Ian Grant Sporrans

[creagdhubh]

If you really want sealskin, used sealskin sporrans which are already here in the USA come up on Ebay fairly often, and obviously don't have to go through Customs. I wore one for years because that "look" is so common amongst pipers in Scotland and I wanted to follow it.

It's interesting how the same creature can be endangered/protected in one country but be thought of almost as a pest in another.

No sealskin sporrans here, so I was amazed when on my first trip to Scotland I saw an entire wall hanging full of them at Hardie's on Renfrew Street.

The flip side was visiting a sporran maker (Alexander Robertson of Ach-na-Cloich House, near Inverness) who showed me a closet full of badger pelts that he could not use.

I want those badger pelts! HA!

[Dram]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I have found a sealskin sporran from a company that seems to make quality items. I believe their specialty is leather and saddlery, and the quality can be seen especially on the backside of the sporran. Although I haven't recieved it yet, the detailed pictures appear to be what I am looking for. Only thing I am not too keen on are chrome cantles, but the pelt is very nice and I can live with it for now. Like OC, I like a traditional pipers look. I also think it will become more and more difficult to find sealskin sporrans, and the ones that will be available will probably fetch a fairly high price. I will in the future buy an Ian Grant sporran in bovine. I like the fact that the cantles are nickle plated rather than chrome, and the overall finish appears to be very nice (I'd buy a silver cantle but that's way beyond my means at the moment). The only thing I would recommend to Ian Grant is that the website show the reverse side of the sporran, and also show sporrans in the furs and colors offered. None are labbled, and it makes it difficult to tell which is which. An e-mail I recieved from them said that they have had instances of U.S. Customs destroying their sealskin sporrans and therefore they are pretty adamant about not sending seal to the U.S. Thanks again.