and occasionally in blue, so coloured leathers have always had their role in sporran-making.

[Jock Scot]

The colour of the sporran is a personal choice..........however.....if you want to go down the traditional route, then brown or black would be a usual choice. To my mind though, sporrans of other colours smack of people trying too hard to be different.

[kiltedsawyer]

Years ago, when attending the games at Stone Mountain, (and before I owned a kilt,) I noticed a gentlemen wearing an oxblood brogued sporran which matched his kilted loafers of the same color. I thought the sporran quite handsome and thought that I might own a similar piece once I purchased my first kilt. I now own three sporrans, (but none in oxblood,) and find myself up against a spousal set limit for pretty much all things kilt related...................but one can dream.

Cheers,

David

[OC Richard]

The simple answer would be that in the old days sporran leather wasn't coloured at all- it was the colour the leather naturally was.

Sporrans made of cowhide were brown, of pigskin a sort of ginger, deerskin buff, and so forth.

When leather was coloured it would be in the range of natural-looking colours (though in truth I don't know how "natural" the quite dark brown that used to be popular was).

Even as late as the 1960s these are your choices



Black leather sporrans don't appear until around 1980, often the newly-invented "semi dress" style, created specifically as part of a Kilt Hire package which included a black Prince Charlie and black Ghillies.

I've illustrated that process:



Being that I'm really only interested in pre-Kilt Hire Highland Dress, the idea of coloured sporrans doesn't appeal to me.

[Jock Scot]

The simple answer would be that in the old days sporran leather wasn't coloured at all- it was the colour the leather naturally was.

Sporrans made of cowhide were brown, of pigskin a sort of ginger, deerskin buff, and so forth.

........

Black leather sporrans don't appear until around 1980, .............

Errr, not quite. To my certain knowledge the occasional black sporran, worn with day wear, was seen in the 1940's. Not common place, I grant you, but most certainly they were about.

[DCampbell16B]

I bought my first day wear sporran about 1975 or 76. I got if from a reseller here in the States, so I don't know who made it. I got it because it was inexpensive and I didn't have a lot of money. I still use it fairly regularly. It was brown, and I doubt there was much choice in my price range. I immediately dyed it black. I just prefer it.

[imrichmond]

Errr, not quite. To my certain knowledge the occasional black sporran, worn with day wear, was seen in the 1940's. Not common place, I grant you, but most certainly they were about.

In 1983, I purchased a hunting-style sporran from sporran maker Alex Robertson at his shop. The sporran was black with a brass cantle. I still have it and often wear it. Admittedly, this was post 1980, but I recall that I had the choice of several black leather sporrans on offer in Robertson's shop.

In 1977, I joined a grade 1 pipe band that issued both a full-dress uniform and a day-wear uniform, the latter featuring an argyle jacket, off-white full-length hose and a leather day sporran. The day sporrans were black. Prior to that time, I can recall having seen only brown leather sporrans, even among pipe bands.