Quote Originally Posted by Ryan Ross View Post
..well, I took Lugosi for his first field test today. I only managed this hastily taken picture, but just to prove that it happened, here you go.


More importantly, the sporran works just as great as it looks. The Sam Browne stud was something I wasn't used to, but after a couple of times opening and closing it, I'm now a big fan of this closure system; nothing to go wrong, simple, functional, and it looks good. Also, the leather is already starting to loosen up and break in.
Great look, Ryan! I love the plain black leathers with the dark shirt.

The Sam Browne closure IS a little disconcerting at first. Without a drawstring or the positive-lock 'click' of a snap or magnet it doesn't really FEEL closed. It certainly felt that way to me, at first, and I MADE it

I'm glad the leather is breaking in quickly. When I first got the material I was astonished by how firm it seemed. I actually beat up a sporran sized section of it for an evening just to see IF and how much it would soften. After an hour or so it was VERY supple, so I was much relieved. An additional neatsfoot/mink treatment made it even more so.

As a maker, that's one VERY frustrating thing. I don't want the structured bags (such as yours) to be a shapeless mess after a few years, so I start with thicker, more durable leathers, which almost always means they are stiffer to start with. When they do break in though, they have a wonderfully supple and flexible nature that is one of the qualities of a really NICE leather.