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The bonny wee Sgian Dubh
- Thread starter Sylvrfalcn
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Spectre said:
John, this is kind of an embarrassing thing for me to own up to, but since we're all friends here I'll fess up, that homemade gaucho knife means a lot to me, 'cause I paid for it dearly. I did not know I was allergic to Bocote wood, and I made the knife in hot weather, so the sanding dust stuck to my carcass like powdered sugar on a donut. Next day I was tore up bad with a painful rash, and too dayumed hard headed to ask to be excused from PT formation. Not one of my better days.
Good little knife though, unlike the originals, mine has a very carefully executed full convex grind, and a full tang, riveted slab handle. Tough little booger (5 3/4" blade), and cuts extremely well, even, perhaps, just a bit "bloodthirsty".
Sarge
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- Feb 21, 2001
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Ouch. A lot of the exotic woods are toxic to some extent. Imagine if you had gotten it in your lungs. A good warning to all of us. It's so easy to just run out to the shop and start grinding or sanding without proper eye and respiratory protection.
Thread drift mode on.
Sarge, the Fergusons are from Scotland, but several generations back. My grandmother's maiden name is Weir. She was the youngest child, and the first born in the US. All the men in the family worked in the coal mines of West Virginia. Her father was killed in a mine explosion before she was born. When she got old enough, she would make lunch for her brother. She asked him once how he could eat his sandwich down in the mine where it was so dirty. He told her "Well lass, I just hold it by the corner, and eat all around it til there is nae but a wee bit left. Then I eat that too!"
She loved telling that story.
Thread drift off.
Steve
Thread drift mode on.
Sarge, the Fergusons are from Scotland, but several generations back. My grandmother's maiden name is Weir. She was the youngest child, and the first born in the US. All the men in the family worked in the coal mines of West Virginia. Her father was killed in a mine explosion before she was born. When she got old enough, she would make lunch for her brother. She asked him once how he could eat his sandwich down in the mine where it was so dirty. He told her "Well lass, I just hold it by the corner, and eat all around it til there is nae but a wee bit left. Then I eat that too!"
She loved telling that story.
Thread drift off.
Steve
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- May 28, 2003
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Severe thread drift warning!
I heard a story once about a guy who went to the doctor with a terrible rash on his forearms. Eventually it was traced to an new, very expensive dining room table where he would read the daily paper. It was made out of rosewood.
And now we return to the originally scheduled topic.
I heard a story once about a guy who went to the doctor with a terrible rash on his forearms. Eventually it was traced to an new, very expensive dining room table where he would read the daily paper. It was made out of rosewood.
And now we return to the originally scheduled topic.
- Joined
- May 12, 2003
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- 1,606
Guys,
Oddly enough...I have been commissioned to make a sgian dubh.
Anyhow...Here's a pic of me forging it....
Still working the bar down...
This is 52100...which has been worked down from a bar 12 inches long, 3" by 3" square. I have welded on a 3 foot handle to the small piece I am working which is about 8 inches long by an inch high...by say about 3/8" thick.
This will be the first knife I have forged in a while. Even feeling tired, working the steel is the best thing I can do to feel whole again.
If it is ok...I will continue to post pics of the project...
Or if you guys prefer I will start a new thread...
Shane
Oddly enough...I have been commissioned to make a sgian dubh.
Anyhow...Here's a pic of me forging it....
Still working the bar down...
This is 52100...which has been worked down from a bar 12 inches long, 3" by 3" square. I have welded on a 3 foot handle to the small piece I am working which is about 8 inches long by an inch high...by say about 3/8" thick.
This will be the first knife I have forged in a while. Even feeling tired, working the steel is the best thing I can do to feel whole again.
If it is ok...I will continue to post pics of the project...
Or if you guys prefer I will start a new thread...
Shane
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2002
- Messages
- 3,930
Git 'er done Shane :thumbup:
Well guys, reckon we don't need to look at pics of scars now, you simply ain't going to get no zombie to hammer on hot steel.
