Inexpensive Sporrans

[Dukeof Kircaldy]

All right, I am not handy in the sense of making sporrans, but I do have quite a collection of the things: mostly courtesy of eBay. On the other hand, I have a few real Scottish sporrans. Other than the one cheapie which has a cantle that is not symmetrical, the cheap dress sporrans seem to appear the same as the ones that were expensive as heck. Well, the cheapies are rabbit v mink, badger, beaver, tarka the otter, endangered species, etc.

I am looking at http://www.sporrans.com/ and some of his cantles are much better than a cheap ebay one for US$15. But, there is an easy choice for me (or someone who won't need one that ofter) between an evening sporran for US$31 v. one for £310+. Especially since the US$31 job looks good enough when it is on duty.

Can anyone fill me in on the difference between an inexpensive sporran and its more dear cousin, other than I am putting a sporran making crofter out of work?

[McMurdo]

I would think, as with many other things longevity would suffer with the cheaper version, if you spend a bit more on a sporran but it lasts ten times longer is it not worth the extra money? My first kilt and sporran were given me by my father they had been his and are close to 60 years old now, they are both quality items, had they been cheap I have no doubt they would have been discarded before the journey from Scotland to Canada.

[Panache]

For dress sporrans I have noticed that though from a distance a cheap one and a quality one may look the same, when you are next to the wearer the difference shows in workmanship, cantledesign, weight, and quality of materials.

Cheers

Jamie

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

After one, or possibly two, wearings you will probably come to despise the cheap sporran every time you put it on, so you won't go to many things where you would have to wear it. On the other hand, if you buy a decent sporran to begin with, you will come up with places to go, just so you can wear it. In short, a quality sporran will be your passport to a glamorous and exciting social life, and a cheap sporran will consign your social ambitions, no matter how modest, to the trash can of life.

[Nick the DSM]

stillwater, dude!!

[berserkbishop]

As someone who makes various sporrans, (though I have yet to make a fur dress sporran) I can tell you that it is all in the quality of construction. Much like a handsewn kilt is something to take pride in, so is a well constructed sporran. A hand sewn sporran will use much more durable thread for stitching and the stitches will usually be punched with and awl, instead of perforated with a sewing machine needle. Sounds like piddly stuff but my SWK standard sporran and cheap POS from ebay are terrible and are falling apart. My hand made sporrans are beautiful, durable, fit my needs, and best of all I am proud to wear them. I intend to make a skunk "hunting" style sporran before I depart for DC rather than buy some cheap $30 hack job from ebay.

BB

[Donnie]

Quality of workmanship and materials! They last longer!

[M. A. C. Newsome]

In my experience when one has the opportunity to hold a high quality sporran (I won't say "expensive" because that implies paying more money than what it is worth, and I don't think that's really what we are talking about here), side by side with a much lower priced, but similar looking sporran, the most obvious difference is usually in the quality of the materials used -- especially the leather.

Even if you have no experience working with leather at all, even the neophyte can usually tell right away, just by touch, which is the really nice sporran and which is the lower quality imitation. Just has a different feel to it. And, in the long run, this equates to a longevity issue, as well.

M

[Dukeof Kircaldy]

Maybe I'm lucky, or know what I am doing, but I have found some pretty good deals. I will say the materials used are a definite difference, but I don't really need a fancy type of fur ($$$ or £££). The cantles on my less expensive ones are also not a more expensive material and perhaps a bit more flimsy. I mean I have some good sporrans and some inexpensive sporrans: both tend to do the trick.

A lot of this is opinion

Anyway, I think the sporrans from ebay sellers fredonline321 and apexdistributions are fairly good deals. They may not be the Craigie Originals, but they are good enough if you are on a budget.

[Dukeof Kircaldy]

I did some "reverse engineering" on the sporran with the crappy cantle. A major difference is in the quality of the cantles. The inexpensive jobs are not as fancy or made from the same "quality" material. So, buy a cantle from Lamont Sporrans, Clan Art, McKenzie-Frain. or grandad's decaying silver fox and the inexpensive job jumps in "quality".