Questions about sgian dubhs and sporrans:

The amount of hassle you get for wearing a sgian is directly related to the locale you are in. Just as an example, there are places just a few hours drive from my doorstep where wearing a handgun openly is commonplace. Doing that in my hometown here would find me facedown on the pavement explaining myself to the nice police officer. If hassle may be in the cards, opt for the "safer" gift of a sporran.

As for sporrans, they are generally divided into two categories, daywear and eveningwear. What you describe is daywear and may be more suitable for his use of the kilt. Eveningwear sporrans generally have a portion of metal on top called a cantle and are often fur rather than leather.