Damascus Steel Sgian Dubh in Burr Wych Elm Sapwood and Bog Oak, 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".
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. I have sharpened the blade on this
particular knife. 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. There is an adequate factory edge on this knife but if you would prefer it
fully sharpened please let me know.
I have made the primary outer handle of this Sgian Dubh from some beautiful,
highly figured Scottish Burr Wych Elm sapwood. I harvested the burr that i used
for this particular knife from a tree in Balmacara, West Coast of Scotland
beside the Isle of Skye and have been waiting for it to dry for a few years
now. I have used perhaps over a hundred burrs in my time and this one stood out
due to the very clearly defined lighter sapwood to darker heartwood, quite a
rare thing indeed. The sapwood is a creamy light brown with and intricate burr
grain pattern and a light golden iridescence.
I have combined the Burr Wych Elm sapwood with some Scottish Bog Oak. I have
been very aware of this materials existence for some time now but have been
waiting to secure the right piece. This particular piece came from Muir of
Clunes, 12 miles South West of Inverness. This is quite a rural, verdant and
quite thickly wooded part of Scotland. My contact for this wood excavated quite
a few pieces and had a very small section scientifically aged, it came back at
approximately 5000 years old! To put this into context, this is when, slightly
further down the road, Stonehenge was starting to be assembled. Bog Oak is
created when the tree is buried in a peat bog and the wood is preserved by the
acidic conditions. The wood is stained dark brown to black by the tannins in
the acidic water. There is a fair amount of wastage of the wood until you get
deeper into the piece. In its raw state it smells like a mix of rubber and
organic material, not in any way rotten or decomposed. Working the wood is
somewhat challenging, quite splintery very much like Snakewood or Ebony and is
number 80 in my list of worked Hardwoods. Finished, the wood is at least as
hard as fresh Oak and finishes to a fine lustre. Colour is predominately black
with dark brown that has a deep iridescence and looks almost identical to
Indian Ebony. As far as the ultimate Scottish Sgian Dubh wood (black wood),
this is pretty much it although it does have the monopoly on colour as no other
Scottish wood is quite so dark.
For a professional finish i have used some African Blackwood as a centre to
lock the knife tang and scales together. 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 Knife". The wood is extremely
hard and finishes to a high lustre.
To finish and protect the wood I first apply a sealer of Shellac and Cellulose
Thinners. This brings out the colour and provides a stable base for the next
finish. I then hand brush 3 coats of a tough polyurethane lacquer. From my
experience this is the hardest wearing finish available for wood.
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 28mm x Depth of 12mm
Blade Length 87mm x Width 25mm, this complies with UK knife law sizing.
As with all my pieces i have applied my company logo "UBC" with pyrography, in
this case on the bottom rear of the handle.