Not a piper but like the look of a horse hair sporran

[artificer]

Now I have gone and done it! I purchased a horse hair sporran and now I wonder if it is acceptable to wear it. I am not a piper but my father was and I am not associated with the military.
When could I wear it or do I just hang it on my wall along with some swords, knives and old maps I have?

For me, one of the biggest things about hair sporrans for day wear (and not looking like a piper or member of the RRS) is a leather cantle.
If you look at many of the sporrans illustrated by Kenneth MacLeay (as OC Richard already posted pictures of) a good number of the chaps are wearing sporrans without metal cantles.
It's just a more casual look, and I was inspired by those same pictures to start a small project (just over two years ago, and still rolling).

Here's one I did with the traditional "envelope" pocket on the back.


One nice thing about leather cantles and the traditional construction is that the sporran is MUCH lighter than the piper/military type frequently seen today



Here's our own M.A.C.Newsome wearing one that I made (albeit for a dressier event):


And another with a custom shaped cantle.


Lastly, even metal cantled sporrans can be given a shaggier, less "military" shape by losing the square cut on the bottom of the hair.


Although nothing beats goat hair for a nice shaggy look.

If you want to wear a horse hair sporran casually, do it. There are no kilt police, and as long as you're not in the Scottish Highlands, nobody will know that it's
"not the done thing".
ith:

[OC Richard]

Yes looking through The Highlanders of Scotland, one can see a tendency of wearing sporrans with little or no metal with grey or brown tweed jackets.

Here are some of these







A sporran sort of having this "feel", made in 1938, came up on Ebay a while back



I might point out that the OR sporrans of The Black Watch and The Cameron Highlanders had no metal save for the badge

[Tobus]

Currently in the Army there's a tendency to trim the bottom straight across, which I don't care for

I agree. A straight, flat cut across the bottom of a hair sporran tends to make it look like a broom. It seems to lack any imagination or style. My horse hair sporran is cut that way, and I would really like to give it some shape (I too like the scraggly look), but I'm terrified of doing it.

I also wonder if many of the old scraggly sporrans we see may once have been cut straight, and just been worn down over time. It seems that when they have that scraggly look, it's usually accompanied by some discolouration of the hair, especially towards the bottom. So perhaps the scraggly look is partially just a function of use and abuse?

For me, one of the biggest things about hair sporrans for day wear (and not looking like a piper or member of the RRS) is a leather cantle.

Absolutely! Hair sporrans with metal cantles look very dressy, where leather cantles give them a more outdoorsy-casual image. Or, perhaps I should say, leather cantles are more suited to double-duty as casual or dressy, since they can look good for both. And tassels have a lot to do with it too. Note that some of the sporrans painted by MacLeay (as illustrated above by OC Richard) lack tassels altogether. The less ornate it is, the more it lends itself towards a more rugged casual daywear look. In my eyes, anyway, even if our native Scots are rolling their eyes at the very idea.

One option you don't see very often is a leather flap rather than a cantle. This allows you to have a full pouch sporran instead of just a tiny pocket on the back. My horse hair sporran is built this way, but I still use it for dressy occasions as shown below. This is not an entirely traditional Highland look, but it can be pulled off quite well if you're with people who don't know any better.

[CMcG]

I agree. A straight, flat cut across the bottom of a hair sporran tends to make it look like a broom. It seems to lack any imagination or style. My horse hair sporran is cut that way, and I would really like to give it some shape (I too like the scraggly look), but I'm terrified of doing it....

I don't think the straight cut bottom is quite as bad as you say but rather that it is just more reminiscent of a regimental, uniform look. I've been tempted to try trimming the bottom of mine for a softer, more layered, possibly more civilian look... I'm also scared of messing it up though, so maybe I should bring it to my girlfriend's mom, who is a hairdresser

This is not an entirely traditional Highland look, but it can be pulled off quite well if you're with people who don't know any better.

Let's hope no-one delates you to those who do know better, because they'd be aghast at the way you're doing things that "just aren't done" In all seriousness, that is quite a unique look. It has a generally traditional feel, but there's some older, historic touches, and your own modern individuality too.

I like how the leather cantle and long neck tie combination dress down what could otherwise be a very formal outfit. The mess jacket is still a black tie level item, though, and the argyle hose add to that impression. What type of event (i.e. what dress code) would you wear that outfit for?

[Tobus]

Let's hope no-one delates you to those who do know better, because they'd be aghast at the way you're doing things that "just aren't done" In all seriousness, that is quite a unique look. It has a generally traditional feel, but there's some older, historic touches, and your own modern individuality too.

I like how the leather cantle and long neck tie combination dress down what could otherwise be a very formal outfit. The mess jacket is still a black tie level item, though, and the argyle hose add to that impression. What type of event (i.e. what dress code) would you wear that outfit for?

I took that photo over a year ago for the specific purpose of getting critique here on the forum, and believe me when I say there was plenty. It was actually a very good learning experience for levels of dress (of which I was largely ignorant), and you are correct that this falls into none of them! The mess jacket was my grandfather's, and I was looking for advice on how to cobble together an outfit around it.

