Damascus Steel Sgian Dubh in Scottish Red Deer Stag Antler/Walnut/Cherry, 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 dagger for “Sgian” and black for “Dubh”.
This is one of my new range of Natural Antler Sgian Dubhs combined with Hardwood in Damascus steel. I have really been enjoying making Natural Antler Sgian Dubhs as i feel the Damascus totally sets them off so adding some of my most popular hardwoods was a logical progression. It all adds up to a very unique and stunning looking natural piece.
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 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 left the antler just how the deer made it, only sanding where necessary. When working this particular piece of antler, there was a gorgeous smell of pine resin, this lad had been thrashing about in Scots Pine, this is often where the dark colour on antler comes from.
I have combined the Antler with some local Scottish Walnut. This piece came from a local Highland Estate just North/East of Inverness. Walnut is mid brown with a vibrant golden iridescence and is a very traditional wood is woodcraft. Over the centuries is has been used in the highest quality pieces such as the finest furniture and gun stocks. It has always been a star wood with me and consistently proves very popular with my customers. For new ranges, if possible, it is important for me to make a knife with an entirely Scottish handle so Walnut was an easy choice for me.
For a professional finish i have used some local Wild Cherry (Gean) as a centre to lock the 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 Walnut and Antler .
To finish and protect the handle I could not use polyurethane varnish as this would turn the antler yellow. So in this case 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 Dubh 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 20mm
Blade Length 88mm x Width 25mm, this complies with UK laws.
As with all my pieces i have applied my company logo “UBC” with pyrography, in this case on the bottom rear of the handle.