Seal sporrans

[Wompet]

Actually that should read:

let every US Citizen know not to buy from them.

The above brought to you by your friendly neighbourhood Canadian.

I guess I was too succinct earlier.
Yes, residents of the U.S. shouldn't buy from this seller because they are making what are essentially false claims and by doing so, in my opinion at least, are engaging in somewhat shady business practices.

As for members of the board who do not reside in the U.S. - if this seller is making these sort of false statements in at least a portion of its advertising, what is to say it isn't lying about something else? Are their shipping rates actually that low? Are their products actually Scottish made? Are those kilts actually handsewn? Is that actually 16 oz PV that they use in their casual kilts?
(Whoops - I found another lie there, and I wasn't even trying to.)

I don't tend to think of Canadian members, or U.S. members, or British members, or Tasmanian members. I think "Members of X Marks the Scot." And as such, to all the members - with all of the fine, reputable purveyors of kilt apparel available, would you want to trust your money to someone whose honesty is questionable?

[McMurdo]

I think ethically it would better to use the vintage seal fur coat than to go out and get a new sealskin sporran, and as you say it would be a shame for it to go to waste. Then again I have a sealskin sporran and see no problem with it.

[Riverkilt]

Would the various rules and regs involved allow you to cut up the sealskin coat to use to make sealskin sporrans?

"Its okay officer, my sealskin sporran is made from pre-ban pelts cut out of an old coat."

Ron

[CelticRanger66]

I say turn the coat into sporrans! I would love one myself.

[JS Sanders]

Think of the sealskin coat as old ivory.

Pipemakers regularly use old ivory billiard balls to turn decorative mounts on bagpipes & subsequently sell them for profit. No laws broken since it was pre-ban ivory. Same for the sealskin coat.

I would caution against taking the sporrans abroad and re-entering the US without documentation to indicate its origin though.

Slan,
steve

[PiobBear]

've just had a customer offer me her grandmother's 50's vintage seal fur coat for free. She can't think of any reason to keep it.

From a creative standpoint, I want to take it in and find a use for it.

From an ethical standpoint, I'm a bit queasy.

From an ecological viewpoint, I can't stand to see it go to waste.

Any thoughts?

I made a red fox sporran from a woman's stole I bought off of EBay for $15.00, and derive great satisfaction from it for precisely the reasons you mentioned. I would have no ethical conflict with using it, as I'm not harvesting wildlife; it's recycled. Rather, I'd have a problem with it's being wasted. Yes; it did cost the lives of it's contributors, but shouldn't that make it even more of a precious resource that should be thoughtfully utilized to it's fullest extent, and not simply disposed of?

(If you have a sporran-sized scrap to spare, please keep me in mind)

[chasem]

woohoo! where does the line start?

[Jack Daw]

And, I thought banking laws and regulations were complicated.