Sporran #11 - Commission, Skunk: WIP

**BLHS209** · 24th August 10, 05:54 PM

Like the skunk with the dark cantel. Plus, you have white stripes where usually they are yellow-white (like mine). Like others, looking forward to more of the "in progress" photos.

**artificer** · 24th August 10, 08:12 PM

Thanks all! I've been really excited to get this project rolling. My favorite part of making sporrans is in developing a new model or detail.

Originally Posted by BLHS209

Like the skunk with the dark cantel. Plus, you have white stripes where usually they are yellow-white (like mine). Like others, looking forward to more of the "in progress" photos.

I actually ordered a couple of pelts so I'd be sure the commissioner got exactly what he wanted. The other that came in has a more yellowish cast. I'll probably use that for my son, he's four and wants a skunk sporran... oh what we do for our children

**artificer** · 29th August 10, 05:00 AM

As much as I hate posting over myself, I'm going to do it again

Updates.
All of the cantle plates are cut, shaped, slicked, cased and marked for stitches. Tooling and hammering is finished on the front plate.

An interesting little development is the potential addition of the small, pinked decorative trim shown edging the cantle (this one is a test piece). This detail may not stay in, but occurred to me yesterday as I was looking at some of the MacLeay illustrations.

I had originally proposed it in red, but the commissioner wanted to stay monochrome.

Back to progress:

The top-knot is finished and dyed, the gusset is cut, all of the interiors are trimmed in their red suede, and tonight I begin dyeing the cantle plates and cutting miles of lace for all of the braid work.

**Downunder Kilt** · 29th August 10, 05:09 AM

I know it's a commision piece Artificer and that the cantle, I presume, will be dark brown to match the top knot, but I really like the lighter leather as it is in its undyed state. There is just a "earthy" contrast, if you get what I am trying to say. Again, beautiful work though

**artificer** · 29th August 10, 06:31 AM

Originally Posted by Downunder Kilt

I know it's a commision piece Artificer and that the cantle, I presume, will be dark brown to match the top knot, but I really like the lighter leather as it is in its undyed state. There is just a "earthy" contrast, if you get what I am trying to say. Again, beautiful work though

Thanks Downunder!

The cantle will end up black. The top knot is also, I'm not sure exactly why it appears brownish in the image- it must be a weird reflection from the flash.

When I originally started designing elements of this cantle, my vision for it was a medium-dark brown, with the hammered elements lightly antiqued in a copper colour. I thought this with red fox or similar would be great. The nice thing about the antiquing is that you still get to see all of the colour variation that comes from the tooling process, so it does retain that organic feel.

**ShaunMaxwell** · 29th August 10, 12:40 PM

Hey, I think the pinked piece in black makes it look more finished, so let's go with that. Thanks for posting the progress to date.

SM

**artificer** · 30th August 10, 06:03 AM

Originally Posted by ShaunMaxwell

Hey, I think the pinked piece in black makes it look more finished, so let's go with that. Thanks for posting the progress to date.

SM

Excellent! I'll cut it today.

I have a few updates, but no new pix (yet).

Everything is out of the dye vat, and it is BLACK! It took about 40 minutes of buffing to remove the excess surface dye from 6 little pieces. If the humidity isn't too terrible today, they will get their secondary oiling and finish.

Lace cutting progresses slowly.

With a spot of luck I should have pictures of preliminary assembly this evening.