Quality Sporrans for less money

[OC Richard]

Nearly all the sealskin sporrans that crop up are being sold outwith the USA.

Here's the fairly uncommon instance of a vintage sealskin sporran already within our borders:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Brass-Fur-L...p2056016.l4276

Here's another, but missing one of the tassels. Getting a replacement might be difficult

https://www.ebay.com/itm/A-Real-Scot...p2056016.l4276

[OC Richard]

BUYERS BEWARE DECEPTIVE EBAY LISTING.

It may not be intentional, but an Ebay seller has mixed the photos of a Made In Scotland sporran with an obviously Pakistani made sporran.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/16292192945...m=162921929456

Note the first photo, showing the back with the typical oval Made In Scotland Real Leather stamp, is a different sporran than the other photos in the listing, which show a typical rather crudely-made Pakistani sporran.

That first photo is from one of that seller's other auctions. I alerted the seller to the problem.

Here's the other auction the swapped photo is from. This one is a nice Made In Scotland sporran.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Quaility-Fu...cAAOSwJLBalcF~

[Baeau]

Nearly all the sealskin sporrans that crop up are being sold outwith the USA.

Here's the fairly uncommon instance of a vintage sealskin sporran already within our borders:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Brass-Fur-L...p2056016.l4276

Here's another, but missing one of the tassels. Getting a replacement might be difficult

https://www.ebay.com/itm/A-Real-Scot...p2056016.l4276

The second one, seller says, "Deer". Any opinion?

[OC Richard]

The second one, seller says, "Deer". Any opinion?

If it's the white fur one with black fur tassels and a black leather targe, those are usually described by the makers as being "pony".

Pony and rabbit are often used as a substitute for sealskin for sporrans shipped to the USA.

[OC Richard]

This sporran is strange, something in 40 years of looking at hundreds of vintage sporrans I haven't seen before.

The seller has evidently found a cache of vintage bagpipes, bagpipe parts, and associated bits including a number of old sporrans, most in poor condition.

This at one time was a very nice Nicoll Brothers (Bankfoot) sporran. But what has happened to the fur?? I've not seen fur look like that before. Are there any fur experts out there who have seen this? Can it be cleaned?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/J38-VINTAGE...0AAOSwXBVasrgz

This other Evening Dress sporran by the same seller looks to be pony fur, however it's been worn bald in substantial areas. Once again in pretty bad condition.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/J37-VINTAGE...MAAOSwKp1asrgz

[Michael Flemming]

But what has happened to the fur??

Put away wet would be my guess.

The seller has evidently found a cache of vintage bagpipes, bagpipe parts, and associated bits

There might be some classic chanters in this lot:

Vintage Bagpipe Parts

Could the one lying on its side be cocus??

[OC Richard]

This brown leather "day" sporran has the typical oval "made in Scotland real leather" gold stamp on the back.

With shipping a bit over $50US. The seller is gerr22222 from whom I have bought a couple nice vintage jackets and sporrans over the years.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mens-vintag...sAAOSwKPxa3efJ

Here's a black leather "day" sporran with pony fur front and evening-style tassels, typical gold oval "made in Scotland real leather" stamp, also a bit over $50US

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Scottish-Br...kAAOSwvAda2WSb

The best bargain going now, a plain brown "day" sporran with stamps I've not seen before. Gold oval stamps, one says "made in Scotland" the other says "kilt shop Aberdeen".

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1960s-Leath...kAAOSwUwla6vU6

[OC Richard]

Usually I observe these vintage sporrans rather than buying them!

Because I really don't need more sporrans.

But this one was so well-made, understated, classic, and inexpensive that I just had to get it.

I'll post a photo of it being worn once I get it.

It has the typical oval gold stamp "Made In Scotland Real Leather" on the back.

[OC Richard]

Could the (chanter) lying on its side be cocus?

If bagpipes or chanters are pre-WWII they're probably cocus or ebony.

If bagpipes or chanters are pre-1900 they're almost certainly cocus or ebony.

African Blackwood wasn't offered by most pipemakers (including Henderson) until around 1900, and even then it was not the norm.

By the 1950s African Blackwood had become standard and pipers nowadays imagine that it was always so.

I don't know how many times pipers have told me that their old pipes are African Blackwood when they're actually cocus or ebony.

[kingandrew]

Richard,

Based on the lack of supply, you may be forced into buying a newly-made tweed jacket.

This was my experience, too. Living in China, there just aren't any kilt jacket suppliers here and shipping from elsewhere is not always so easy (or affordable). Luckily, tailors here are affordable. So I had my local tailor make her best impression of a kilt jacket, based on lots of photos. I went through all the fabric samples and picked the material closest to tweed, which is a nice brown herringbone pattern.

The results definitely look nice with my kilt and are serviceable, although I am sure there are details that will look odd to observers from Scotland or North America. For one, the gorge (the placement of the notch on the lapel) is terribly high, following current Chinese fashions. For another, the vest has pocket flaps that were supposed to be scalloped and buttoned like those on an Argyll jacket. But the tailor misunderstood the angle of the photo and made the flaps square.

I know it can't compare to a good vintage Harris Tweed, but it does the job and will always be distinctively different. And there aren't many others to compare with here in Beijing.

Whatever you do, I know it will reflect the same excellent eye that picked out this sporran.

Andrew