Damascus Steel Natural Sgian Brew in Scottish Red Deer Stag Antler/African Blackwood, Scottish gift, antler 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 knife or dagger for “Sgian” and black for “Dubh”. Sgian Brews have become a popular alternative, used in perhaps a non-knife friendly event or just as a talking point.
I have made the primary outer handle of this Sgian Dubh from some Scottish Red Deer Stag Antler. The antler came from a stag that roamed the hills above Lairg, Sutherland, an extremely rugged and untouched part of Scotland. Antler is one of these materials that is a joy to work, approximately the working hardness of Oak, it responds well to careful working with both machine and hand tools. My wood Sgian Dubhs tend to be very exacting in their shape where as antler, due to its flowing curves can offer a more natural handle which is exactly what has been achieved in this knife. I have only sanded the antler where require to make a comfortable handle but have tried to leave as much character as possible. Antler is a white to creamy white with shades of grey, pinkish brown and sometimes even green, set up against the Blackwood this makes for an extremely eye-catching and unique knife.
I have combined the Antler with some stunning African Blackwood. All the Blackwood i use is FSC 100% and comes from community-managed forests in Tanzania, 100% of the revenue from wood sales goes back to the local people involved. This true Rosewood has a beautiful grain, jet black streaks intertwined with dark iridescent brown. It also has a high natural oil content that makes it very resistant to moisture. African Blackwood is a very traditional wood to be used in the making of Sgian Dubhs/Brews fitting the bill perfectly for a “Black Knife”. The wood is extremely hard and finishes to a high lustre.
For a professional finish i have used some local Wild Cherry (Gean) as a centre to lock the knife tang and the outer scales together. This piece came from a tree that grew on the Black Isle, just North of Inverness. Like most Cherrys, Wild Cherry is a lovely wood. It has a complex grain pattern, is orangy brown with streaks of green and a golden iridescence. I used this wood in some of my early knives and loved it so have been waiting very patiently for this piece to dry for the last couple of years. Wild Cherry is now officially my most popular Scottish Hardwood knife centre and goes perfectly with the Blackwood and Antler .
The blade of this Sgian Brew is made from 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. 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.
To finish and protect the handle i first apply a sealer of Shellac and Cellulose Thinners only to the wood sections, this brings out the colour. Then i apply two types of industrial wax, the same as used on my antler kilt pins. This gives a hard wearing finish and an attractive sheen not dissimilar to a polyurethane finish.
This Sgian Brew comes complete with an attractive embossed black leather sheath and a black presentation box.
The Sgian Brew measures:
Overall Length 169mm x Width 33mm x Depth 19mm
Blade Length 79mm x Width 24mm
As with all my pieces i have applied my company logo “UBC” with pyrography, in this case on the bottom rear of the handle.