Sgian Dhu

18thC Scottish Sgian Dhu traditional dress sock dagger.  This iconic Scottish dagger is an absolute must have and was worn by Highland warriors for centuries.

Well not quite. The Sgian Dhu or ‘black dagger’ actually never existed before the mid 19thC and is a complete fiction, but is utterly embedded in popular culture and we are often asked about them, so we decided to offer one.  

Our Sgian Dhu is a reduced version of a full size late 17thC/early 18thC Scottish dirk, the true fighting knife of the Scots, so IF the Sgian Dhu existed, it may well have looked very much like this.  Brass haunches, a black wood grip and flattened brass pommel so it looks all ‘dirk’ but will sit close and comfortably to your body when worn in a sock.

It has a fully functional, single edged blade with file work spine and comes with a period decorated naturally tanned leather sheath and brass chape. 

We have 3 sizes of this style; the Sgian Dhu, the short brass and black wood dirk, and the long brass and black wood dirk.  Available individually or as a set.

Overall length 8.25″/20.5cm

Blade length 4.25″/11cm

Grip length 3.5″/9cm

As our knives are handmade, these measurements may vary very slightly between examples. 

Edge Sharpness

Semi-Sharp is ‘butter knife sharp’; it has a very fine flat on the edge

Sharp has been ground to give a reasonable cutting edge, but final honing, if required, is by the customer.

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