A Sporran is a leather bag that is hung on the front of the kilt. It is secured with a chain and belt. It’s an essential element of the traditional Scottish highland attire and is always worn in conjunction with the kilt. Why? because when you’re wearing a Scottish kilt, where else can you store your money, wallet, your phone, and even your keys? Also, you don’t want bulges ruining the design of your elegant evening jacket. This is why you require a kilt and a sporran.
Which sporran do you think you’re planning to wear? If we’re discussing Scottish highland attire You won’t be shocked to learn you can choose from five varieties of a”sporran. Let’s first examine the style of the strawman.
Sporran Design
A sporran can be described as a tough pouch made of leather that is it is made of, depending on the type of sporran, hide fur, skin, or hair. The dimensions, based on the kind of sporran, can be around 60cm x 40cm. The flap and the back (or lid or lid, as the maker would call it) are made from one piece of leather, while the front is cut is made from a separate piece. A leather gusset then stitched to the back and then stitched to the front. The flap on the back then stretches over the top and is attached to the front by the clasp or stud.
A majority, though not all, sporrans include tassels on the front. For a sporran made of pure leather one example is the ‘day sporran’ the tassels are usually 3 or 2 are inserted directly in the top piece. For more decorative sporrans such as a dress or semi-dress sporrans, the tassels up to 6 inches long, are attached to tiny chains with decorative designs, which are either hung straight or are twisted to an opening on the piece. Hair or wool tassels are bonded with chrome, pewter, or silver heads prior to being attached to the chain.
Modern sporrans see the interior leather covered in soft suede. It could have keys that you could use to attach your keys to or separate pockets for coins and credit cards. Some have even a pocket that you can put inside phones with mobiles. We’re all about saying that a sporran is an amazing thing!
Types of Sporrans
There are five major types of sporrans:
Day Sporran. A day sporran, also often a casual or one made of leather, is very popular and one you’d put on, well at all times during the day. It is made of leather and is typically black, but it’s becoming more common these days to see the leather available in various shades like brown, tan, or grey. As a basic day sporran generally, it’s simple leather with no embellishments and can be decorated with intricate Celtic designs embossed onto the lid.
This can be done through burning or, more commonly, using a laser. Sometimes the pattern may appear in the form of small pewter or studs. In many ways, the day sporran is an updated version of the sporran that was originally used in the past – a basic leather pouch constructed from three leather pieces that are stitched together. Its back measures more than twice the length of the front and curves around its front to create the lid or flap the way it’s referred to by the maker of the sporran.
Dress Sporran. A formal dress sporran. It’s the one you’d wear to an important occasion, such as a wedding. In contrast to a day sporran, it does not have a flap lid and is opened from the top. Front of dress sporran typically made of hiding or skin or fur. The dress sporran can also have an ornament made of silver or pewter at the front’s upper part, known as a cantle. This can be lavishly decorated and made. The cantle is fitted with an earring on the top, which is used to hold the sporran’s open or close it. It’s secured by tiny leather strips that connect the front and back and secured with the screw.
Semi-dress Sporran. The sporran in-between. It can be worn to weddings or casually if you wish. It’s constructed as a day sporran that has its back being longer than the front and making the lid or flap that covers the sporran. The lid is decorated with badges, studs as well as embossed Celtic engravings. Like this dress, this one has the front of which is made of skin, hide, or fur, and at the very least three tassels hanging from decorative crossed or straight chains.
Animal Skin Sporran. This type of sporran is constructed from animal fur. Fur is stitched on the front, and the tassels which are usually 2, 3, or 4 are constructed from fur. Fur sporrans can be found in fox, beaver rabbit, and musquash as well as lamb highland cow, coyote, and mink. There’s even one skunk! They are typically luxurious in their appearance, they’re a kind of dress sporran, and they always come with a beautifully embellished cantle. An extender of the animal’s skin sporran that uses an animal’s head for the flap. Sometimes, they’re referred to as full-mask sporrans, they are available in the musquash (muskrat) or the fox (collected from roadkill). While they’re not adorned with tassels or tassels they are used as dresses sporrans.
Horsehair Sporran. It’s the huge hairy sporran that pipers in the various bands across all over the world wear. As the name implies from hair that comes from horses’ tails this sporran is still used by Scottish army regiments, has a white front with long black tassels that are also made of horses hair. Regiments that still wear them include that of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, the Scots Guards, and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. Each one features a distinct style of a horsehair sporran. Incredibly, Scottish Royals’ sporran horsehair”sporran” has just two tassels, whereas the Royal Scots Guards and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards each sport three.
