DIY Rob Roy Style Sporran help

[kmcogar]

I am still researching the Kilt I am going to buy, but I am also researching Sporrans. There is a lot of variations out there! Since I will be wearing my kilt to the renaissance festival I wanted to get a more hand made looking one like the Rob Roy. I actually found this one (https://www.etsy.com/listing/2161642...f=user_profile) I was thinking about getting, but my wife is giving me a hard time about spending money. The kilt I am looking at should cost me about $80, the belt and buckle will run me up another $30, then with the sporran being $72 (without straps), and straps for another $10-20....this is really adding up. This doesnt even include, socks, shoes, and all that other stuff. So all said and done, it is getting up their in cost.

Anyhow...I had a few questions about making a sporran. Where can I get a Rob Roy sporran pattern?

Where should I buy the leather?

And is there any youtube video tutorials you all would recommend?

OR should i just skip all the work and buy the sporran without the wife's consent lol.

Also, I'm up to buy used ones people have for sale!

[Father Bill]

Keep an eye here - you may get good answers, you may get a "4 sale". Watch E-Bay too; you may have some luck there.

Kilting isn't cheap. Kilting in a way that looks decent and is respectable, even less so. General advice: wait, save up, and buy quality after you've done your research and know what you want to live with for decades to come. Better to go and look about in yer troosers than invest in something you'll hate next year.

For some ideas, take a look at this thread: http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...-attire-46888/ and then just keep scanning the forum. You'll get lots of perspective over time, but don't waste money on trying to go fast and cheap. It doesn't usually work well.

Good luck, and enjoy!

[Taskr]

A simple sporran can be surprisingly easy to make. Here's some possible motivation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4tCfUVyvEM

[hylander]

I whole heartily second Father Bill, don't go cheap, you will probably be unhappy with that choice quickly.

Also a thanks to Taskr for sharing my video!

To the point of making your own sporran. If you thought is that it will be cheaper than buying one, it isn't if you do it right. The next questions are, do you like making things? Also, do you make things a lot? If you your answer is no to one or both of these questions, I'd save my money, my time, materials and buy a well made sporran. Yes, anybody can make a sporran, but results of DIY accessories vary greatly from person to person depending on skill, time, materials and effort put into making said sporran. My comments are not meant to discourage anyone from trying to make a sporran. In fact I would encourage it. If nothing else it will give you an appreciation for what it takes to make a really nice sporran that you would be proud to wear. I'm just saying think about what your reasons are for wanting to make your own.

[kmcogar]

I whole heartily second Father Bill, don't go cheap, you will probably be unhappy with that choice quickly.

Also a thanks to Taskr for sharing my video!

To the point of making your own sporran. If you thought is that it will be cheaper than buying one, it isn't if you do it right. The next questions are, do you like making things? Also, do you make things a lot? If you your answer is no to one or both of these questions, I'd save my money, my time, materials and buy a well made sporran. Yes, anybody can make a sporran, but results of DIY accessories vary greatly from person to person depending on skill, time, materials and effort put into making said sporran. My comments are not meant to discourage anyone from trying to make a sporran. In fact I would encourage it. If nothing else it will give you an appreciation for what it takes to make a really nice sporran that you would be proud to wear. I'm just saying think about what your reasons are for wanting to make your own.

That's a really good and thorough video. Thanks for taking the time and explaining everything in detail.

I didn't think it would be cheaper to make my own sporran. But the satisfactions of doing it myself is always better then making the purchase. To name a few hobbies I have...... I like to brew beer, grow peppers to make my own hot sauce, woodworking, and a little beekeeping on the side. I can't say I do them all at once, but they certainly do keep me busy. I find myself jumping head first into a lot of hobbies and this wouldn't be any different.

I think my wife has the majority of the tools I would need to put it together, so that's a plus when it comes to the cost. I actually bought a box of old tools and it appeared to have a few leather working tools in it. I might have to post some pictures because some of the tools I have never seen before and cant figure out what they are for (Other then possible leather working). There is a few things I'll need to purchase though.

I think I'll end up purchasing a sporran before the next event, because to make the sporran right...its going to take some time. I never like doing anything half ****. So, I guess I'll keep watching videos and doing research before I buy all my materials.

Hylander, how did you get into working with leather? I checked out your work and your sporrans look amazing! Far better then the ones I have been looking at.

Thanks again for the helpful info!

[hylander]

Glad you like the sporrans!

Good plan to go ahead and get a sporran now, and move into sporran making gradually.

I've been making things since I was about 5 and have continued through an Art degree and beyond. My way into leather working started when I purchased my first kilt. I couldn't find a Rob Roy sporran that I liked at that time, so my thought was "I'll just make one". Well that led to a slippery slope, because each sporran led to another one, and another and on and on. It got the point that the wife said that if I was going to keep doing this I needed to start selling them because I just didn't need that many (WHAAAAT?), and to justify the money I was spending on materials tools, etc, and she had a point. As I was approaching retirement (still about ten years away at that point), it seemed like leather work could be a possible supplement to retirement. Yet another slippery slope, yikes. That's the short version, and I do love leather work, so I highly recommend giving it a try. For first try it doesn't really take a lot in the way of some basic tools and materials. If you have a Tandy leather shop anywhere near you, I'd suggest a visit. I think it's always better to see what you are buying when buying leather and there are usually folks at Tandy that do leatherwork and can be a good resource for getting started. You can get good leather on eBay, but you need to learn what you are looking for and have an idea of what is a good price and what isn't, and what leather thickness and types refer to and their various uses. Tools are an easier pick online and generally you can find better prices and the unusual tools that just aren't made anymore. Also they are lots folks with very good leatherworking videos on YouTube, down to very specific processes, sewing, dyeing, braiding and more. I have 4 videos up, although they weren't necessarily intended as "how-to" videos as much as "this is what it takes to make a sporran", for folks that aren't aware of what it takes to make a anything that is handmade. There is also an old Scottish video, from the 50's I think, that of a sporran maker building a day wear sporran beginning to end. It's probably linked here on XMarks somewhere, but I can post a link anyway.

