Caledonian Sgian Dubh

Caledonian Sgian Dubh Hello from Scotland . Creating a unique personal legacy for you and yours is my one true passion . Contact me here only on messenger to discuss my Sgian dubhs .

Cost adjusted to cover US tariffs . Stay safe. Derek
Glasgow. Hello. My name is Derek and I live and work in Glasgow Scotland . The name Sgian Dubh is Gaelic and means black knife . Sgian means knife and Dubh is black . It is the traditional knife you see worn in the sock of a person wearing a kilt . In reality it was your every day tool used for everything from eating to fighting . Some believe

it was the weapon you never gave up to the law and always kept it hidden hence the black . An interesting side story is that when a Scotsman was visiting a friend he would tuck the Sgian Dubh into his sock to show he was a friend and had no ill intentions to hide . There are similar customs around the world and one I’m close too because of one of my wooden sculptures is the Native American custom of offering a broken arrow as a sign they mean you no harm . The original Sgian Dubh was a basic sharpened blade hammered into a wooden/antler handle and bound by leather . The fluting along one side that some added was simply to increase the grip on the blade when scraping animal skins as the handles weren’t that strong . I'm always happy to help on messenger or WhatsApp and we can chat about what I have available or can make just for you . All of my work is hand carved including my metal working , nothing is cast so every piece is unique . My naturally shed/cast antler I find on or around the family croft on the Isle of Lewis. My Sgian Dubhs have an unconditional lifetime guarantee . Derek
Glasgow
Scotland

This one will be off to its new owner who is a MacAulay like myself . I love it when one goes to one of my clan . He als...
03/06/2026

This one will be off to its new owner who is a MacAulay like myself . I love it when one goes to one of my clan . He also told me this sgian dubh can be seen being worn at the Clan MacAulay Gathering in Co Donegal in August this year.

WIPToday is a leather day lol . Starting a batch of my signature thistle sheaths that come standard with all my work.
03/06/2026

WIP
Today is a leather day lol .
Starting a batch of my signature thistle sheaths that come standard with all my work.

WIP. I could not resist that beautiful piece of Ambonya Burl wood that I came across on Saturday. Slow going as I was le...
01/06/2026

WIP.
I could not resist that beautiful piece of Ambonya Burl wood that I came across on Saturday. Slow going as I was learning how the wood liked to be worked as I went . It turned out to have different hardnesses which ment a light touch was required. The grain is just magical to look at .
Stay safe
D
Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿.

We have chatted online many times and yesterday I had the honour of finally meeting Mastet-at-arms Paul Mc Donald of the...
31/05/2026

We have chatted online many times and yesterday I had the honour of finally meeting Mastet-at-arms Paul Mc Donald of the famous McDonald Armouries face to face . Paul is an inspiration to me and especially when I first started carving Sgian Dubhs . A true gentleman who lights up the room or tent in this case . Unfortunately the picture makes me look like Quasimodo without a neck . I forget I’m a bit of a bear 🐻 and tend to hunch up lol .
I did pick up two fabulous pieces of wood at the exhibition, a piece of Bog Oak from the Scottish Borders and a section of Ambonya Burl. Very tempting to head to the workshop with these but it will have to wait till tomorrow.
Have a restful day.
Stay safe .
Don’t hunch.
D
Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿.

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