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Name Sgian Dubh is Gaelic for Dark or Black Knife. On that we all agree, but thereafter there seem to be different views.
Many argue, with some merit, that the word Dubh does not refer to the colour of the knife. Although many dress knives are made from ebony and have a black leather sheaf, many are made from horn with brown leather sheaves. Not all Sgian Dubhs are black. In the eighteenth century most would have been utilitarian and unlikely to be black.
The widely accepted view is that Dubh is more likely to mean Dark (as in sinister) because this was generally a concealed weapon. The carrying of a Sgian Dubh was however, so prevalent, that it was assumed that everyone carried one and it became an act of courtesy to place this weapon where it could be seen when amongst friends. |
| History The Sgian Dubh has a history that is as dark as its name and few scholars seem to agree on the facts.
Most agree that at one time in the highlands everyone, men and women, carried a knife - even if it was only used as an eating utensil. Still in the country today many people will carry a Sgian Phocaid or pen knife.
The Sgian Achlais or 'armpit dagger' was a slightly larger than the Sgian Dubh and was carried under the left arm.
Whether the Sgian Dubh evolved from the Sgian Achlais is not certain but both clearly developed over the centuries from a short utility knife.
A common use for these knives was for gralloching or butchering deer or filleting fish. A laird would have a ghillie for this work and it is argued that for a period the Sgian Dubh was disdained by gentlemen. Officers in Highland Regiments and Lairds would happily be painted with sword and dirk, which latterly had its own knife and fork set. However, paintings in the early nineteenth century show the Sgian Dubh worn openly in the hose top and by the middle of the century seems to be widely worn by all classes.
Many early Sgian Dubhs have horn antler handles, sometimes finished in brass or silver and a simple stitched leather sheaf. This was understandable for a knife that was often used for gralloching deer.
Others had wooden handles, made from local bog oak or imported hardwood. As the Scottish Romantic period took hold the Victorians started to embellish these knives often creating Dirk and Sgian Dubh sets from Ebony, with silver, gold or brass mounts and elaborately jewelled with Cairngorms. |
| Types Today there are two main categories of Sgian Dubh - the Dress Sgian Dubh and the Day Sgian Dubh.
The Dress Sgian Dubh falls into two main categories - the military and the civilian. The Military Dress Sgian Dubh has a fairly chunky appearance, has a straight ebony handle mounted with the regimental insignia. These Sgian Dubhs are popular with pipers and are often worn by 'old soldiers'. The chunky style is suitable for displaying a clan crest badge and so is also very popular as a 'clan' Sgian Dubh.
The Civilian Dress Sgian Dubh is generally a more refined knife. The most popular models have a thistle shaped handle and a jewlled top. It is more delicate and is more appropriate for he ballroom than the parade ground or battlefield. The handle tends to be slimmer and it is not as common to adorn the handle with any badges. The Dress Sgian Dubh nearly always has a stiff leather scabbard with two metal mounts normally of silver or silver plate. |
| Manufacture You will notice a considerable price range in our Sgian Dubhs.
There are two main factors that govern the price - the first is the cost of the materials and the second the workmanship required.
All our own Sgian Dubhs have the same blade - but the handle can vary from a composite handle which is relatively cheap in terms of material and is moulded so requires no carving. Then we have ebony handles, which are more expensive and are hand carved. The relatively plain cross-hatching takes very much less time than the more elaborate basket-weave.
Thereafter, the cheapest mounts are chrome plated pewter. Increasing in price we get brass, silver plated brass, silver, and even gold. If a mount is cast with a mould, then this requires less workmanship than a plain mount which is then hand engraved. Hand engraving gives a very crisp finish.
Finally, many of our Sgian Dubhs are jewelled. The cheaper ones have glass, the better ones have a semi-precious stone such as smokey quartz.
The choice is yours - we hope that this provides a range that will allow most people to find an Sgian Dubh that pleases them. |
| Traditional Gift Many of our customers commission these Sgian Dubhs for Christening, 21st or wedding presents. They are particularly suitable for this purpose as the scabbard can be engraved with the date and initials. However, it is important to remember the old saying "to give a knife is to risk severing the bonds of friendship". At my twenty first birthday party I was presented a beautiful Sgian Dubh by the islanders at my home - but I had to hand over a coin of the realm in payment. By so doing this made the transaction a commercial transaction and we avoided any risks that might be associated with the giving of a knife. |
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