Scottish Red Deer Antler and Snakewood Damascus Sgian Brew

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.
I have made the primary outer handle of this Sgian Brew 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 capped this antler handle with some 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. I sculpt the wood until in joins perfectly and seamlessly with the antler and again smooth off any sharp edges.
For a professional finish i have used some Scottish Oak as a centre to lock the tang and the outer scales together. Being a self-confessed wood snob, i don’t often use Oak on my knives as i feel it is sometimes just a little plain. I was up in Ullapool the other day visiting my wood guru, Robert the Spruce when he produced this lump of Oak. He informed me that it was from a 800 year old tree that grew in a Highland Estate just North of Inverness. It was toppled in a huge storm some 5-6 years ago and had been slowly drying in his store. It blows my mind to think that this tree was established in the late Middle Ages when both William Wallace and Robert the Bruce were doing their thing. It has been sawn on the quarter axis revealing its beautiful and interesting grain. Mid golden browns with streaks of darker brown go perfectly with the 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 centre, 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.
The blade on this Sgian Brew is made from stunning 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 were 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.
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 28mm x Depth 17mm
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.