Sgian Dubh blade for my 3rd. Tang question.

mccandmatt

mccandmatt

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Oct 29, 2013
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For my third knife I want to make my brother and nephew each a Sgian Dubh, not going fancy with our family tartan colors or anything, just want it to look like an authentic knife so just simple wood. It's going to be 7" oa length 3.5" blade, 3.5" handle. But I have yet to attempt a hidden tang. Should I taper it down? I think I saw in a post somewhere Stacy suggested a 25 degree taper (I could be wrong), or would a straight tang work fine with the end threaded to the pommel?

As for the handle should I just use two scales carve out the shape of the tang and glue together before sanding? Or should I use a solid block and drill it? Or should I just say screw it and go with a full tang? lol

Thanks
Matt
 
Hidden tangs are not that hard imho. It just takes a bit of patience.
As long as the tang isn´t thicker as the blade where it meets the guard you´ll be fine.
Use a solid block, otherwise you´ll see a seam.
Originaly bog oak was used for sgian dubh´s and later, when it became available ebony was used(blackwood was also called ebony back then)
 
The handle can be fairly simple, with a small knob or fold over at the butt. Or, you can carve it in a braided or Celtic knot work look. A simple diagonal criss-cross pattern filed into the scales with a three corner file can look very nice.

African Blackwood is probably the most available and easy to work wood, but if you have access to some bog oak, that is the classic wood for a primo sgian dubh.

The handle should be rather flat and thin. Often, the leg side is slightly flatter than the show side. The leg side does not need to be carved unless you will want to.

The blade should be a 2.5-3" long simple triangular shape, with three or four half-round file cuts (jimping) on the spine just past the handle. A fuller is common, but not necessary at all.
Stainless steel is preferable to carbon if it will be worn under sweaty conditions, but 1084 carbon blades are easy to HT.


A guard is not used, but a bolster of some fashion is normal. It can be a guard thickness piece of metal that is ground/sanded flush with the handle.
Whether to do a full tang or a stick tang depends on the amount of decoration and carving the handle will get. A hidden tang is the norm, but a full tang sgian dubh with file work all the way around the tang will certainly get a lot of attention and admiration.

A very simple sheath is all that is needed. It should be a pouch style that comes just past the bolster. No strap is used.
 
Hengelo_77 said:
Hidden tangs are not that hard imho. It just takes a bit of patience.
As long as the tang isn´t thicker as the blade where it meets the guard you´ll be fine.
Use a solid block, otherwise you´ll see a seam.
Originaly bog oak was used for sgian dubh´s and later, when it became available ebony was used(blackwood was also called ebony back then)
Click to expand...

Yeah I have been debating on using bog oak. Now do I use a long drill bit the same thickness as the tang? so if using 1/8" steel us a long 1/8 bit and drill a couple of times to the same width? Seems like the only way to me but I am a newbie.

Then again I may just go full tang

Thanks Hengelo
 
bladsmth said:
The handle can be fairly simple, with a small knob or fold over at the butt. Or, you can carve it in a braided or Celtic knot work look. A simple diagonal criss-cross pattern filed into the scales with a three corner file can look very nice.

African Blackwood is probably the most available and easy to work wood, but if you have access to some bog oak, that is the classic wood for a primo sgian dubh.

The handle should be rather flat and thin. Often, the leg side is slightly flatter than the show side. The leg side does not need to be carved unless you will want to.

The blade should be a 2.5-3" long simple triangular shape, with three or four half-round file cuts (jimping) on the spine just past the handle. A fuller is common, but not necessary at all.
Stainless steel is preferable to carbon if it will be worn under sweaty conditions, but 1084 carbon blades are easy to HT.


A guard is not used, but a bolster of some fashion is normal. It can be a guard thickness piece of metal that is ground/sanded flush with the handle.
Whether to do a full tang or a stick tang depends on the amount of decoration and carving the handle will get. A hidden tang is the norm, but a full tang sgian dubh with file work all the way around the tang will certainly get a lot of attention and admiration.

A very simple sheath is all that is needed. It should be a pouch style that comes just past the bolster. No strap is used.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this, huge help, I might use this knife for my first that I do some file work on the tang. It's not going to be carried in the sock, I am going to make a small stand for each of them
 
mccandmatt said:
Yeah I have been debating on using bog oak. Now do I use a long drill bit the same thickness as the tang? so if using 1/8" steel us a long 1/8 bit and drill a couple of times to the same width? Seems like the only way to me but I am a newbie.

Then again I may just go full tang

Thanks Hengelo
Click to expand...

When I use 1/8" steel, I normally mill out a 3/16" slot in the wood, and fill in with AcraGlas (or epoxy if that is what you have ). When you have a bolster, you can't see the extra space milled out in the wood, and the epoxy/ AcraGlas fills the gap. The slot in the bolster is much more critical, as that is what you see.

Keep in mind, bog oak is nice but expensive. IMHO, African Blackwood polishes and "looks" nicer than bog oak, but doesn't have 5000 yr old "wow" factor. Half the Sgian Dubhs I make now are Bog Oak, the other half are Blackwood.
When you make them, don't forget to post the pics :thumbup:
 
Drilling the holes isn't the hard part but removing the wood inbetween is what takes patience and a cutting tool.
They are for sale or can be made/improvised. (power jigsaw blade, amongst the posebilities)
A smaller handle doesn't take a long tang or deep hole. You'll manage, just take your time.
I bet youtube has a ton of vids
 
Hengelo_77 said:
Drilling the holes isn't the hard part but removing the wood inbetween is what takes patience and a cutting tool.
They are for sale or can be made/improvised. (power jigsaw blade, amongst the posebilities)
A smaller handle doesn't take a long tang or deep hole. You'll manage, just take your time.
I bet youtube has a ton of vids
Click to expand...

Yea they do, but I take youtube with a grain of salt, I see too many people who really do not know what they are talking about trying to teach people how to do things and it's a hack job. Like people using a dremel to fit an aftermarket barrel to a 1911 with hardly no measurements, scary. I think I am just going to go full tang with jimping. Been practicing on some scrap metal found a pattern I like. I think I want to get a few more knives with full tang under my belt before trying new techniques
 
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