Description
Details of design may have changed over the centuries, but the sporran has remained the same in all essentials. One innovation was the patented ‘top-opening’ sporran which simplified access.
Despite the increased use of machinery to cut down the monotony of some of the more repetitive tasks, the craft remains largely a hand skill.
A plain sporran will take about an hour and a half to produce, one with Celtic poker work on it much longer. The elaborate dress sporran might take as long as a day and a half.
Many leathers used for sporrans are Scottish – pigskins and cowhide are the most common. Deerskin is not used, as the hair is not well rooted. Other skins used as Musquash, Morocco, Goatskin, Mink and Pony.
The sporran is basically simple – a shape is cut from leather, a gusset sewn round, the front stitched and bound on, and tassels threaded through.
Most of the work goes in to the decorative aspects, the gathering and sewing of the tassels, or the pleating of the thongs.
Some sporrans have elaborate silver or chrome mounts which must be fitted and secured, over a coloured piece of leather which both forms a decorative background and protects the skin when the metal requires cleaning.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.