Damascus Sgian Brew in Scottish Burr Wych Elm and Wild Cherry

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”. Sgian Brews have become a popular alternative, used in perhaps a non-knife friendly event or just as a talking point.
This is one of my new range of Sgian Brews in 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 knife collection. 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 Brew from some beautiful figured Scottish Burr Wych Elm. I harvested the burr that i used for this particular knife from a tree just outside Forres, half an hour East of Inverness and have been waiting for it to dry for a few years now. A consistent favourite Scottish hardwood with my customers, colour is mid browns, tones of cream and yellow, occasional streaks of green with a golden iridescence and an incredible burr grain pattern.
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 true colours in the wood. I then apply to types of industrial wax, the same finish as I use on my antler pieces, this leaves a hard wearing satin sheen.
It comes complete with an attractive embossed black leather sheath and a black presentation box.
The Sgian Brew measures:
Overall Length 169mm x Width 28mm x Depth 13.3mm
Blade Length 79mm x Width 24mm
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.