Full Tang SGIAN DUBH Wanted!

What's your budget, your preferred steel, and do you have any hang ups on country of origin. Also, how traditional do you want the knife to keep to original build design/specs?

The most cost effective one I have seen runs about $40 and is made by Boker. It would certainly work to stuff in your stocking and poke holes in things. I've nearly bought it 4 or 5 times but really have no need for it.
 
Steely_Gunz said:
What's your budget, your preferred steel, and do you have any hang ups on country of origin. Also, how traditional do you want the knife to keep to original build design/specs?

The most cost effective one I have seen runs about $40 and is made by Boker. It would certainly work to stuff in your stocking and poke holes in things. I've nearly bought it 4 or 5 times but really have no need for it.
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I didn't know Boker makes one. Ill have to look that up.
 
The Boker one has a bad sheath, and you'll have to look through a few to get a good one, but it's a neat knife. The big problem besides the sheath, is gapping at the bolster line. It's also a bigger knife, more on the order of a full sized boot knife.

The Sgian Dubh is such a small knife, I'd be tempted to go custom with it. I haven't seen many full tang models over the years. Even high quality onesare hard to find.

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/sgian-dubh-dimensions.1526943/ - post #7 shows a full tang version, made by Pablo, a maker here.

Walter Sorrells goes through making a dress and tactical version here -
.
 
How traditional do you want it to be ? The Sgian Dubh, originally, is not a full tang build. If you really want a full tang, there is this, by Colt, nice little knife (the burl is beautiful), well finished and pretty. Just stupidly heavy (IMO) because of the full tang and the thick stock (1/6"). But it's very affordable. So, you can treat yourself to a full tang Sgian Dubh and see how it works out for you at minimal expense.
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There are a couple of makers here that have listed them somewhat regularly, go to the custom fixed blade section and search for sgian dubh.
 
lieferung said:
There are a couple of makers here that have listed them somewhat regularly, go to the custom fixed blade section and search for sgian dubh.
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Right ! My favorite is Paul Baleta (Baleta Knives). But he doesn't do them full tang. And they are in a higher price range. Worth every penny, this said. I have two and they are among my preferred EDCs. And while I'm at it, I could add that the Böker is in the middle between a Dirk and a Sgian. The shape is a Dirk. Sgians are small knives carried in the belt or the pocket. The Dirk is a full blown dagger worn on the belt or in the coat under the armpit.
 
Those are neat knives and I'll looked for an affordable one, without success. You can get a custom sgian dubh from a few makers in Scotland, but they are pricey; on a walking tour there a couple of years ago I saw a few junk knives (probably made in China) in souvenir stores, but none in museums. Cold Steel made a knockoff but I didn't care for it. There are lots of fake sgian dubhs available for bagpipers to tuck in their stockings when on parade -- some don't even have an edge and I'd hardly call them knives at all. There are a lot of custom knife makers here on Bladeforums who could produce what you want. Keep us informed.
 
Alberta Ed said:
Cold Steel made a knockoff but I didn't care for it.
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I will have to disagree here. While I wouldn't call the Cold Steel Secret Edge a "Sgian Dubh" because it lacks cultural and emotional charge (hence your "knockoff" designation), it is a very well made little necker. True to the "one edge" pattern of the Sgian Dubh, light, easy to carry and with a very efficient sheath (very good for neck carry, certified !). By the way... it is a full tang ! Another cheap way to try the thing...
 
Ken Brock/Brock Blades. Good dude and a badass knife-maker.
 
I'm curious, why the full tang requirement? On a small knife like that why would a partial tang knife not be strong enough? I've done criminally stupid things with a Mora without breaking it, so I'm always puzzled when someone's requirements for a small knife include it having a full tang.
 
I'm working on one right now with a 3" blade in 3V.
It will not be full tang. Rather the tang will screw into the buttcap which will feature a 3 pence coin (1943 with thistle).
The blackwood handle will be carved with a design that flows into the blackwood sheath.
 
herisson said:
I will have to disagree here. While I wouldn't call the Cold Steel Secret Edge a "Sgian Dubh" because it lacks cultural and emotional charge (hence your "knockoff" designation), it is a very well made little necker. True to the "one edge" pattern of the Sgian Dubh, light, easy to carry and with a very efficient sheath (very good for neck carry, certified !). By the way... it is a full tang ! Another cheap way to try the thing...
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In the mid 90s Cold Steel had an actual Sgian Dubh that they called the Culloden. It is Carbon V and Kraton, and I haven't seen one for sale in a long time. Mine is a little stained and the hilt is a bit worn, but it's still miles ahead of the Secret Edge.
 
BitingSarcasm said:
In the mid 90s Cold Steel had an actual Sgian Dubh that they called the Culloden. It is Carbon V and Kraton, and I haven't seen one for sale in a long time. Mine is a little stained and the hilt is a bit worn, but it's still miles ahead of the Secret Edge.
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I have the mini version that came about 20ish years ago. I think mine is AUS8. Really well made little dagger designed to ride as a neck knife. Long out of production, but it is a sgian-dubh of modern making.
 
A sgian-dubh is a pretty specific knife, now mostly ceremonial but still it has to hit a few particular points.

If someone came by insisting that a Bowie with a tanto blade was fine there would be some pushback.

A better call would be looking for a small dagger about 3-4" with a full tang.

Otherwise people will soon be adding skull crusher pommels to katanas and saying "this is fine".
 
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I have been wanting one too, in fact I recently suggested on the Spyderco forums that Spyderco produce a Sgian Dubh as an addition to their Ethnic series of knives. I believe I will soon be trying my hand at knifemaking and make my own. (I have done a couple handles, and made numerous titanium charms.) I like the idea of full tang as well. I rescaled my Guardian 3.5 which is full tang and I don't find it too heavy at all. (I will use a thinner stock than the Guardian, and I can always skeltonize the tang...I can't remember if the Guardian has a skeletonized tang or not.) Polished dark micarta scales should look great.

As a note I think Emerson makes one too, but it comes without scales.

Grizz
 
This one, dated 1914, is full tang. Compared to some other recent purchases I didn't feel it was expensive.

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P
eisman said:
This one, dated 1914, is full tang. Compared to some other recent purchases I didn't feel it was expensive.

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Pretty nice, but this would be a full hiden tang (like screwed or peened into the pommel). Some would call that a rat stick tang... No problem, actually. Swords were built like this over centuries and they worked very well.
 
The OP specified full tang, that's one that runs the distance from the bolster to the pommel. I have never seen an authentic Skean with an exposed tang.
 
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