Sgian Brew, 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 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 Brew from some beautiful, highly figured Scottish Burr Wych Elm. I harvested the burr that i used for this particular knife from a tree in that grew near Banchory, East Coast of Scotland and have been waiting for it to dry for a few years now. Distinguishable from European Elm, its Highland cousin Wych Elm has green streaks running throughout. Since i began this journey it has been one of my favourite local woods and my most popular Scottish hardwood by far, by my customers. Rich mid browns, tones of cream, yellow and green with a golden iridescence and an intricate burr grain pattern. This burr is an exceptionally good example of this beautiful wood at its best.
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. These two beautiful 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 colour and provides and stable base for the next finish. I then apply two types of industrial wax that leave a hardwearing satin sheen. The blade is Stainless Steel and measures under 3.5″ to comply with UK knife laws. The blade of a Sgian Brew has a far more substantial thickness to a Sgian Dubh blade, just under 3mm so adds a weighty quality feel to the piece. It comes complete with an attractive embossed black leather sheath and a black presentation box.
The Sgian Brew measures:
Overall Length 170mm x Width 29mm x Depth 13.2mm
Blade Length 80mm x Width 25mm
As with all my pieces i have applied my company logo “UBC” with pyrography, in this case on the bottom rear of the handle.