Good to see you back at it Shane, best thing for you, just take it slow and easy for awhile.
Sarge
Well guys, reckon we don't need to look at pics of scars now, you simply ain't going to get no zombie to hammer on hot steel.
Good to see you back at it Shane, best thing for you, just take it slow and easy for awhile.
Sarge
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2005
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- 4,106
[This will be the first knife I have forged in a while. Even feeling tired, working the steel is the best thing I can do to feel whole again.
reply : Glad to see you are well enough to forge around ! I was feeling cooped up myself and lopped a few limbs to loosen up .(Not zombies) I can imagine how good it must have felt for yourself . Still looking over the different style of forges before I commit . I like thr brake drum ones . I have just seen one that uses a propane weed burner that seems to put out the perfect flame for knives and such . Take your time and keep us posted .
reply : Glad to see you are well enough to forge around ! I was feeling cooped up myself and lopped a few limbs to loosen up .(Not zombies) I can imagine how good it must have felt for yourself . Still looking over the different style of forges before I commit . I like thr brake drum ones . I have just seen one that uses a propane weed burner that seems to put out the perfect flame for knives and such . Take your time and keep us posted .
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Well now lads and lasses,
Over the past three weeks I've been to a Celtic Festival, and a Highland Festival (love the pipe and drum band competitions most, best way to experience bagpipe music IMHO is live and outdoors munching on a bit of Haggis).
Been studying, examining, researching, etc., all I can about the cutlery of that culture. Picked up a most excellent book; "The Scottish Dirk" by James D. Forman, highly recommend it to anyone studying up on dirks, and to a lesser extent, sgian dubhs. Great photos, including some very early sgian dubhs and gralloch knives (used for skinning/butchering game).
I'm all set to grind some steel. First a new sgian dubh with silver mounts and ebony handle. Then a sgian achlais or "armpit dagger", simple wooden handle with iron bolster, drab because it's a knife meant to be kept well hidden until called upon. And then a dirk. Not one of the gaudy Victorian era types, but one of the earlier styles, of which, the 15th century ballock knife I've already made is a direct predecessor.
Steve, wasn't able to find a suitable Ferguson crest to mount on your sgian dubh, but I have other sources so hang in there.
Andy, got your sgian dubh mailed today (priority) along with a note to your missus and a small antler handled kitchen/utility knife for her. You'll have no worries from her.
Sarge
Over the past three weeks I've been to a Celtic Festival, and a Highland Festival (love the pipe and drum band competitions most, best way to experience bagpipe music IMHO is live and outdoors munching on a bit of Haggis).
Been studying, examining, researching, etc., all I can about the cutlery of that culture. Picked up a most excellent book; "The Scottish Dirk" by James D. Forman, highly recommend it to anyone studying up on dirks, and to a lesser extent, sgian dubhs. Great photos, including some very early sgian dubhs and gralloch knives (used for skinning/butchering game).
I'm all set to grind some steel. First a new sgian dubh with silver mounts and ebony handle. Then a sgian achlais or "armpit dagger", simple wooden handle with iron bolster, drab because it's a knife meant to be kept well hidden until called upon. And then a dirk. Not one of the gaudy Victorian era types, but one of the earlier styles, of which, the 15th century ballock knife I've already made is a direct predecessor.
Steve, wasn't able to find a suitable Ferguson crest to mount on your sgian dubh, but I have other sources so hang in there.
Andy, got your sgian dubh mailed today (priority) along with a note to your missus and a small antler handled kitchen/utility knife for her. You'll have no worries from her.
Sarge
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- May 9, 2002
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Class act. Sarge:thumbup: Some dang fine lookin' blades too!
That sgian achlais looks like it would do it's job and then some. Thanks for all that you do.
Jake
:thumbup: Some dang fine lookin' blades too! That sgian achlais looks like it would do it's job and then some. Thanks for all that you do.
Jake
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2005
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Thanks again Sarge. I sent the check to Steve today, friday bein a holiday and all. When I get your package and address I'm going to send you a little something from my shop. Its not much, but it'll show my appreciation!