The event was my step-daughter's evening wedding, where I was the only one in a kilt (and indeed most folks there had never seen a kilt before). I ended up wearing that outfit, but with a black bow tie and a 'formal' shirt with French cuffs but no tuxedo pleats on the front. Ideally, for that level of dress, a cantle sporran would be worn. But at the time I did not own any sporrans with cantles. And even now, the only cantle I own is a brass MoD cantle which would have a hard time rising to the level of black tie evening wear. But I have thought about building a horse hair sporran for the MoD cantle, just to see how it turns out. I think it would look smashing with a silver-plated MoD cantle like Harold's.

At any rate, disregarding the odd pairing of accessories in my experimental outfit above, my point was to show that even a horse hair sporran with a leather flap or cantle can look OK when dressed up, so long as you're not around people who nit-pick the details. The wearing of a long hair sporran itself tends to make a statement.

[artificer]

And even now, the only cantle I own is a brass MoD cantle which would have a hard time rising to the level of black tie evening wear. But I have thought about building a horse hair sporran for the MoD cantle, just to see how it turns out. I think it would look smashing with a silver-plated MoD cantle like Harold's.

Tobus,
I have been asked about doing this several times (horsehair and the ex-MoD cantle) and after a few experiments I can safely say that it's not going to work very well.
The horsehair needs a really SOLID anchor. When I build horsehair sporrans the hair is lapped between leather strips and triple stitched. This, along with the internal body work, allows
for the flexibility that can be seen in my earlier post (built like the very old ones were), but it's not "soft".



For a sack on the MoD sporrans, you need a fair amount of flex/stretch so the cantle can open.

If the face of the body is firm enough to hold the horsehair stitching, you're going to have a terrible time opening the cantle, even with a gusset in something as stretchy as Elk.

If the face is soft enough to stretch when the cantle opens, you're not going to have a very solid seat for the hair, and it will shed with even gentle use.
You also run the risk of this soft face deforming under the weight of the horsehair.

You'd be much better served with goat hair for a hinged brass cantle (which I actually have in the queue right now).
It's much, MUCH lighter and doesn't need such a firm backing.
The bag below isn't brass (obviously) but is a soft-sack construction- fully flexible- full storage.




One other thing you should definitely consider is adding a liner between the metal and any hair so you don't get green/brown patina on the hair over time.
Ususally the liner is pinked, but doesn't have to be.

Cheers
ith:

[Tobus]

For a sack on the MoD sporrans, you need a fair amount of flex/stretch so the cantle can open.

If the face of the body is firm enough to hold the horsehair stitching, you're going to have a terrible time opening the cantle, even with a gusset in something as stretchy as Elk.

That's a very good point, and one I hadn't considered. While I love the look of the MoD cantles, I have to say they present some issues with the bag when they hinge open. Yes, I can see how a stiff leather is needed to hold the hair, which would cause problems for the functionality of the cantle.

I wonder if it might not be better to build the sporran with a stiff leather as needed to hold the hair, but don't mount the cantle like you would for full functionality. Instead, use a narrow gusset and put a rear access opening (similar to the other nonfunctional cantles) just below the arc of the brass. You would get the look of the cantle, and a usable sporran, but without the hinge/opening issues. In other words, just treat it like a fixed cantle. It would only need to open far enough to allow the top of the bag to snap in place on the studs.

But I think you're right that goat hair would be a better solution. I have been looking around for a suitable length of long-hair goat hide to use, but haven't done anything serious with it yet. Too many projects on my list!

[creagdhubh]

Aye, I used to wear horsehair sporrans with Highland evening attire, but have ceased doing so completely and have since sold mine off. My tastes have evolved and changed over the years. Oh, and Thomas H., Kate Macpherson of Inverness-shire sells bespoke, goathair sporrans.

And I agree..."scraggly" ends are far more interesting and better looking in my opinion! There's entirely more character and gives both horsehair and goahair sporrans a Victorian-era look to them, of which I am quite fond.

www.katemacphersonsporrans.co.uk







Cheers,

[OC Richard]

This photo brings up something that some people nowadays might not have seen/be aware of.

Back around 1980 our pipe band purchased horsehair sporrans (from a top Scottish sporranmaker) and I was dismayed at the construction: the hair was sewn in rows onto the front of a plain leather body.

By this time I had owned several older horsehair sporrans and they weren't made that way: rather, the front of the body was hair, and this hair was augmented with long hair sewn in rows at the top of the front. What the hair on the body was I'm not sure, but it wasn't as long, and the hair was more fine. I currently have two long horsehair sporrans, both black, one a civilian sporran possibly from the 1920s or so, and one an Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders sporran which is very old, and both are made this way, with the front of the body itself long fine black hair, this augmented with long coarse hair sewn in rows at the top.

So it was cool to see this Ebay listing of a vintage horsehair sporran where the goathair body is clearly visible under the horsehair front

[Kilted Karl]

You could always learn to play the 'pipes.....

:ootd: Karl