Damascus Steel Sgian Dubh 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 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 Sgian Dubh.
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. 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 piece. For this Sgian Dubh i wanted as much contrast with the Blackwood as possible so i have sanded the Antler down to reveal its true colour and grain. 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 Sgian Dubh.
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 fitting the bill perfectly for a “Black Dagger”. The wood is extremely hard and finishes to a high lustre.
For a professional finish i have used more African Blackwood as a centre to lock the tang and scales together. I wanted the stark contrast with the Antler but for it to disappear into the Blackwood. This is the first time i have combined two of my most popular materials in this way and absolutely love the finished result.
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 29mm x Depth 17mm
Blade Length 87mm x Width 24mm, 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.