Making a sporran

[PiobBear]

Study pictures in catalogs, then make one out of cardboard & duct tape; actually, make several. Fiddle with different shapes & sizes 'till you get it just the way you want it. A lot will depend upon the size of the paw itself. For durability, I'd glue & stitch the hide to leather; both the front and the flap, and I'd stitch a piece of leather onto the back to take an all-leather sporran strap; less wear on the kilt than chain.
You've gotta post pictures of that when you're done!

[mkmound]

Maybe I'll make a couple out of leather first, just to get the hang of it without wasting bearskin.
If it comes out nice enough to show off, I'll post some pictures when I finish. Though I won't be making it until I visit home in August.

Hey Alaskan, good to see you back!!

You could always go to the auto store and buy a chamois skin to use as a prototype for sizing the sporran and testing your template . . . and, of course, keep in mind that it's probably a lot thinner skin than what you'll be using.

[A Hay]

I've not thought out making a fur sporran, but there are several different threads on the Do It Yourself forum here that might give you some ideas.

I started by just tracing around a bought sporran. This works for the back and the folded over part. The front panel needs to be cut off shorter, and I would taper it in about 1/4 inch toward the top so that it is a little narrower than the back panel.

If you made one up from normal leather first, I believe it would give you better ideas of how to make the important one. I've now made 4 and feel I'm starting to get the hang of it.

If you find the weight of the claw on the front just is not enough, a magnetic clasp doesn't show on the front but gives you just a little more secure closure.

Good luck

Tom

[bubba]

That was from 2004

[Joe Gondek]

For a pattern ,
find a picture of one you like on the internet
print it out
use a copy machine to blow it out to a size you like
glue it onto pasteboard
cut it out

ONE WORD OF ADVICE;
Be sure to cut the bear skin from the back side through the leather only and then pull it apart
don't cut it from the fur side

[ozmeath]

Unless someone found a dead cub somewhere, I'd think that a whole bear paw for a flap would make one muckle big sporran.

Just what I was thinking! It'd be one wild looking piece tho. Keep us posted on the progress Alaskan.

[KiltedKnight]

I made a sporran from a 65" black bear years ago and it turned out great. I just drew the template freehand but just slightly larger than the sporrans that I purchased commercially since I wanted it to hold my chain drive wallet if I was too lazy to switch all it's contents to a smaller wallet. I made a bare sporran first and then used contact cement to join the bearskin to it, my advice is to trim the bearskin after it is cemented into place on the finished sporran. You can't go wrong and cut it too small then.

I had a problem with a closure device since I didn't have any idea what to use for a clasp because the fur is so thick but I used leather laces and a single claw from a giant Kodiak and it not only functions but looks pretty good and the Kodiak claw gets a lot of attention.

Just expect a heavier than normal sporran and a lot of compliments and inquiries.

Chris.

[Irish in Tacoma]

Bear claws by the boys??? You're living on the edge.

[KiltedKnight]

Bear claws by the boys??? You're living on the edge.

Yes, and while dancing close if I forget to slide the sporran to my hip it gives the term "Pawing at the ladies" a new meaning.

Chris.

[kilt2def]

dogs bollocks on a sporran

I guess that's what the back of TattooBradley's Shih-Tzu full face mask sporran would look like