Quality Sporrans for less money

[OC Richard]

Nice old Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders officers' No2 Dress sporran £50.

Worth it for the long-link brass chain strap alone, perhaps.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/32706289843...Bk9SR7iCi62kZw

[OC Richard]

Manacraft "semi dress" sporran with seal front, in the UK, £20

https://www.ebay.com/itm/19824358106...Bk9SR_CX4P-oZw

[BobF]

I am the successful bidder on this sporran. I wanted a fancier sporran for our grandson’s wedding next month. It just arrived today, seems very nice, but I am no expert on sporrans. It’s my first with a cantle, and I’m surprised at the weight of it. Normally I wear a Rob Roy-type sporran, and I have two others that I assume are of Pakistani origin, flap pocket and fur front face. The seller told me the story of this sporran, that it had belonged to his late best friend who wore it to the seller’s wedding, and he sent a photo. Clearly it meant a great deal.

I don’t see any markings at all anywhere on the sporran or cantle. Would a Margaret Morrison be completely unmarked? Would any photos besides those in the auction be useful?

Thank you for continuing to alert us to reasonably priced sporrans! This is the finishing touch on my kit for the wedding. :j

Margaret Morrison "semi dress" sporran $10 current bid.

It's not stamped, but the rear tab is the unmistakable MM shape.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/19821207242...Bk9SR8q_o4yjZw

confer:

[OC Richard]

You're very welcome!

Did I already do this one?

WE Scott black plain "day" sporran $20 here in the USA

https://www.ebay.com/itm/14520341277...tion=10%7C3000

[geomick]

You're very welcome!

Did I already do this one?

WE Scott black plain "day" sporran $20 here in the USA

https://www.ebay.com/itm/14520341277...tion=10%7C3000

not sure what to make of the seller listing the country of origin as Pakistan

[OC Richard]

not sure what to make of the seller listing the country of origin as Pakistan

I think the sellers just don't know, and Ebay auto-fills some of the fields with incorrect stuff, or AI generates wrong stuff, or the seller was given bad advice.

I've seen a lot of UK-made things be listed as Pakistan, and visa versa.

[geomick]

I think the sellers just don't know, and Ebay auto-fills some of the fields with incorrect stuff, or AI generates wrong stuff, or the seller was given bad advice.

I've seen a lot of UK-made things be listed as Pakistan, and visa versa.

I wasn't sure if it was a rare bit of honesty or yet another incorrect statement on eBay. Of course the incorrect statement option is far more probable.

[OC Richard]

I wasn't sure if it was a rare bit of honesty or yet another incorrect statement on eBay. Of course the incorrect statement option is far more probable.

I had it pretty much pegged as a WE Scott sporran just from the front, but the back made it clear.

I've seen many hundreds of Pakistani sporrans and I'm pretty sure I've never seen one with that classic WE Scott back.

The Pakistani version would have an equilateral triangle.

[OC Richard]

Here's a guy selling a couple 1968-2006 Other Ranks horsehair sporrans in exceptionally great condition for unheard-of-low prices.

Queens Own Highlanders https://www.ebay.com/itm/33651725148...Bk9SR5jKtdOqZw

Black Watch https://www.ebay.com/itm/33651724090...Bk9SR5jKtdOqZw

Originally each (British Army Regular) Scottish Highland Regiment had a completely distinct type of Other Ranks horsehair sporran.

You didn't need to see the badge to know them- the Argylls' didn't even have a badge.

Just the shape of the leather cantle alone could identify each regiment.

When Full Dress was abolished in 1914 (never yet reinstated) these went into limbo, with some units initially not issuing any sporran to Other Ranks for their Service Dress, some issuing small leather sporrans, some continuing to issue the traditional horsehair Full Dress sporran. (Later this got codified into a distinction between "No2 Dress" and "No2 Dress Ceremonial".)

This state lasted until 1968 when, for their 1953 "No1 Dress", the army introduced a generic bobbed horsehair sporran with hideous chrome cantle. (Bobbed from the traditional 18 inches down to 14.)

They came in black for the Argylls and Queens Own Highlanders and white for the Black Watch and Gordons.

There were several grommet-bound holes punched through the sporran face to allow tassels, black and white, long and short, to be arranged in various ways to simulate the look of the traditional sporrans.

These funky Other Ranks sporrans were finally abolished with the creation of The Royal Regiment of Scotland in 2006, when all ranks were given nice traditional full-length horsehair sporrans.

Top row: the 5 traditional Victorian Other Ranks sporrans.

Bottom row: the 4 1968 short generic Other Ranks sporrans (the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders and Seaforth Highlanders had been amalgamated)

[geomick]

Here's a guy selling a couple 1968-2006 Other Ranks horsehair sporrans in exceptionally great condition for unheard-of-low prices.

Queens Own Highlanders https://www.ebay.com/itm/33651725148...Bk9SR5jKtdOqZw

Black Watch https://www.ebay.com/itm/33651724090...Bk9SR5jKtdOqZw

...

The Queens Own Highlanders sporran sold pretty quickly. He pulled the other auction (5 tassel Black Watch) and relisted at a starting bid of $500.