Opinions on this for a day or evening sporran?

[jumary]

Hi everyone,

I just saw this sporran and wonder if it would work as a day or evening sporran. I have seen a few images with sporrans and Celtic crosses.The blue in it would go well with my USAF tartan.

[The Wizard of BC]

In very general terms

If it is all leather with a flap it is considered a day wear sporran.

If it still retains the flap but the front is fur some call it semi-formal.

If it had the half round cantle opening and is all fur it is considered full formal.

Half way in between semi and full formal are the Hunter style. This are all leather but have the cantle opening. I not a big fur guy. Nothing against it, it is just not me. So a black, pebble finished Hunter style with bright polished cantle is my go-to dress up sporran.

This is usually regardless of dolor or decoration.

There are of course exceptions to this general guideline but in a nut shell that is how we regard sporran designs. So your example above would be a decorative day wear sporran.

[Jock Scot]

Either. That could be quite happily worn to an event in the evening with other day attire, but it does depend on the event. If the event is a formal evening event, then it won't really do, if its just smart then it would. You know this daywear thing does not necessarily mean, only to be worn in the day, there are plenty of non formal evening events where day wear is entirely appropriate.

[Sir Didymous]

I'd use it for informal/daywear. It would look nice it tweed.

[GrainReaper]

This might not come across as being very helpful, but if it were mine, and my only sporran, it would be both day and evening wear, heck it would be my black tie formal sporran as well. I've only owned two sporrans, first was a very basic leather sporran that served me well until I had my skunk fur Rob Roy style sporran made. My skunk sporran is what I've always wanted and envisioned for me, it's roomy as can be, and is the one I wear with casual daywear, evening wear, and the occasional formal event I've attended. If I had a collection of sporrans I'd be the guy spending hours deciding on which one to wear.... Like my wife deciding on which shoes to wear... With just the one sporran it has simplified my kilt wearing and nobody so far has made a single comment on me wearing the wrong trim-level sporran out and about.

In short, don't over complicate things, if you like that one, wear it proudly wherever you happen to be.

[Jock Scot]

Well yes and no G.R. As you probably know I have been a one sporran man for three decades or so. I think the wearing of a day sporran for formal(dress) evening attire successfully does have its critical observers, particularly on this website where kilt attire theory does on occasion, take precedence over practical experience.

Traditionally a full mask fur sporran(no bling) could be worn for any event one can think of, apart from possibly the most formal of formal white tie events. I can only possibly speak for Scotland in very general terms here, but these days where Wild Cat, Pine Marten, Otter, Seals, Badger sporrans are almost a rarity these days, for several reasons. Such as legally protected wild life(special licences can be obtained in certain circumstances), scarcity ( although that cannot be said about protected seals and badgers in Scotland!), expense, modern thinking about anything made of fur and frankly most fur sporrans are now well past their sell by date. So there is scope for adjusting convention here and I like you have chosen the simple route of, one sporran for all events. In my view and experience it does work.

Care is needed though and careful thought must be given to the black sporran one might choose. For example, in my view the sporran in question in OP is too fussy and needs to be black to successfully be worn for formal kilt attire, particularly formal evening events. Also not any plain black sporran will do either, it needs subtle style and not all plain black sporrans have that.

[Father Bill]

Well yes and no G.R. As you probably know I have been a one sporran man for three decades or so. I think the wearing of a day sporran for formal(dress) evening attire successfully does have its critical observers, particularly on this website where kilt attire theory does on occasion, take precedence over practical experience.

Traditionally a full mask fur sporran(no bling) could be worn for any event one can think of, apart from possibly the most formal of formal white tie events. I can only possibly speak for Scotland in very general terms here, but these days where Wild Cat, Pine Marten, Otter, Seals, Badger sporrans are almost a rarity these days, for several reasons. Such as legally protected wild life(special licences can be obtained in certain circumstances), scarcity ( although that cannot be said about protected seals and badgers in Scotland!), expense, modern thinking about anything made of fur and frankly most fur sporrans are now well past their sell by date. So there is scope for adjusting convention here and I like you have chosen the simple route of, one sporran for all events. In my view and experience it does work.

Care is needed though and careful thought must be given to the black sporran one choose. For example, in my view the sporran in question in OP is too fussy and needs to be black to successfully be worn for formal kilt attire, particularly formal evening events. Also not any plain black sporran will do either, it needs subtle style and not all plain black sporrans have that.

Agreed.

There's too much "stuff" on it - two colours, tooling, etc. The fussier, the less formal. Jock, I'm surprised you didn't mention your McRostie's. I got one very similar, starkly plain but with VERY high quality leather, and that I would be willing to wear in a more formal situation. The one you've shown us... I don't think so.

Sorry.

[Jock Scot]

Agreed.

There's too much "stuff" on it - two colours, tooling, etc. The fussier, the less formal. Jock, I'm surprised you didn't mention your McRostie's. I got one very similar, starkly plain but with VERY high quality leather, and that I would be willing to wear in a more formal situation. The one you've shown us... I don't think so.

Sorry.

Indeed the only sporran I have( I could borrow others if I wished) is my plain black, three tasseled, McRostie(they are exactly as you describe and mine after 30 years wear improves with age) and that has been the only one of mine, that this website has ever seen. I don't know whether its like yours, but mine works for me.

[Father Bill]

That's exactly what I have Jock, and it's a beauty, largely for its simplicity.

[PiperChick]

http://rghardie.com/products/view/piper_sporrans

This is my go-to sporran. Mine is black with leather tassels. Of course, being female, I only need to worry about this for piping events that aren't appropriate for my pipe band uniform. I wanted one that was well made, a bit different ( mine has the Douglas crest engraved) but would be suitable for any event I may need to play. It seems to fit the bill nicely. IF I were to add another ( which I truthfully do not need) it would be a more casual, hand tooled one. Mainly because I really love something made by hand with great care.