Andy
PS. Thanks from the MRS too! She has gotten a good laugh out of these posts. Andy
Andy
PS. Thanks from the MRS too! She has gotten a good laugh out of these posts. Andy
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Steely_Gunz said:Class act. Sarge
That sgian achlais looks like it would do it's job and then some. Thanks for all that you do.
Jake
Uh Jake, I haven't made a sgian achlais yet. The knife at the bottom of the picture is an 18th century peasant's dagger from the Aveyron region of France, called a "capouchadou". The handles were most always wood, turned somewhat like a modern file handle on a spring pole lathe, with a crude bolster consisting of an iron band (I used a piece of steel water pipe on the ash handle of mine). When I ran across the capouchadou in researching something else, I found their humble appearance and simple tool-like handles charming, so I couldn't help making one for myself.
How, you ask, does a "medieval English longbowman" become interested in an 18th century French piece?
I was doing extensive research on a cryptozoology subject (one of my other hobbies) Les Bete du Gevaudan (the beast of Gevaudan). This 18th century French werewolf "problem" (that inspired the movie Brotherhood of the Wolf) has too much documentation, and too many eye witness testimonials, to simply discount as a rabies outbreak among the local wolf population. Sarge
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Astrodada said:I think the gauchos use the knife for eating..........as well as the mongolians
Cut, poke, and into the mouth.
Kinda hard to do with a 18" AK.
the gauchos have this little custom, they eat a lot of barbecue beef, of course, being cowboys, they like to show off by taking small chunks of beef in one hand, chomping down on it with their teeth & pulling taut, then in one blind smooth and fluid motion unsheath their knife with the other hand and slice the beef off just beyond their lips from underneath. they vie with each other to see who can use the smallest chunk & cut it off closest to themselves without losing a nose, lips, or fingers. the losers get to be called 'lefty', 'stumpy' or 'smelly' (as in he smells badly minus a nose)
(gaucho knife usually carried stuck in belt in small of back with hilt to right for right hand draw, mine has no belt loops or hooks but does have a flap that goes over the belt, and a semi circular leather bit behind the hilt to protect the clothing - it's not one of the fancy old silver ones yet, a modern 10" carbon steel hand forged one with a fairly narrow wooden hilt riveted on which i've wrapped in cord to make it a bit bigger & a steel guard.) looks like this one with a 4" longer blade:
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Thats too interesting Sarge. I'm googling it now. Here we go way off topic again, but one of those unexplainable things I love to read about is the Bell Witch (actually not a witch at all) of Tenessee. LOTS of historical accounts including one from a US president!!!! Wierd.
Andy
Andy
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Sylvrfalcn said:
Oops
Well you can't blame a guy for gettin excited. On a side note, "Brotherhood of the Wolf" was an excellent flick. Neat little twist to it. I haven't seen it in a couple years (3 maybe?). I might need to see if I can find it on DVD somewhere.Jake
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Andy,
My youngest brother visited the Bell Witch's cave, he was all cocky and talking much smack in his bravado. Had some "odd" things happen to him shortly thereafter. Now you couldn't pay him to go back there, and he really doesn't even like talking about it.
Kis,
I have a very unusual marking in the iris of my left eye, supposedly a scar that manifested as a calcium deposit. There, on the left edge of my left iris, against it's background of blue, is a snow white crescent moon. Me a werewolf? No comment, but about that marking, well, let's just say chicks dig it.
Sarge
My youngest brother visited the Bell Witch's cave, he was all cocky and talking much smack in his bravado. Had some "odd" things happen to him shortly thereafter. Now you couldn't pay him to go back there, and he really doesn't even like talking about it.
Kis,
I have a very unusual marking in the iris of my left eye, supposedly a scar that manifested as a calcium deposit. There, on the left edge of my left iris, against it's background of blue, is a snow white crescent moon. Me a werewolf? No comment, but about that marking, well, let's just say chicks dig it.
Sarge