Crossed or straight sporran tassels

[Anndrais]

Anndrais,

Is this what you mean by crossed tassles? http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...-refurb-91852/
It took me a bit to get the balance of the chains correct, but they have never been an issue with tangling or other.

I can see that would be quite hard to balance right! It looks great though! The style I was thinking of is more like this:

grey-seal-skin-stag-black1.jpg

I think perhaps the bells end up sliding/jumping a link or two when sitting and then not returning to centre when standing.

[OC Richard]

The style I was thinking of is more like this:

grey-seal-skin-stag-black1.jpg

That chain arrangement is nice if you don't want the tassels swinging back and forth as you walk.

Wow there's a lot of stuff going on with that cantle. Those things coming in from the sides with the thistles on them remind me of pull-tabs on beverage cans. Personally I'd like a more thought-out and internally consistent design, without all the overlapping things.

Pretty sure it was designed using a Graphic Design program and clip-art.

[ThistleDown]

The cantle is one often used by Margaret Morrison, WE Scott and others in Scotland. I seem to recall one of Kate Macpherson's african sporrans (a jackal?) with this cantle, too. I'll ask her

where they come from

when I see her next -- or maybe someone else could research that for this thread -- but I suspect an off-shore lower-labour-cost producer than will ever be found in Europe or the US of A.

The cantle is not really as unusual as you think. The little 'pull tabs' are found on many 19C silver-mounted sporrans. They were usually round protrusions, and not quite as nose-like as this one, perhaps, but still there are examples in the centuries of design craftsmanship and before these last few years of computer-generated fashion.

All of these things are personal preferences and time-sensitive, of course.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the 'new' crossed-chain-tassel design. But neither was I much fond of the so-called 'hunter' when it became fashionable. The latter seems now to be fairly reasonable, in my mind (although I wish they could rename it 'urban' since it has nothing to do with 'hunting') I suppose that's my acceptance of another move forward in the tradition of TCHD.

Good.

[OC Richard]

The cantle is not really as unusual as you think. The little 'pull tabs' are found on many 19C silver-mounted sporrans. They were usually round protrusions, and not quite as nose-like as this one, perhaps, but still there are examples in the centuries of design craftsmanship and before these last few years of computer-generated fashion.

Not familiar with a design like that on a vintage cantle, with the stuck-on looking portions. (Stuck on because they're a different level/height, such as would be made in the old days with a separate sheet of metal soldered on.)

Ditto the 3D deer head stuck on in the middle.

Not only those things, but the designs overall look clip-art-like (numerous unrelated designs placed here and there).

[Panache]

Personally I think the crossed chains look rather nice.

However as a Scottish Country Dancer I also think "Dancing Montgomeries' Rant or The Reel of the 51st Division would tie all those chains in a knot! "



Cheers

Jamie

[Taskr]

I can see that would be quite hard to balance right! It looks great though! The style I was thinking of is more like this:



I think perhaps the bells end up sliding/jumping a link or two when sitting and then not returning to centre when standing.

The bells are going to be fixed at the connection point to the chain (or should be) and that arrangement doesn't appear to risk tangling.