Leather Sporran Colors

[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.

[Troglodyte]

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).

In my experience, all newly tanned leather (unless an exotic skin, like snake) is a kind of creamy/sandy colour, as the tanning and hair-removal process seems to have the same effect despite different animal origins.

Bovine (both calf and mature beast) are close to butter in colour, while pigskin is a similar buff shade with often a slight hint of pink. Sheep, goat and deer are similar to bovine - think buckskins for the natural colour.

Leathers produced commercially are invariably highly processed, with graining and texture being 'printed' or impressed under high pressure, and the dyed colour added for the intended market.

E. W. Scott had a range of pigskin sporrans which appeared in their catalogues as 'khaki' which was highly oil-absorbant and usually had an edge-binding strip in a slightly contrasting bovine leather as this is far better suited for that role. These sporrans have an appealing 'natural' appearance, but are actually coloured, and take on a pleasing patina with regular use. Sweaty hands are great for giving quick results.

A truly natural toned sporran would have a very pale appearance - like the buckskins I mentioned - so I believe the sporran-makers of the early to mid-20th century were sourcing their leathers and the colour very carefully.

All the old catalogues seem to be mainly brown leather for informal use (ie, not dressy eveningwear hair or fur) as that is the way in Britain (think 'No Brown in Town') as I believe most men would have only two sporrans - one for dressy occasions, the other for casual like Highland Games, hence the popularity of brown.

When it comes to the Highland regiments, the ORs were issued with brown sporrans which they had to make black, and it was not until they were promoted to NCO or above that their brown sporrans could remain brown. All ranks would be in black brogues (unlike other regiments in the British Army where officers and NCOs wear brown footwear) and it is this black-brogues-brown-sporran combo' that I believe influenced civilian daywear as men returned to civilian life after doing their military service.

Many people find mismatched leather colours make them feel awkward, and probably see a black sporran with black brogues as a better pairing than a brown sporran - so the sporran-makers happily obliged. Also, black looks smarter than brown, but is less dressy than fur or hair for daywear, and so having the option of black sporrans satisfies a market that at one time did not exist. How early the black option was avilable is a bit of guess-work - I have two identical sporrans by Forsyths, one in oxblood, the other black, that date from c1930s.

[DCampbell16B]

Many people find mismatched leather colours make them feel awkward, and probably see a black sporran with black brogues as a better pairing than a brown sporran - so the sporran-makers happily obliged. Also, black looks smarter than brown, but is less dressy than fur or hair for daywear, and so having the option of black sporrans satisfies a market that at one time did not exist. How early the black option was avilable is a bit of guess-work - I have two identical sporrans by Forsyths, one in oxblood, the other black, that date from c1930s.

Maybe that explains my preference.

[OC Richard]

Of course bespoke sporrans could always have been made at any time, and it's always possible a small boutique maker could have made anything at any time.

But as far as what can be documented, what is seen is that Day sporrans were brown up until around 1980.

It coincides with the rise of Kilt Hire adopting the black Prince Charlie + black Ghillies costume, and Pipe Bands adopting the black Argyll + black Ghillies + black Glengarry costume.

BTW in the military it started becoming the fashion in the 1960s (as best I can tell) for the soldiers to turn their brown-issued sporrans black. The MOD relented and started issuing hideous black Courlene sporrans at some point.

I have a collection of catalogues going from around 1906 up through around 1980 and black sporrans aren't pictured or mentioned.

Well "around 1980". The earliest evidence I have of black sporrans being sold is a 1978 catalogue that lists 14 sporran styles in brown and 2 in black, a snapshot of the beginning of the Kilt Hire black sporran thing.

A 1983 catalogue lists 12 Day styles, all brown, with a footnote saying that a few of them are available in black for extra cost.

This 1983 catalogue also is the first evidence I've seen of what we call "semi-dress" sporrans. They call them "Day/Evening Wear" and offer four styles. It's another snapshot of how Kilt Hire was about to change the face of Highland Dress.

As far as imagery is concerned I haven't seen a photo that conclusively shows a black sporran prior to the rise of Kilt Hire. Thing is, an extremely dark brown had long been a popular colour. I've repeatedly seen these sold on Ebay being described as black by the seller, though in the photos it's clear that they're dark brown.

People have also pointed to an old photo or two saying they show a black sporran, though from such photos it's impossible to know.

Like any historian I say "show me the evidence" (unambiguous dated photo, dated catalogue mentioning sporran colour, dated bill of sale mentioning sporran colour, etc.)

Even if one or two documented black sporrans are presented it doesn't change the fact that 99% (if not more) were brown. This very thread includes mention of a brown sporran being turned black by the owner, something else to consider. A friend of mine did the same thing with a lovely ginger Hunting sporran I sold him.

[DCampbell16B]

This very thread includes mention of a brown sporran being turned black by the owner, something else to consider. .

Guilty. But not feeling too guilty.

And you have first person written documentation up above.

[geomick]

I now own a dress sporran.

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[User]

I now own a dress sporran.

20250718_203920sm.jpg

That's a beauty. Is that bovine fur?