Quality Sporrans for less money

**California Highlander** · 8th January 23, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

Having no stamp unfortunately leaves us in the dark as to whether or not it's Scottish-made.

W E Scott & Son used to use that gold oval Made In Scotland Real Leather stamp, but at some point (I wish I knew when) they stopped stamping their sporrans, just putting on a sticker.

<deleted stuff>

and it was often sold with a fur front.

I LOVE this style and keep hoping one turns up that I can afford.

Thanks OC Richard for posting.

**OC Richard** · 9th January 23, 06:01 AM

Originally Posted by California Highlander

I LOVE this style and keep hoping one turns up that I can afford.

Thanks OC Richard for posting.

You're welcome!

There is a brown leather Day sporran with seal front on Ebay now, a nice Forsyth one. It's got quite a few bids already, and I do wonder how high it will go.

**piperalpha** · 9th January 23, 06:29 AM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

You're welcome!

There is a brown leather Day sporran with seal front on Ebay now, a nice Forsyth one. It's got quite a few bids already, and I do wonder how high it will go.

I imagine it will go for a fair amount. It’s a handsome sporran. I considered bidding on it but I’m already after a goat hair sporran.

**Troglodyte** · 14th January 23, 12:46 AM

Here's a nice lot on eBay at the moment

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175570538174

The bidding is only £5.50 ($6.73) but there are still six days to go...

The leather and fur, with brass flap-plate is interesting, and has a 1940s air to it. Someone could get lucky if the bidding remains low, but I suspect it will soar.

**OC Richard** · 14th January 23, 04:56 AM

Yes that's an interesting lot!

What I make of it

1) Queens Own Highlanders Other Ranks No1 Dress c1968-1994

2) Royal Regiment of Scotland (all ranks) No1 Dress 2006-present

3) Pakistani rabbit fur

4) The interesting one!

I recall seeing a sporran something like that, but at the moment the closest sporran I can find is this interesting one, the only time I've seen a "window" on the flap showing seal fur.

The shape of the flap and type of tassels seem similar.

On the other hand these Forsyth sporrans, while having similar tassels, all have pointy flaps.

**JPS** · 14th January 23, 05:22 AM

Here's an elegant, simple day sporran in brown, with the gold Made in Scotland stamp on the back. The sporran looks virtually unworn, and it even comes with a leather strap.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/266076008448

**Scottish Rock** · 24th January 23, 08:01 AM

Not sure if this is the thread for it but I'm on the lookout for a sporran to complement the kilt that I ordered two days ago. I won't be receiving it before June so plenty of time.

I understand that a Scottish or UK made sporran is going to be more expensive than a Pakistani one, but I came across these two listings which show two rather similar sporrans but at extremely different prices:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/8766...an-with-celtic
£108.90
il_794xN.2550181892_rfxh.jpg

vs

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scottish-Le...ef_=ast_sto_dp
£15.00
A1-StJAAiGL._AC_UX679_.jpg

They are clearly not identical but I actually prefer the look of the cheaper one (does anyone agree?), although that could be partly due to differences in lighting. I'm not sure I want tassels on my sporran but at such a low price I might be willing to settle for this.

What I'm wondering is if either of these should be considered a scam: the cheaper one because it might be vastly inferior quality or the more expensive one because it might be of no better quality but simply has been marked up drastically to make more profit. Or maybe it's just that the expensive one is Scottish made and the cheaper one is Pakistani made but still good quality?

Any ideas?

**JPS** · 24th January 23, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by Scottish Rock

Not sure if this is the thread for it but I'm on the lookout for a sporran to complement the kilt that I ordered two days ago. I won't be receiving it before June so plenty of time.

I understand that a Scottish or UK made sporran is going to be more expensive than a Pakistani one, but I came across these two listings which show two rather similar sporrans but at extremely different prices:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/8766...an-with-celtic
£108.90
il_794xN.2550181892_rfxh.jpg

vs

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scottish-Le...ef_=ast_sto_dp
£15.00
A1-StJAAiGL._AC_UX679_.jpg

They are clearly not identical but I actually prefer the look of the cheaper one (does anyone agree?), although that could be partly due to differences in lighting. I'm not sure I want tassels on my sporran but at such a low price I might be willing to settle for this.

What I'm wondering is if either of these should be considered a scam: the cheaper one because it might be vastly inferior quality or the more expensive one because it might be of no better quality but simply has been marked up drastically to make more profit. Or maybe it's just that the expensive one is Scottish made and the cheaper one is Pakistani made but still good quality?

Any ideas?

The more expensive one is from Artisans of Scotland and is most likely made by WE Scott and Son, a respected UK shop.

The cheaper sporran may be fine quality, or it may be made of inferior materials that will break down quickly and leave you in need of another. It's extremely hard to say for sure, though for the price, one of these scenarios is more likely than the other. Another very likely possibility is that the picture being used by the cheaper seller has been taken from a listing for a higher quality sporran, which is a fairly common practice among purveyors of mass-produced sporrans and other Scottish-like wear.

**kilted2000** · 24th January 23, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by Scottish Rock

They are clearly not identical but I actually prefer the look of the cheaper one (does anyone agree?), although that could be partly due to differences in lighting. I'm not sure I want tassels on my sporran but at such a low price I might be willing to settle for this.

Any ideas?

Do you really want to settle for something you kind of like instead of something you really like for something you might be wearing for years to come? If you are on a tight budget(been there), ebay and this thread can be your friend.

**Scottish Rock** · 24th January 23, 08:54 AM

Originally Posted by kilted2000

Do you really want to settle for something you kind of like instead of something you really like for something you might be wearing for years to come? If you are on a tight budget(been there), ebay and this thread can be your friend.

It's just that I'm not sure if I like it with tassels or not. I think the cheaper one does look great but a sporran with tassels might be a bit more dressy than what I would like for me personally. On the other hand I have zero experience with highlandwear and it seems like most day sporrans have tassels so obviously it's considered a good look and maybe I just need to get accustomed to it.

I don't want my own ignorance to dictate all my choices only to end up with something that no highlander would never wear

.