That's neat you going to give a try! Have fun!

[kmcogar]

A simple sporran can be surprisingly easy to make. Here's some possible motivation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4tCfUVyvEM

Great video! I'm going to have to watch that a few times.

[MacRob46]

I am still researching the Kilt I am going to buy, but I am also researching Sporrans. There is a lot of variations out there! Since I will be wearing my kilt to the renaissance festival I wanted to get a more hand made looking one like the Rob Roy. I actually found this one (https://www.etsy.com/listing/2161642...f=user_profile) I was thinking about getting, but my wife is giving me a hard time about spending money. The kilt I am looking at should cost me about $80, the belt and buckle will run me up another $30, then with the sporran being $72 (without straps), and straps for another $10-20....this is really adding up. This doesnt even include, socks, shoes, and all that other stuff. So all said and done, it is getting up their in cost.

Anyhow...I had a few questions about making a sporran. Where can I get a Rob Roy sporran pattern?

Where should I buy the leather?

And is there any youtube video tutorials you all would recommend?

OR should i just skip all the work and buy the sporran without the wife's consent lol.

Also, I'm up to buy used ones people have for sale!

Like you, when I started out in this "Scottish business," I had to look very hard at the cost of everything required to get outfitted. One item I wanted very badly to be neat and useful was the sporran. Fortunately I had a friend who was very handy at most everything and a product designer by profession. He took the pattern in Charles Thompson's book, "So You Are Going to Wear the Kilt," and simplified it. From the modified pattern we made sporrans for ourselves and I later made one for my son, who was a toddler when I made the first one, and a friend. I also shared the pattern with the Appin Regiment reenactment group and it can still be found on their web site at www.appins.org. It is the second pattern in their sporran section. One of the best things about this pattern is that properly made it is very secure and very roomy as well. While I now have six sporrans, four made by other folks, I still wear my homemade sporran from time to time.

Leather is best secured from a shop where you can look at what you are getting...and it is not cheap! Plus you will have to have a certain number of tools to get the job done as well as leather dye and finishing supplies. In short, you are not going to truly save much, if any, money by making your own. Aside from the fact that you can reuse the tools and make more leather stuff later - I have made numerous belts and baldrics as well and non-Scottish stuff over the years - pride in what you made is important.

Another source of very nice and quite inexpensive sporrans is www.vikingleathercrafts.com. Sporrans are found under "pouches." I know the owner and he does very neat work at very reasonable prices. However, he is often out of stock.

As far as the kilt goes, I did not scrimp on my first kilt. In fact I paid close to $300 for it and that was thirty-five years ago. In order to spend that much on the kilt, my wife and I made most of the rest, flashes, sporran, belt, Jacobite shirt, etc. Had to buy a bonnet and hose. But, I am still wearing that kilt, which has survived some significant weight fluctuations over the thirty-five years I have had it. I also have bought two more kilts.

Anyway, best of luck with your first outfit and keep us informed on it.

[tripleblessed]

I will join with those who advise more money on the kilt. Spend enough to get one you'll wear enough to warrant spending. I have a semi
traditional from Rocky (USA) that dresses up well enough for my needs, but is tough enough to handle a lot of wear. I have two of his casuals
and a five yard wool. The semi traditional gets more use than all the others combined, though they each get more use than many posters here wear theirs. I started with a nylon sporran from Stillwater. It's still good; he has an updated version for about $37.00. I added from What Price Glory a leather reproduction of military issue, $35.00 with belt. Much wear, still good. Good enough to put with tie and sweater (jumper) for our Burns supper. Don't have anything dressier,or real need for it.

Making your own sporran can cost as much as buying, but YOU made it. Added value. I'm working on that myself. More in materials than either of mine cost. But I think worth it. As you see above, much help available here.

A main point is the difference between cheap and inexpensive. Cheap won't last long enough to learn much. Inexpensive is a little more up front, enough quality to enjoy. Then there's the advice of many here: save up, buy the highest quality once, enjoy forever. On my budget, inexpensive is the best I can do at present, and I definitely enjoy. Better some day.

[LKM]

The Rob Roy style is a fairly simple sporran to make. One suggestion is that the main pouch be made with a soft flexible leather. From experience, softer leathers work better for a draw string Rob Roy and stiffer leathers work better for hunting sporrans. With something you would wear at a renaissance festival you might want to look at various mid evil belt pouches for some style inspiration.

For tools I have found a hammer, bot of wire or box nails for punching sewing holes, sewing needle, thread, sharp knife for cutting the leather, and a leather punch for the bigger holes is about all you need. I have found that the inexpensive and more expensive leather punches both seem to break with about the same usage (especially with saddle skirting and armor leathers) and nails hold up better over time then most leather punches I have used.

The basics of making the pattern and pictures of making the first Rob Roy style sporran (far from my first sporran) can be found at:
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...utorial-91923/

A note about making your own sporran; after you make one you are likely to make more.