Sgian Dubh, Scottish knife, Scottish gift, Wedding gift, Groom gift, Best Man 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”.
I have made the primary outer handle of this Sgian Dubh from some Laburnum. This particular piece came from a tree that grew in a garden in Ullapool. Most people are familiar with the trees yellow flower racemes but not so much the wood itself. Colour-wise, Laburnums heartwood ranges from mid to chocolate browns with a golden iridescence. The outer sapwood is a light creamy brown so offers a nice contrast if included in the piece. The grain is beautifully intricate which is why the French call it “Golden Chain”. I love using Laburnum in my work not just for its attractiveness but also due to it being very hard so excellent for knife handles.
For a professional finish i have used some beautiful African Blackwood for a centre to lock the tang and scales together. All the Blackwood is 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 Knife”. The wood is also extremely hard and finishes to a high lustre. In this piece it gives an eye-catching contrast against the Laburnum.
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 2 types of industrial wax, this leaves a hardwearing satin sheen not too dissimilar to a polyurethane finish. The blade is Stainless Steel and measures under 3.5″ to comply with UK knife laws. I have left the blade unsharpened as Sgian Dubhs are mostly ornamental. It comes complete with an attractive embossed black leather sheath and a black presentation box.
The Sgian Dubh measures:
Overall Length 172mm x Width 28mm x Depth 12.5mm
Blade Length 85mm 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.