trad 'canon' of sporran styles

**Lime** · 20th December 12, 02:01 AM

Funny thing was, over the years several other sporran makers sent us their catalogues, and always the same set of photos was included! Quite obviously the same photos with the same designations.

While working in the shop, and while travelling in Scotland, I picked up catalogues from several Highland outfitters in Scotland, and at least a half-dozen of them had the same set of photos in their catalogues!

The same practice seems to be ongoing:

http://www.wilkinsonshighlandwear.com/access.html

**Mael Coluim** · 20th December 12, 04:07 AM

Fascinating! Thanks for sharing OC!

**creagdhubh** · 20th December 12, 05:54 AM

Originally Posted by Lime

The same practice seems to be ongoing:

http://www.wilkinsonshighlandwear.com/access.html

Nice! I especially like the EW7/T dress sporran (mink, or sealskin?), I wonder if this style is still available for purchase?

Cheers,

**Harold Cannon** · 20th December 12, 08:44 AM

Kyle I like that style myself. I even made one. I think that L and M has that pattern if I am not mistaken.

Here is mine.

**OC Richard** · 21st December 12, 05:02 AM

One of my very first sporrans was a lovely vintage sealskin EW7/T which I bought at one of the first Highland Games I attended, around 1976.

A guy had a booth... well it would have been a booth, but his tent and his tables hadn't been delivered yet, so he just had stuff lying on the dirt.

One of the things lying on the dirt was a fantastic vintage Prince Charlie, another was that sealskin sporran, and I bought both of them. The Prince Charlie actually had dirty footprints on it.

Here they are, worn at one of my earliest piping gigs (after sending the PC to the drycleaners), the wedding of a friend who BTW is a member here! (photo edited, Dave!)

Anyhow let's compare the "canon" of sporrans above to some earlier catalogues, first Anderson 1936

Rowans 1938

Henderson, 1939

another Anderson, c1955

"Tartan Gift Shop" c1960

**English Bloke** · 21st December 12, 05:38 AM

Does seem like today's standard range, has always been the standard range.

**thescot** · 21st December 12, 06:31 AM

OC, I remember the same cryptic item "numbers" (for lack of a better word) in all the catalogs back in the 80s and 90s. I was thinking a while back that the same photos and numbers had been around so long and wondered how they came to be and what had happened to them. When I bought my first kilt (it, too, came from House of Edgar, and I still wear it) I had ordered all the catalogs and swatches I could, and as I recall, everyone had the same sporran pages.

Who in the world came up with it to start with? It was very convenient for all the outfitters, for sure. I must have had at least 5 different outfitters catalogs back then, and they all used it.