horse hair sporran only for pipers???

[Tattoo Bradley]

It's all in how you wear it.

Here is our own Matt Newsome at his wedding. He's not a piper as far as I'm aware...

[PiobBear]

i like the look of the horsehair sporran...i was thinking about getting a synthetic one and shorting the hair so that it looks smaller - not so overwhelming.

Most non-military Victorian sporrans you see in pictures are goat, not horsehair (If I can ever find a decent cantle, I'm going to make one. Fashionable or not, I really like the look with evening wear).

1. They're supposed to be overwhelming. Consider the Argyll officer's full-dress "swinging six":


2. The synthetic horsehair sporrans I've seen are shiny slinky snow-white Barbie-doll hair or something; not at all what I'm looking for in a sporran.

3. If you cut it, it's yours forever; it'll have absolute zero resale value. Everyone will look at it and think it's a butchered horsehair sporran, and wonder why on Earth somebody would do that.

Unless your company function is extremely formal I would not suggest wearing a PC to it. The PC jacket is pretty much the formal equivalent of a coat and tails. The PC is great for an formal embassy dinner or a groom at a wedding, but not your run of the mill formal event. If the other guys will be wearing regular tuxedos then I would suggest wearing a black Argyle jacket instead and consider wearing a semi-dress sporran if you don't like the fur sporrans.

I'm quite positive that I disagree with this statement. Think of a Prince Charlie (with waistcoat, tux shirt & black bow tie) as the equivalent of a tuxedo; an Argyll jacket (with oxford shirt and Windsor-knot tie; with or without waistcoat) as the equivalent of a business suit, and a tweed jacket as the equivalent of a sportcoat.

While I go black tie all the time, I've only done two white tie events in the past five years. I simply change out my black waistcoat, tie, & studs for white. I wear Argyll hose, buckle shoes, plaid & dirk to both.

[Nanook]

Most non-military Victorian sporrans you see in pictures are goat, not horsehair (If I can ever find a decent cantle, I'm going to make one. Fashionable or not, I really like the look with evening wear).

Mixed. I seem to have seen all kinds of hairs.

1. They're supposed to be overwhelming. Consider the Argyll officer's full-dress "swinging six":

One can well argue that the entire Highland regalia is intended to be "overwhelming".

I would, however, be careful with the "military" and "civilian" divide since they both, in the context of Highland garb, play off one another. At the core, however, of nearly all our modern "civilian" suiting (business to leisure suits) is a "military" uniform. Uniforms were throughout the modern industrial era the motor and inspiration to fashion.

Horse hair sporrans (in their functional forms) I see, like full mask sporrans, as "universal". As suited (or one might argue ill-suited) to day as to evening attire. The gold guilt officer's sporrans I find a bit too much (unless, of course, one is an officer) but the standard issue sporrans with white metal and patent leather cantles I think are very nice. My favorite pattern is the Black Watch (5 balls). The badges one can view as "fan gear" or (again, in contrast to the officer's pattern) easily replace with something less specific (despite pattern).

[Phil]

Here are some hair sporans - - I think goat hair was the usual hair used for them. At one time they were the usual sporan for a dressy occasion but they have been superseded by the smaller furry type over the last 50 years or so. This is the kind of look - - a bit over the top. I have seen people wearing them occasionally though and there is no reason why you shouldn't. It certainly looks different!

[JamieKerr]

I apologize for reviving this dead thread, but I see that this question has not been dealt with recently. I've looked through the responses present in this thread, and am simply looking to see if anyone else has any views on this topic. I think I like the look of the horsehair sporrans, and would like more opinions on them. Also, I see that many of them are non-functional. Is there really any way to tell if one has a pocket or not?

[Jack Daw]

I apologize for reviving this dead thread, but I see that this question has not been dealt with recently. I've looked through the responses present in this thread, and am simply looking to see if anyone else has any views on this topic. I think I like the look of the horsehair sporrans, and would like more opinions on them. Also, I see that many of them are non-functional. Is there really any way to tell if one has a pocket or not?

Most horsehair sporrans do not have a pouch; so, what many pipers do is to also wear a black-leather belt pouch. I don't care for this thing as it tends to obstruct sitting. But, you could purchase a Craigies horsehair that does have its own pouch. See the link below. The problem in wearing such a horsehair sporran with a pouch is that it will bulge and not lie right. And, it's expensive. But, it is a choice to consider.

I have 2 horsehair sporrans, but I only wear them for piping.

http://www.sporrans.com/PiperSporrans.html

[puddlemuddle]

Here are some hair sporans - - I think goat hair was the usual hair used for them. At one time they were the usual sporan for a dressy occasion but they have been superseded by the smaller furry type over the last 50 years or so. This is the kind of look - - a bit over the top. I have seen people wearing them occasionally though and there is no reason why you shouldn't. It certainly looks different!

Ok I have to ask....what type of Jacket is this bloke wearing? I noticed another actual photograph i nthe vintage photo section of a groom wearing one. I want really want one...its not a montrose OR a Sherifmuir...as it comes down to a point and has lapels...it's also NOT a princecharlie as it has the inverness skirts on the front. Anyone...Anyone???
Thanks,
Chad

[JSFMACLJR]

Chad,

I don't know if this doublet actually has a name! One just went to one's tailor and had a jacket made. That being said, the closest you are going to come to a doublet like this without spending a whole lot of money is either a "Kenmore" or a close cousin of the Kenmore sold by the excellent firm Highland Clans, called a "Balmoral":

[Carolina Kiltman]

. . .I'm quite positive that I disagree with this statement. Think of a Prince Charlie (with waistcoat, tux shirt & black bow tie) as the equivalent of a tuxedo; an Argyll jacket (with oxford shirt and Windsor-knot tie; with or without waistcoat) as the equivalent of a business suit, and a tweed jacket as the equivalent of a sportcoat.
.

The above is precisely why I bought a Braemar, rather than an Argyle. With a four-in-hand, (with or without 5 button weskit) it is a dressy business suit. With a formal shirt, 3 button weskit) is the equivalent of a tuxedo. While I agree that the PC can sub for a tux, it cannot sub for a dress suit.

[JS Sanders]

Borrow a military, piper, etc, horsehair sporran, if that is possible.

After one outing with it, more'n likely you'll be cured of buying one for yourself.

These sporrans require maintenance, largely consisting of de-tangling & subsequent combing. I use a proprietary spray made for horse tails. They seem to attract dust too, so an occasional wash is necessary.

Horsehair sporrans need to be stored either flat or vertically and if teenie-weenie buggies ever find it, the only thing left will be the cantle.

I wear one when military style dress is requested by a client. And that's often enough for me.

Slainte yall,
steve