Leather Sporrans are a traditional part of the Scottish Highland attire.  The kilt, woven in each clan’s distinctive plaid, perfectly served the climate of the Highlands.  The tightly woven woolen fabric provided warmth and protection from the wet climate.  It dried more quickly than breeches, and could be used as a comfortable blanket or to wrap up in when roughing it out on the moors.  Unlike breeches, the kilt lacked the handiness of pockets so Leather Sporrans developed out of necessity.  A continuation of the earlier purse, Leather Sporrans served as the pockets Highlanders didn’t have,  allowing a convenient place for storage of items that might be needed when outand about.

 

The earliest LeatherSporrans were often made from the rough hide of an animal, with the fur and often the head and paws, serving as the outer decoration.  Then deerskin and calfskin became particularly popular in the early Leather Sporrans.

 

At Oh Susanna’s Leather, we use a medium weight, supple top grade full grain cowhide for the main body.  Our Leather Sporrans follow the early simple design of gathering at the top with drawstrings.  Firmer heavier weight leather is sewn to the body of the pouch on both the front and back. On the back this heavier leather piece has slits to be used with a standard belt or a traditional Sporran Belt (leather and chain) and extends to the front as the flap closure.  The front flap has a button closure to further secure your items inside our Leather Sporrans.