Brass Cantled Sporran

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Hey Guys, thanks for posting the photos-- I just can't get it done with the i-Phone!

This is my "every day" sporran, and the brass gets polished once a year whether it needs it or not! It's not an antique, although the gentleman who made it was; he served in both WWI and WWII. Here's the story:

I purchased the sporran in 1971 at the Braemar Games in Scotland from a retired RN Commander who made them as a hobby. He copied an original (he was wearing it, so I can attest to the closeness of the copy), but simplified the latch. The cantle is obviously brass, and the hand stitched bag is deer hide from a deer shot by the Commander on a neighboring estate. When I bought this sporran, it cost 5 GBP less than an evening wear seal skin sporran, so it wasn't exactly cheap; but in my opinion at the time it was worth every penny. After thirty seven years I still haven't changed my mind.

[arrg-isle]

Beautiful piece, and what an intriguing, yet simple, closure!
I've heard it opined many times that brass was likely so popular in the 16th & 17th centuries for exposed metal surfaces on Highland crafts because it was far more resistant to rust than iron & tin alloys, and tarnished less than pure copper.ith:

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Beautiful piece, and what an intriguing, yet simple, closure!
I've heard it opined many times that brass was likely so popular in the 16th & 17th centuries for exposed metal surfaces on Highland crafts because it was far more resistant to rust than iron & tin alloys, and tarnished less than pure copper.ith:

Brass was popular for three reasons:
(1) It was easier to work that steel
(2) It was stronger than copper
(3) It didn't rust

Those with money opted for silver cantles, same as today.