A sporran is worn only by a man, unless a lady is a member of a pipe band and
is wearing the sporran as part of the band uniform. Sporrans are described as
being formal, semi-formal or for day wear. A formal sporran often has a silver
or chrome cantle across the top, and the sporran itself is made from an animal
skin, often sealskin, although this material is not permitted in the United
States. Other furs such as musquash, rabbit, fox or badger are also used. A
formal military-style sporran, usually made of horsehair, is almost always
restricted to pipe bands today, although this was not always the case.
A semi-formal sporran is faced on the front with fur, and has a leather
closure flap, which may be decorated in some way. A day sporran is generally
quite plain, made with tanned leather in black or brown. All sporrans usually
have decorative tassels on the front.
The illustrations below show the different styles available. Click on the
picture to bring up the wide range of each type available from only one of our
suppliers. Additional designs are available from other suppliers.