Quality Sporrans for less money

[OC Richard]

Wow $500?? That's not going to fly. He went from way underpriced to way overpriced.

Here's an interesting thing, apparently seal, here in the USA, $45.

The photos are pretty bad.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/40681071149...Bk9SR8Tr8uKrZw

We can see a familiar stamp on the back, the big Celtic-looking one seen here top right, in this collage I put together of Margaret Morrison sporran backs.

[OC Richard]

Forsyth sporran, looks to be adult but I would ask for measurements, bidding at £11 at this point.

It has the thing Forsyth sporrans often do, a shaped bulge in the flap. I assume that the bulge would be filled with padding of some kind.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/16830144541...Bk9SR-bAxcivZw

[geomick]

Forsyth sporran, looks to be adult but I would ask for measurements, bidding at £11 at this point.

It has the thing Forsyth sporrans often do, a shaped bulge in the flap. I assume that the bulge would be filled with padding of some kind.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/16830144541...Bk9SR-bAxcivZw

There are pictures with a tape measure. When I compare it to my W E Scott sporrans, it is about the same length as one and a little shorter (maybe 1/2" at most) than the other (7.5-8" tall).

[OC Richard]

WE Scott white Evening sporran, looks in super shape, here in the USA, $15, no bids

https://www.ebay.com/itm/30688100110...102140.m167418

[jsrnephdoc]

WE Scott white Evening sporran, looks in super shape, here in the USA, $15, no bids

https://www.ebay.com/itm/30688100110...102140.m167418

I'm less "needy" of any more sporrans than I am of another kilt or two, but I'm curious about this one because the white (I assume rabbit) fur is attractive, but the item itself bears no "makers marks." Is it the detailing of the cantle that identifies its maker to you?

Thanks so much!

[OC Richard]

Nicoll Brothers evening sporran, the US export "pony" or "bovine" fur, looks new, here in the USA $55.

That cantle AFAIK was unique to Nicoll Brothers.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/28727497150...102140.m167418

[OC Richard]

The item itself bears no "makers marks."

Is it the detailing of the cantle that identifies its maker to you?

It's often impossible to identify the maker from the front, because a number of different makers bought their cantles from the same firm.

This firm was named Frederick Narborough (silver maker's mark FN) but in the 1960s changed name to Dalman & Narborough (silver maker's mark D&N).

They're in Birmingham, England. They've been around since Victorian times are and still going.

Interestingly when they did stamp non-sterling silver cantles they stamped them Made In Scotland, this due to the cantles going to Scottish firms, at least until L&M Highland Outfitters in Canada started making sporrans using Narborough cantles.

Narborough has also long made buckles, brooches, etc for Highland wear.

In the bagpiping world the FN and D&N silver stamps are well known due to Narborough making silver mounts (both plain and chased) for bagpipes. You see bagpipes made by just about every old maker using Narborough mounts.

So it's possible to have a group of fur Evening sporrans, one each from WE Scott, Nicoll Brothers, Manacraft, Piper Leathercraft, L&M, Margaret Morrison, Janet Eagleton, Broadsword, and probably others, which from the front all look the same and all have the same Narborough cantle.

You have to see the backs.

Even then you have the issue that most of these makers (if not all), even ones who generally stamped their sporrans, also made/make unstamped sporrans which are to be stamped with the names of various retail shops.

WE Scott never stamped any of their sporrans.

Thus you'll see sporrans by WE Scott, Nicoll Brothers, and Margaret Morrison all stamped Kinloch Anderson, to give just one example.

To ID them you have to know what the leather backs of the sporrans of the various makers look like.

Each has their unique strap-tab shape and fastener-tab shape. Also Nicoll Brothers had a unique body shape, short and wide.

And, happily, there's a distinctive strap-tab shape that as far as I know only Pakistani makers use, making quick work of identifying those.

[OC Richard]

This popped up for $20 Buy It Now and I pushed the button.

It's by WE Scott and has...what...patina??...grime??...who can say.

Before wearing it I'll make sure that whatever it is can't rub off on my kilt.

[User]

This popped up for $20 Buy It Now and I pushed the button.

It's by WE Scott and has...what...patina??...grime??...who can say.

Before wearing it I'll make sure that whatever it is can't rub off on my kilt.

Nice find! If you feel inclined, please post a picture when you get it. I'm curious how it looks under different lighting :-)

[OC Richard]

I got it quick!!

Your instincts are correct, it does look different in person, and I'm mightily disappointed.

It's still a nice-looking vintage sporran with a bit of character.

I have no idea how they got it to look that stained and dark.