Quality Sporrans for less money

[OC Richard]

what are the clues to that being a real Scottish sporran? is it just based on having seen a lot of them vs the cheap knock-offs?

So above I posted a collage "spotter's guide" to the backs of various legit Scottish makers (with which L&M in Canada needs to be included).

Here's the dark underbelly, a "spotter's guide" to Pakistani sporrans.

I don't know the specific maker in Pakistan, but they generally have that tell-tale equilateral triangle tab.

Some are stamped "designed in Scotland" which you also see on the labels with many Pakistani kilts and jackets.

Note the Evening sporran which comes boxed, the box and the paper tag saying "designed in Scotland" but the sporran itself stamped "made in Scotland".

And several others of these obviously Pakistani sporrans are stamped "made in Scotland" but as I said they can be identified by looking at the back.

[jsrnephdoc]

I don't know the specific maker in Pakistan, but they generally have that tell-tale equilateral triangle tab.

Some are stamped "designed in Scotland" which you also see on the labels with many Pakistani kilts and jackets.

I've been an Apple fanboy since very early in my career, living just minutes away from Apple headquarters in Cupertino and treated to advance notice about the revolutionary human-machine interface Apple allegedly "borrowed" from then ascendant Xerox Parc Lab. Later on, of course, after Steve's dismissal and then return to the mothership, he's responsible for leveraging the ascendancy of his baby to corporate SuperStar status, but the analogy to Pakistani business practices lives on in the following logo:

"Designed in Cupertino (or, in some versions, California: assembled in China"

And here's another play on that concept:

https://prod-static.mobilesyrup.com/...9559795303.png

[OC Richard]

Ha! I didn't know that was "a thing" in various industries.

It sure is with Pakistani sporrans, kilts, kilt jackets, etc.

Below is a sampling of deceptive Pakistani labelling.

The other thing is for a company to include the word "Scotland" in its name, so the labels will say something like (I'll just make one up to protect the guilty) "Highland Clanwear Scotland" but everything is made in Pakistan.

All of this violates US clothing labelling laws which say labels must state fabric content, country of origin, and (oddly enough) laundering instructions.

[OC Richard]

A very nice c1960 EW1 sporran by WE Scott Edinburgh, showing the higher quality of that period.

It's seal, it's in the UK, and the price is higher that I normally consider here, but it's a lovely thing.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/33617611425...Bk9SR7S2kKuoZg

Way above our price-point but a real stunner is this Forsyth sporran

https://www.ebay.com/itm/11677706150...Bk9SR7a2kKuoZg

[OC Richard]

Lovely older seal sporran here in the USA, probably WE Scott pre-1953.

It's the older style where the cantle has a backplate and there's a pocket in back.

Opening bid $20

https://www.ebay.com/itm/37654537843...102140.m167418

[OC Richard]

WE Scott "semi dress" sporran, bovine or pony fur, in the US $43.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/25703951894...Bk9SR9ySg-yrZg

When the ban on importing sealskin into the US happened (1972) WE Scott quickly introduced a line of export sporrans specifically for the US market using "bovine" and "pony" fur.