clunk, clunk, clunk

**Alan H** · 31st March 05, 01:03 PM

OK I bought an inexpesnive, three tassel day sporran. I like it except for one thing. The sporran body is fairly stiff and hard and when I walk the tassels thud into the body of the thing. In fact they do it twice with every step. By the end of the day on Tuesday I was ready to rip the blinkin' thing off.

Yet this style is ubiquitous, I see them everywhere. This has GOT to be a universal issue.

What do y'all do about the incessant *thunk- THUNK...thunk-THUNK*?

**Uncle Ricky** · 31st March 05, 01:17 PM

Maybe their purpose is to warn sheep?

**bjcustard** · 31st March 05, 01:38 PM

**bubba** · 31st March 05, 01:45 PM

Take a dab of silicon sealer or some such other removable adhesive and stick the tassels down. No more noise. The clear silicon they use to calk sinks works fine.

**Declan Rowan** · 31st March 05, 03:05 PM

Yeah, that's probably a better idea than my first, which was duct tape, or my second, which was crazy glue.

Oh, but look, now you've got the sheep all scared again..

**bubba** · 31st March 05, 03:12 PM

Nervous sheep make better wool

**Declan Rowan** · 31st March 05, 03:33 PM

Haha... So why is that, Bubba? Is it a camoflauge technique? The more wool you have, the more likely you'll be mistaken for a low flying cloud?

**Kiltman** · 31st March 05, 03:46 PM

I make sporrans, just for fun. I’m still trying to figure out what purpose tassels serve. Some sporrans come with five or more. In the older examples I’ve seen they have a purpose, like closing the bag of the sporran. They sure are decorative, but if they bug you, get rid of them.

**An t-Ileach** · 29th August 05, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by Kiltman

...I’m still trying to figure out what purpose tassels serve. Some sporrans come with five or more. In the older examples I’ve seen they have a purpose, like closing the bag of the sporran...

I think that the tassles were the draw strings from the little pouch bags that were used to separate coins from oat cakes or whatever, and were left hanging outside for ease of access. Presumably the wearer knew which draw strings were which, so he wouldn't offer a part eaten biscuit instead of a coin.

I don't know why there's developed this fad for bloody great leather knots on the end of the decorative tassles - probably it has derived from the Sporran, Highland Units, Number 2, Day. If my theory is correct, then small knots, of bits of bone, etc would be more appropriate - and longer thinner tassles... and less noise.