Is there any meaning to the type of fur on your sporran

[Mael Coluim]

I think 30 years ago you would have had a lot of company in that desire.....

Yeah, many years (40 years ago for me, FM) ago, in my college dorm I had a poster of her leaning on a motorcycle. It got my engine running.

[MacBean]

I prefer not to have caused a life to be taken in making my clothing. That said, I do have an old leopard vest and beaver coat of my godmother's that are serving no purpose in the closet. I once had a full Bengal tiger skin given me from my old school museum with snarling mouth and huge teeth. Fortunately it got left behind in my past, so I won't get tempted to convert IT to a sporran.

I wonder, is there any legal restriction to using skins acquired in days past before modern prohibitions? Does one need certificates and does one face derision from protestors?

[wildrover]

This made me wonder. If horse hair and goat sporrans are made, did people also use the long hair from highland cattle hides? ( I have not seen one)

I can picture that. Is the long hair any more or less likely to become tangled than horse (mane or tail) hair?

And why not sheep hide with the hair on, similar to goat? Surely some sheep would occasionaly drop off a hill unsheared on occasion.
Joe

I can also picture that, and I think it would look good if well kept. The hair on the big sheepskin rugs at Costco etc. isn't as long as goat, IIRC, but it has a similar wave to it and I think it would make a great sporran. Just...no buffalo.

...if the "local animal" thing is to be observed, though, it's increasingly becoming coyote even here in the city.

I'd really like a coyote full mask! That desire clashes a bit with my own love for dogs in general...maybe I'll get a skunk instead, for reasons already posted .

MB, there will always be protesters, somewhere in the world...do as your conscience dictates .

[Lallans]

[reply to MacBean]: As a fly fishing person, my advice is more practical than legal but for sure my First Nations friends are the only people who are allowed to possess the feathers of birds of prey, and even they require formal proof of status certificates both for themselves and their ritual feathers if they cross the Canada-US border in either direction. Polar bear and similar popular animals' fur has been banned in both countries, according to my fly-tying sources. Seal fur may not be imported into the USA and probably is the last thing to invoke the death penalty in the EU [that last is a JOKE]. Nobody appears to notice the seal fur on my sporran (it does look a lot like cow), but I have several arctic parkas (Canada Goose brand, a fine line of products made here, advt) that have coyote fur ruffed hoods and these provoke dark, dark looks from PETA types. The fur is however almost essential in really cold environments as it sheds condensation from one's breath, so the PETA folks have to lump it in my books. Which is not to say I wouldn't like it if the coyotes died of happiness instead of the probable harvesting method. As far as grandfathering of previously acquired materials goes, even if it exists it won't save you from the disapproval of the urban citizen but as stated I'm not sure about the legalities- except for the above-mentioned feathers, which are seriously banned.

[D.A. Guertin]

If you don't plan on ever selling it, you're usually OK, but it's walking a dangerous line. In general, some kind of paperwork is highly recommended *before* you cannibalise whatever you've got. I have 'repurposed' antique items that were irreparable and or useless in the state they were in when I got them, but I'm always careful to document everything from start to finish, just in case.

[Jack Daw]

The largest wins.

[MacBean]

I am guessing that US laws do not restrict what we do with endangered animal skins in our possession as long as we don't bring them into the country, but please don't cite me as an authority!! The UK may be stricter, but enforcement of their recent sporran laws could be problematic, making risking it even more troublesome.

The Fish and Wildlife Service in the USA has restrictions on imports and we can contact the Management Authority at 1-800-358-2104. Pressing Option 3 will provide you with general information, and Option 4 will connect you to the permits section. You may import antiques containing wildlife parts with documentation proving they are at least 100 years old. Certain other requirements for antiques may apply.

[Smayniac]

When I converted my "antique" badger stole into a sporran I did document the process pictorially and put the original furrier's label back on the finished product. Another member later said my critter looked like an endangered UK badger, so I won't be taking him there.

Bob

[Phil]

I read recently that fur coats are becoming fashionable again which seems at odds with the direction that bans such as seal fur are going. It will be interesting to see if my wife can soon release her mink from its imorisonment in the back of her cupboard. As to the significance of furs on sporans, I can't think of any other than what is available, at the right price and the wearer likes the look of it.