Sporran support - chain or strap?

[DrakeC]

Regarding sporran straps, do you prefer a chain or a leather strap? Which do you consider to be the more dressy? Also, does anyone know how sporrans were traditionally affixed?

Thanks.

[Mikilt]

90% of the time I use a leather sporran strap. I have one black and one brown that I coordinate with the sporran I choose. For formal occasions, I go with a chain.

[Finistere]

Leather strap 100%. no chain for me. Kit

[Roadkill]

only a chain for me right now. The 2 chains that came with the sporrans I bought were too short so I used some heavier chrome chain I had leftover from a different project to make a sporran chain long enough. It;s different, but I like it.

[ASinclair]

Regarding sporran straps, do you prefer a chain or a leather strap? Which do you consider to be the more dressy? Also, does anyone know how sporrans were traditionally affixed?

Thanks.

I wear a leather strap (custom made with smooth, rounded edges) with my day wear sporran. I wear a chain with my formal sporran. If you wear a chain, be sure the metal is smooth as glass, with no edges that can damage your kilt.

According to Wikipedia -- "Early sporrans would have been worn suspended from the belt on one or other of the hips, rather than hung from a separate strap in front of the wearer." I'm guessing the belts would normally have been leather.

[Mike S]

I prefer leather straps, but I do use a chain on occasion as well.

[GG]

Reading how many here who will wear a leather strap rather than a chain, I just wonder why practically all sporrans come with a chain. Have vendors no idea about what customers want? Or don’t they care? Or are members here not representative for kilt wearers?

I, too, wear leather straps, sporran coordinated black or brown, as shown in the picture. They all had to be DIY-projects.

[The Wizard of BC]

The prevailing wisdom of the rabble has been that for day wear you used a strap. For formal occasions you use a chain. The more formal the fancier the chain links.

The reason usually given for the strap is to prevent wear to the front aprons. If anything on your chain is sharp it may cut of snag the Tartan.
And as you move the links of the chain open and close sometimes catching small fibers of the fabric, cutting them. And simple abrasion at the hard point of your hip bones.

I have seen kilts with holes in the front aprons right at the hips from the chains. Some quite large. caused by using a chain that was not smooth.

[Riverkilt]

Leather strap - always.

I understand about the formal chains but in real life I just can't figure out how they work and I worry about the least damage to the kilt fabric.

So more than once I've probably violated the formal kilt rules....but fortunately in by rural area we don't have any kilt police.

I do prefer to find really fine leather straps....rather than the near cardboard "leather-like" straps that come with some sporrans.

[Father Bill]

I use a strap regardless of formality. It's little seen or noticed, safer for your kilt, cheaper, and if it's really a very formal situation, they'll know from the other kit, particularly the sporran itself.

Top notch sporran makers do indeed often sell with straps rather than chains. Chains are glitzy, so yes, some of the cheapies will come with a chain just to catch the unknowning customer, but guess at the quality of the chain in those cases!