Sporrans...

[Leerwerker]

I am looking for sporran patterns, please!

[TomBanwell]

Interesting you should ask about sporrans. I don't have a pattern, but I do have my grandfather's sporran from WWI. He went to France with the Canadian 42nd Highlanders, a regiment of the Black Watch. I've been thinking of making one similar to his, as it is very cool looking. Here is a picture of him wearing it.

[Oscar B]

291sporr.pdf

There was one in the leather crafter saddler journal. I have this one also but can not post here.

291sporr.pdf

[Leerwerker]

Thanks Oscar!

Tom, I am very interested in the "closing mechanism" of that sporran of your dad's! Some one asked me about sporrans and said he wanted to make one, but he did not have the hardware for the closure at the top. What he described, sounded very much like what I see on that photo. Can you photograph or describe how that sporran closes?

JOhan

[MarkS]

Thanks Oscar!

Tom, I am very interested in the "closing mechanism" of that sporran of your dad's! Some one asked me about sporrans and said he wanted to make one, but he did not have the hardware for the closure at the top. What he described, sounded very much like what I see on that photo. Can you photograph or describe how that sporran closes?

JOhan

At last, something I know something about. The closure device you are describing is known as a "cantle" and was made of silver plate or of pewter depending on the maker. They are relatively difficult to find, but are hinged on the bottom and snap together at the top in a purse like fashion. This page: http://www.cuillinn.com/hda.html may give you an idea how they go together.

One source is

Highland Wear

another may be:

Burnetts & Struth Scottish Regalia Ltd.

Barrie, Ontario, Canada

Phone: 1 - 705 - 728 - 3232

I have made the sporran in the PDF above, and while the pattern works, it does give a substandard looking sporran IMHO. I have made a new pattern which I will post when I get a chance, for anyone who may want one. The protype I made is better looking, and more correct to the 18th century, yet still looks great and fits in the 21st century.

Mark

[TomBanwell]

Here is another site that sells sporrans http://www.highlandbrigade.com/products/index.asp

I will pull out my granddad's sporran later today and photograph it.

[TomBanwell]

Apparently sporrans were made with different designs. Upon examining my sporran I found that the brass cantle does not function as an opening. It is merely a decorative piece. The actual purse is accessed from the back and is closed by a single brass button.

This sporran dates to around 1915 when my grandfather enlisted in the 42nd Highlanders. The bag is made of red leather with a shiny finish, and black leather piping (the color largely worn off) all around the edge and the flap. The back and pocket are all one piece of leather, with a gusset sewn in to allow the pocket to open. It is a very small pocket in terms of how much it could hold.

The five black horsehair tassels are wrapped in a rigid black leather and tied onto the back rhrough brass grommets with cotton string. The long white horsehair is sewn across the front in cascading layers. The strap I suspect is not original, as the brass buckle is held on with aluminum pop rivets which don't look period. The side view shows how flat the sporran lies.

[MarkS]

Wow Tom... great pictures. I haven't seen one like this from this era. Very cool! It's a treasure to be sure.

Thanks for taking the time to photograph it!

Mark

[MarkS]

Here is the sporran and some pictures of the templates I used. Measures about 7 1/2 inches by 8 1/2 inches. The toggle is just a small piece of branch, I had lying around, split down the middle and sanded on the back. The front "bellows" out to allow the hand inside. Squares are 1/4".

Mark

Edited April 13, 2008 by MarkS

[12stones]

Here is the sporran and some pictures of the templates I used. Measures about 7 1/2 inches by 8 1/2 inches. The toggle is just a small piece of branch, I had lying around, split down the middle and sanded on the back. The front "bellows" out to allow the hand inside. Squares are 1/4".

Mark

That's a great looking rob-roy style of sporran. What weight and type of leather did you use for it? Thanks for posting the pattern.

[Schno]

Here's a sporran pattern I used for my first go at one. The pattern is from the May-June '93 Leather Crafter's Journal. I did a bit of non-traditional carving on it, to match my friend's tattoos. But the pattern itself is traditional enough.

I joined the front and back with a 2 3/4" strip of garment leather and lined the whole thing in pigskin suede.

[triggersmith]

i would like to know how they get all the pleats in the Rob Roy Sporran. Do they use a large round circle of leather. Any patterns out there or ideas.

rlhanchett@gmail.com