Sgian Dubh, Scottish gift, wedding gift, groom gift, mens gift

The Sgian Dubh is a ceremonial dagger that is traditionally worn (tucked into the sock) as part of Scottish Highland dress along with a kilt. The translation in Gaelic is dagger for “Sgian” and black for “Dubh”.
I have made the primary outer handle of this Sgian Dubh in Surinese Snakewood, one of the hardest and most expensive woods on the planet. It is the heartwood of a relatively small tropical tree and is reddish brown with black markings running throughout that resemble snakeskin. The iridescence on this super exotic wood has to be seen to be believed, when the sunlight hits it it it looks like its on fire! The amazing pattern of this wood also gives it its other name of Letter wood. Its almost unsurpassed hardness gives a finish like glass making it the ultimate knife handle.
For a professional finish i have used some local Scottish Yew as a centre to lock the tang and the outer scales together. This particular piece came from a very old tree that grew near Ullapool, West Coast of Scotland. The heartwood is a mellow orange and the sapwood is a beautiful creamy yellow, quite striking if included in a piece as it is in this knife. Yew is a very traditional and sought after wood in woodcraft. This extremely slow growing, evergreen tree can live for many thousands of years and its use in folklore and legend has given it an almost mystical status. These two Scottish Hardwoods go perfectly together.
To finish and protect the wood I first apply a sealer of Shellac and Cellulose Thinners. This brings out the true colours and provides and stable base for the next finish. I then apply three coats of a hard wearing polyurethane lacquer that leaves a hardwearing satin sheen.
The blade is made of Damascus steel. Damascus steel was first made over 2000 years ago and has a legendary status, it is referred to as the steel of the Ancients. It is thought to have originated in or near Damascus, Syria. During the Crusades, the Crusaders where in awe of this steel that they witnessed slicing through their own lesser quality swords. The exact process of making Damascus steel was lost around 1750 AD but it became very popular again in the 1970s with various craftsmen claiming to have rediscovered the process. The process involves taking multiple layers of metal and folding them together and bonding them by forge welding. If done correctly the metalsmith will end up with a blade that is both hard and flexible and of course have the swirling Damascus steel pattern that is so sought after. Each blade has its own unique pattern, just like a finger print. I have sourced top quality 15N20 Damascus steel blanks, they have a higher Nickel content for extra hardness and are simply stunning to look at, an absolute must have for any collection. The blades will be supplied unsharpened but if required, they can be sharpened and will hold a razor edge. If Damascus steel is ground to sharpen then the pattern will disappear, to people unfamiliar with this metal, quite a distressing thing. After sharpening, application of hydrochloric acid will instantly make the pattern pop again. There is one draw back with Damascus steel, due to the high carbon content it will rust and rust quickly. If the blade gets wet it must be dried quickly and if stored for a period of time, especially in an environment that could get damp, simply rub a little clear oil onto the blade to protect it. I have set it in the handle so that it measures just under 3.5″ to comply with current UK laws. I have left the blade unsharpened as Sgian Dubhs are mostly ornamental.
It comes complete with an attractive embossed black leather sheath and a black presentation box. The Sgian Dubh measures:
Overall Length 177mm x Width 28mm x Depth 11.7mm
Blade Length 87mm x Width 25mm
As with all of my pieces i have applied my company logo “UBC” with pyrography, in this case on the bottom rear of the handle.