Sporran-Nation?

[Paul]

hi Paul

Yes I have bought a sporren from Jennifer, a green spotty analach pattern, I am quite pleased with it, they are pricey but offer a cool alternative to the traditional.

I'd love to see some pics!
That really sounds interesting

[Jack Daw]

The solid leathers with the off-center enclosure are okay, but the colorful ones are not for me.

[RockyR]

To ME (this is MY opinion and I'm not trying to be insulting...), for the most part, they look a little bit too feminine. I could see most of them worn as a woman over her shoulder as a purse... and fashionably so! I'm not saying anything about the quality or the materials used or the artist herself... just that the 'Sporran Bags' and the 'Sporrans' look interchangable.

I DO like the idea of someone going a different direction with sporrans. There's nothing wrong with 'regular sporrans' that are out there now, but mixing it up a bit and re-inventing something is always fun. I just think this one missed the mark a bit for my taste.

[northernkilter]

I'd love to see some pics!
That really sounds interesting

If you look at the album in my profile im wearing it there

cheers!

[Lyle1]

There are a few sporrans in that collection that I would wear, and a few of the sporran-bags, too. I like the shapes more than some of the colors. I am also fairly sure that I am not in the age bracket that the designer has in mind for customers, but I wore some clothes when I was young that my parents hated. They were even right about some of them.

[RockyR]

Well, I wouldn't go that far...in fact I think there is a great deal "wrong" with many of the sporrans being sold today. Let's go over a few examples of "bad" sporran designs.

While I can agree with you on SOME of these, I think the majority of these are fine. Again, it's personal prefference. That's why I stressed in my post that it was my opinion that they didn't appeal to me personally. I think your second sentence should read "Let's go over a few examles that I consder 'bad' sporran designs"... the Emphasis is mine.

For the record, I like sporrans wih large flaps. It makes it easier to 'snap' it closed when you have some resistence (items filing the bottom of the sporran) to push against which is the case when the snap is at the bottom of the large flap. Also, it allows a bigger 'pallet' for an artist to put some dsigns on. IDO agree with you on the closure however... the catch on that first on is a bit 'off' (again, IMHO).

I like the leather hunting sporrans with leaves instead of tassels. I'm not a fan of the cheaper quality 'import' ones, but I like the same design from L & M and Morrisons.

While the Saltire dress sporran is a bit much for my personal taste, there are thse who like the twist on a traditinal dress sporran.

Your reasoning behind not liking the page of 'Semi Dress' sporrans confuses me a bit (Cheapskate sporrans?!?), but you are welcome to your opinion. That's the value of this forum.

[Kiltman]

When it comes to sporrans I'm a practical sort. It needs to work for it's purpose. I wear a sporran a great deal and so test out all the sporrans I make and then make, what I hope, are improvements.
However, I do agree that a sporran can be a fashion statement, but only if it meets the above requirement.
If you wear a sporran only for Burns' Night or the Games then almost anything will do.
Looking at the history of sporrans I tend to believe that they were to begin with purses and so need to meet practical needs.

[Paul]

I dub this one "The Gay Blade".....need anyone say more?

I quite like that sporran, though it wouldn't suit any of my current kilts. It may look good with the Rainbow tartan, just as the LGBT sporran on Sporran Nation would.

Personally, I really don't like the design of the Freelander sporrans at all. Though, I can see why some people do and I can respect their views on this.
But this sort of thing just isnt my taste:

[RockyR]

I call them "cheapskate sporrans" because they are usually purchased by those who don't want to spend extra money to have two (or more) different sporrans for different occassions. What they achieve by purchasing one of these so-called "semi-dress" sporrans is to have a sporran that looks equally out of place with a tweed jacket as it does with a Prince Charlie or Highland doublet. As Scotty Thompson pointed out "the are neither fish nor foul, nor good red meat."

A valid point from Mr. Thomoson's book. I don't personally like the Semi Dress with a PC, but I think it looks fine with a daywear jacket or in other settings... again, personal opinions, not laws.

As far as a large flap giving an artist more room for decoration - I like to see decoration on the pouch as well as the flap, by hiding the pouch, you actually lose opportunity for additional decoration. And as far as roominess goes, a sporran isn't a knapsack, it's meant to carry a few basic essentials, not everything but the kitchen sink. A good rule of thumb for would-be sporran makers is that the flap on a front-fastening sporran should cover no more than 1/3 of the front of the pouch, thus allowing ample room for decoration on both the front of the sporran as well as the flap:

I agree, however, if you want a LARGE SINGLE piece of artwork, then oversizing the flap acheives that and in my opinion, still allows for a unique, functional, 'acceptable' sporran. Also, by limiting yourself to say that 'every sporran must have a flap that covers 1/3 the body, you confine yourself in the existing notion of exactly what a sporran MUST be. I think for practicality sake (which I mentioned about closing and snapping a sporran in my previous post) and for a larger single artistic pallet, I like the larger flaps and hope more sporran makers give more offerings in this style (should the demand support it).

And as far as roominess goes, a sporran isn't a knapsack, it's meant to carry a few basic essentials, not everything but the kitchen sink.

On THIS point, we agree...

[MacLowlife]

Sporran Nation looks like fun, though not really aimed at old guys like me

Being a cheapskate myself, I think many of the "cheapskate sporrans" shown by TDC could be improved by judicious tweaking. The mass marketers (and their imitators) tend to be afraid to apply even a little edgy Good Taste. I read somewhere that every recipe in a big fat Vegetarian cookbook sounded good, but that they all sounded better with a little bacon added. You can apply this principle to the cheapskate sporrans. Better tassels, contrasting tassels, little things, can rescue these guys and sporran wearers whose ideas exceed their skills can do a lot to redeem these. I had a black rabbit fur one with black tassels and a white one with white tassels. Presto-change-oh and they both looked better, if slightly reminiscent of Oreo cookies.

As for the soft leather pouches, I agree - they are not what I want dangling outside of my kilt.