Silver plated MOD cantle with white leather formal bag.

[artificer]

Very nicely done! Would you wear this with a white sporran belt too, in the military style, or a chain?

As for the pinked liner behind the cantle, I considered doing something similar on one of the bags I'm building for my MoD cantle, but this seems to be a bit problematic. The snaps that attach to the studs on the inside of the cantle will only allow so much thickness of material before they simply won't stay snapped in place. If I use a leather that's too thick, the snaps want to pop off. And the problem would be compounded when using an additional layer of material (presumably felt) between the leather and the cantle. I'd be curious to know if anyone has successfully done such a liner on this type of cantle, and if so, how they made it work with the snaps.

Yup.

This is a triple-layer: bag, targe, and liner.

The leather was skived down for thickness and the snaps are actually stitched between two of the layers.

And on the same subject of the studs/snaps, it also seems that they placed the studs so close to the inside edge of the cantle that when you stitch the snaps to the leather, some of the stitching is exposed (which is why I considered doing a liner in the first place). The only way I've gotten around it so far is to just avoid stitching the snaps all the way around the hole. Where they would be exposed, I just leave the stitching out. Not exactly an ideal solution, but it should work OK since most of the load-bearing capacity of the sporran body comes from the gussets hanging by the 'knobs' at the hinge point. Anybody else had this problem with the snap stitches?

This is the reason why the way the MoD had them made works so well. The snaps are actually stitched into a "horseshoe" of leather, which is stitched to the inside top of the bag. The bag actually floats on the studs/snaps.
sorry this is a little hard to see, being black on black, but you get the idea.


All of the snap stitches are made on the horseshoe, which makes for a clean face on the bag. I've also found that the bag hangs more smoothly than with a "direct" snap attachment.
Having done a fair number of re-bags for these MOD sporran cantles, I can say that the spacing on the studs is not super-consistent.

In one case there was a ~5mm offset from the normal placement, but only on 2 studs. This piece also had the rear plate soldered on at ~8* angle off true vertical (it was tipped clockwise).

I'm betting that this construction aided in making bags for "good enough for government work" cantles.

ith:

[Tobus]

The leather was skived down for thickness and the snaps are actually stitched between two of the layers.

Yeah, I had to skive the leather around the holes on my first (trial) bag just to make the snaps work. But how do you stitch the snaps between layers of leather? All the snaps I've come across (from the original ones to the new commercially-available ones) have a 'lip' around the edge. I can't see how that would lay flush between layers of leather without cutting off the lip.

This is the reason why the way the MoD had them made works so well. The snaps are actually stitched into a "horseshoe" of leather, which is stitched to the inside top of the bag. The bag actually floats on the studs/snaps.

Well, I'll be darned. My MoD sporran was not built that way. As you can see below, the snaps were stitched directly to the front panel, with the stitching showing on the front. The way you describe makes a lot more sense, though! I wonder why mine wasn't made that way. I see no evidence of there ever having been a 'horseshoe' panel installed.

[artificer]

Yeah, I had to skive the leather around the holes on my first (trial) bag just to make the snaps work. But how do you stitch the snaps between layers of leather? All the snaps I've come across (from the original ones to the new commercially-available ones) have a 'lip' around the edge. I can't see how that would lay flush between layers of leather without cutting off the lip.

LOL, it took a bit of work, I won't lie.

Well, I'll be darned. My MoD sporran was not built that way. As you can see below, the snaps were stitched directly to the front panel, with the stitching showing on the front. The way you describe makes a lot more sense, though! I wonder why mine wasn't made that way. I see no evidence of there ever having been a 'horseshoe' panel installed.

It also appears from the picture that your bag is missing the welt in the front seam. I wonder if this bag was not a standard issue bag, but something made to replace a damaged piece.
I see that the top stitch on the gusset seam appears to be white. Is that from the blanco (so the thread would be a natural colour on the interior of the bag) or is it actually white thread (which I've never seen used on a MoD bag)?

ith:

[creagdhubh]

Well done, Harold!

[Tobus]

It also appears from the picture that your bag is missing the welt in the front seam. I wonder if this bag was not a standard issue bag, but something made to replace a damaged piece.
I see that the top stitch on the gusset seam appears to be white. Is that from the blanco (so the thread would be a natural colour on the interior of the bag) or is it actually white thread (which I've never seen used on a MoD bag)?

Could be a replacement, I dunno! As you can see below, white stitching was used on the snaps as well as at the tops of the gussets to "pinch" the side seam. White thread was also used to stitch the gusset to the front/back panels. However, at some point they added a black leather stiffener to the rear (outside) of the bag, and stitched it to the back panel using black thread. What's odd is that you can see two holes in the back panel, indicating that perhaps at some point that was the front of the sporran where a badge would have been mounted. But both the front and back panels have the snaps directly stitched to them, with no "horseshoe" panel.

This being the only MoD sporran I've seen in person, I have nothing to compare it to. So my initial impression when I got it was "wow, the workmanship on these things was pretty poor." But now, considering your comments, I suppose it's quite possible that this was an amateur-produced replacement piece.

[artificer]

Could be a replacement, I dunno! As you can see below, white stitching was used on the snaps as well as at the tops of the gussets to "pinch" the side seam. White thread was also used to stitch the gusset to the front/back panels. However, at some point they added a black leather stiffener to the rear (outside) of the bag, and stitched it to the back panel using black thread. What's odd is that you can see two holes in the back panel, indicating that perhaps at some point that was the front of the sporran where a badge would have been mounted. But both the front and back panels have the snaps directly stitched to them, with no "horseshoe" panel.

This being the only MoD sporran I've seen in person, I have nothing to compare it to. So my initial impression when I got it was "wow, the workmanship on these things was pretty poor." But now, considering your comments, I suppose it's quite possible that this was an amateur-produced replacement piece.

Tobus, PM sent to avoid further disruption of Harold's thread.

ith:

[Harold Cannon]

No worries fellas. I just let the conversation roll where it will.