Quality Sporrans for less money

[SF Jeff]

Oh my goodness, I see what you mean, and of course you're right. I was bamboozled by an impostor!
Despite its faults, it's a fairly attractive fake. But, you've taught me in this thread that the real article can be had for a similar price, so why settle?
Seeing it next to your photos of originals, I now see the details the fake is missing.
Thank you for the ongoing education!

It was the celtic knot being outlined (and a rather shallow stamp at that) and the latigo lacing on the flap that screamed Pakistani for me. The knotwork on the bottom sporran in OCR's post looks hand-tooled to me, rather than stamped. Very different from the black sporran in question.

Here's a nice one, although not exactly cheap. but if you want seal skin, seller is in the U.S.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/397893159277

[User]

It was the celtic knot being outlined (and a rather shallow stamp at that) and the latigo lacing on the flap that screamed Pakistani for me. The knotwork on the bottom sporran in OCR's post looks hand-tooled to me, rather than stamped. Very different from the black sporran in question.

Here's a nice one, although not exactly cheap. but if you want seal skin, seller is in the U.S.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/397893159277

For that price I would expect the fur to be in excellent condition. But that one is balding. I'd hold off until something better comes along.

[OC Richard]

Those WE Scott ones with the Celtic knot design on the flap is a stamp, but it's a nicely designed stamp with the over/under proper knotwork, and it was deeply stamped.

You'll see more recent WE Scott sporrans where they're using the same stamp but it's not stamped as deeply. I don't know why.

Not sporrans but a Geoffrey Tailor (Edinburgh) tweed kilt jacket for well under $100.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/27797216393...102140.m167418

[OC Richard]

Here's a nice one, although not exactly cheap. but if you want seal skin, seller is in the U.S.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/397893159277

Looks like it's for a wee snapper

[SF Jeff]

Not sporrans but a Geoffrey Tailor (Edinburgh) tweed kilt jacket for well under $100.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/27797216393...102140.m167418

That link led me to this. It's a men's Small, which is probably too small for me; I'm a Medium in most cases, between a 38 and 40. I like the pattern (not a houndstooth but similar?) but not sure about the darts between the pockets. Also like that it's from Ft. William, where we spent a few days as we wandered the Highlands. Great little town. If I thought it would fit I'd BIN it.

I'm wondering if we should have a "Highland Wear for Less" thread to keep this one on track for sporrans.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/137131302867

[OC Richard]

Here's a sporran I didn't want to post about until I got measurements from the seller (6.5" x 7.5") which show that it's an adult-size sporran.

It's here in the USA. $25.

The gold oval "Pure Leather Made In Scotland" stamp, I'm pretty sure, is one of at least three different stamps used by Manacraft (Edinburgh, 2007-2018).

https://www.ebay.com/itm/298305863623

[MacKenzie]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/298305863623

OCR, down in the "item specifics" it says Country of Origin: Pakistan.

[OC Richard]

OCR, down in the "item specifics" it says Country of Origin: Pakistan.

Yes I saw that.

I'm seeing it more and more, Ebay sellers that populate those boxes with random information that has nothing to do with the items they're selling.

I don't know whether the sellers are using AI to fill the boxes or what, but I've seen numerous bagpipes, sporrans, kilt jackets, etc which are obviously Scottish-made, and sometimes carry the stamps or labels of known Scottish makers, being labelled "Pakistan".

And not only the "Country of Origin" box, they'll have other boxes filled with incorrect stuff as well.

I've contacted quite a few sellers letting them know that their "Item Specifics" have errors.

[OC Richard]

I just now found another like that.

It's a WE Scott sporran, being sold here in the US for $18.

It lists "Country of Origin" USA.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/16837329723...Bk9SR6TRqbvEZw

[OC Richard]

Another obviously Scottish-made sporran with the "Pure Leather" stamp.

These share a distinguishing feature, the super-pointy popper tab.

One reason I'm sure this particular sporran is legit is that it has the "EW6L" cantle, which I can't recall being copied by the Pakistani makers. It also has the somewhat old-fashioned internal feature of being fastened with 5 bolts rather than the modern 3.

But it's $80 which while still a bargain is higher than my usual brief.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/19835345011...Bk9SR_bO3O_EZw

The more of these "Pure Leather" sporrans I see the more I'm convinced they were made by Manacraft (Edinburgh 2007-2018) c.f. the pointy tab, pinking around the back, sporran belt tab shape, and body shape.

I know the "Leather Made In Scotland" stamp is Manacraft because I saw one that also has a sticker inside with their name.