W.E.Scott Sporrans

[Dave Kerr]

I had no idea that W.E. Scott was still in business.

Thanks to member OC Richard, I bought the white rabbit "pony" sporran he found on eBay and linked to in his recent post.

And then I found their wares here:

https://www.artisansofscotland.com/a...cott-and-sons/


Dave

[User]

Nice! Richard has a knack for finding the best sporran deals. I currently own three, all thanks to him.

[Troglodyte]

I had no idea that W.E. Scott was still in business.

Thanks to member OC Richard, I bought the white rabbit "pony" sporran he found on eBay and linked to in his recent post.

And then I found their wares here:

https://www.artisansofscotland.com/a...cott-and-sons/


Dave

Scotts are no longer producing sporrans in the way they once did, but much of their old range is still readily available with the option to specifiy leather, fur and cantle when ordering new.

Margaret Morrison (who uses Nicoll Bros' old patterns) are probably the most prolific sporran-maker now in scotland, but Ian Grant in Edinburgh should not be forgotten - his range of cantles is like no other.

[OC Richard]

Yes WE Scott is still in business, surprising because dozens of Pakistani makers are churning out thousands of cheap copies of their classic designs.

They were established in 1937.

Interestingly they've never stamped their name of their sporrans. For something like a half-century they used a gold oval Made In Scotland Real Leather stamp, but more recently have taken to just putting a sticker on the back, which often falls off.

As the quality of leather and workmanship of WE Scott sporrans has declined, many have turned to L&M Highland in Canada, who have long made all the same models but have (last I checked) maintained the older WE Scott quality.

Nicoll Brothers (founded in the 1840s) used most, or all, of the same FN/D&N cantles as WE Scott and L&M, and offered many identical models, though their body shape was unique (short and squat). Nicoll Brothers appear to have maintained their old quality right up to being bought out first by Piob Mhor (1983) and in turn by Margaret Morrison (2007).

In any case here's a comparison of WE Scott work from over the years showing progressive simplification. Note that the punched holes are totally gone from the current offering (far right).

(Yes I know it's apples & oranges due to the left-hand one being a different model.)

[Dave Kerr]

Fascinating.

I have a L&M sporran on the way (I dread the 35% tariffs on it).

I also recently bought a Nicoll Brothers' sporran you had found on eBay.

I pine for the white mink dress sporran of Margaret Morrison.

And I am seriously considering the Red Fox Dress sporran by W.E. Scott. I am disappointed to learn that their quality and workmanship has declined though.


Dave

Yes WE Scott is still in business, surprising because dozens of Pakistani makers are churning out thousands of cheap copies of their classic designs.

They were established in 1937.

Interestingly they've never stamped their name of their sporrans. For something like a half-century they used a gold oval Made In Scotland Real Leather stamp, but more recently have taken to just putting a sticker on the back, which often falls off.

As the quality of leather and workmanship of WE Scott sporrans has declined, many have turned to L&M Highland in Canada, who have long made all the same models but have (last I checked) maintained the older WE Scott quality.

Nicoll Brothers (founded in the 1840s) used most, or all, of the same FN/D&N cantles as WE Scott and L&M, and offered many identical models, though their body shape was unique (short and squat). Nicoll Brothers appear to have maintained their old quality right up to being bought out first by Piob Mhor (1983) and in turn by Margaret Morrison (2007).

In any case here's a comparison of WE Scott work from over the years showing progressive simplification. Note that the punched holes are totally gone from the current offering (far right).

(Yes I know it's apples & oranges due to the left-hand one being a different model.)

[OC Richard]

I have a L&M sporran on the way (I dread the 35% tariffs on it).

I also recently bought a Nicoll Brothers' sporran you had found on eBay.

I pine for the white mink dress sporran of Margaret Morrison.

And I am seriously considering the Red Fox Dress sporran by W.E. Scott.

Wow you're jumping in with both feet! Good for you.

Generally over the last 50 years I've only owned a couple sporrans at any given time.

But I'm planning to do a "history of the sporran" Youtube video, and to have examples to show various time-periods and styles I've been gathering sporrans right and left.

The sticking point has been that nobody seems to make the style that was popular from around 1790 to around 1830. Every period of sporran history has been revived except that one.

It seems I'm going to have to make one!

(As soon as that darn video is done there will be a mass sell-off.)

[Father Bill]

*snip*
I'm planning to do a "history of the sporran" Youtube video, and to have examples to show various time-periods and styles I've been gathering sporrans right and left.

I look forward to seeing this when it's ready. Don't neglect to post a link. Your visual insights mean a lot to a lot of us!

[geomick]

... (As soon as that darn video is done there will be a mass sell-off.)

hopefully you will offer them here first

(sensing a great disturbance in my checking account balance)

[OC Richard]

I look forward to seeing this when it's ready. Don't neglect to post a link. Your visual insights mean a lot to a lot of us!

Thanks! I've done whatever research I can, being in the USA, though I did visit the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh to get close-up views of the early portraits.

What I'm missing is this period. By the 1790s sporrans had become large square white fur things.

This Napoleonic-era Black Watch officers' sporran is on the ornate side, many just had plain fur flaps.

For this one, imagine a modern "Prince Charlie" sporran but maybe twice as big.