Scottish Sgian Dubh Knives and Dirk at The Harp and Dragon

The sgian dubh is a Scottish knife that is worn on the calf of the leg (tucked into your sock) in highland wear; "sgian dubh" is Gaelic for "black knife" and is pronounced "skin doo." The commonest spelling is sgian dubh, but sgian dhu and other spelling variations are also allowable.
Although worn largely by the Scots, it's also worn by the Irish with their kilt outfits.
A dirk is a sword, and is a lot longer than a sgian dubh. No, you don't tuck a dirk into your sock...

Our sgians dubh have a high-quality, sharp blade (except for the child's model). The latest fad in Britain is sgians dubh with dull blades, apparently for "safety" reasons (!). One of our suppliers claims that all the other sellers were happy with the dull blades, and so we know that there are dull blades being sold out there somewhere. We suggest that you always check about the blade when buying a sgian dubh.

Note to knife collectors: In Scottish circles, the edges of the handle and blade will often, but not always, match in a straight line as many collectors expect. Horn-handled sgians dubh especially do not necessarily have this (see, for instance SD7 and 8 models below).

New lower prices for Christmas
(the British pound has recently lowered against the dollar and we're happy to pass savings on selected sgians dubh on to you)

SD1A. Dress sgian dubh. Polished pewter thistle-design mountings, molded hard sheath. Boxed (same box as the SD5 below). Made in Scotland. Was $44. Now $40

SD1B. Dress sgian dubh. Polished pewter Celtic knot-design mountings, molded hard sheath. Boxed (same box as the SD5 below). Made in Scotland. Was $44. Now $40.

SD2. Our finest dress sgian dubh. Polished pewter Celtic interlace decorates the hard molded sheath. The handle is made of a high-density resin that imitates a traditional carved blackwood design of the past. The faux topaz is encased by a crown of pewter on top of the handle. The blade is top-quality stainless steel, of course. 7 1/2" long. Made in Kilbride, Scotland. Presented in a very nice hard blue box lined in satin and velvet. $195.

SD3A. Real horn handle, black leather sheath with raised interlace Celtic design, pewter thistle on ebony wood mount on end of handle (the thistle is shown at immediate left). Made in Scotland. Boxed (same box as the SD5 below). Was $55. Now $49.

The currently ones here have either a dark or a light piece of horn under the thistle at the end of the handle.

SD3B. Real horn handle, brown leather sheath with raised interlace Celtic design, pewter Celtic interlace circle on brown wood mount on end of handle (shown enlarged below). Made in Scotland. Boxed (same box as the SD5 below). Was $55. Now $49.

SD5. Real carved blackwood handle with thistle-shaped top, sterling silver thistle on front of handle. Black leather sheath with Celtic knot design stamped on it. About 7 1/2" overall. Made in Scotland. Boxed as shown. Was $40. Now $36.

SD6. This handsome sgian dubh has a very nice-looking imitation staghorn handle decorated with a pewter thistle with "Scotland" in small letters above it. (In the lower right-hand corner we show a view of the pewter thistle, looking down onto the top.) The mold for this sgian dubh was taken off an actual horn handle, which is why it looks so real. On the flattened back of the handle is the Robbie Burns poem, "My heart's in the highlands, my heart is not here; My heart's in the highlands, a chasing the deer." The molded sheath is covered with dark brown leather. Stainless steel blade. 7 1/2" overall. Presented on red satin in a nice dark green box. Made in Scotland. Sale! Regular $70, now $60.

SD7A (far left). Hunting sgian dubh has real half tri horn handle (horn is cut in half and back of handle is flat), with black Celtic embossed cowhide sheath. Because the handle is real horn, no two will be alike. The sgian dubh itself is about 7 1/2" long, and comes with a warning tag that the blade is sharp. Comes with sheath SD7C included in price. Made in Scotland. Was $40. Now $36.

SD7B (immediate left). Hunting sgian dubh has real plain horn handle, with black Celtic embossed cowhide sheath. Because the handle is real horn, no two will be alike. The blade is silver-colored - it only looks black in the photo because of reflections from the surroundings. Sgian dubh is about 7 1/2" long and comes with a warning that the blade is sharp. Comes with sheath SD7C included in price. Made in Scotland. Was $35. Now $32.

SD7C (shown at left). Leather sgian dubh sheath available separately. Please specify black or brown. $6 Note: if this item is ordered alone, with no other goods, there will be a handling fee of $3 in addition to the postage fee of $5.

8A. Hunting sgian dubh has real plain horn handle with a chrome cap on the end of the handle, and black cowhide sheath embossed with a Celtic design. Because the handle is real horn, no two will be alike. Sgian dubh is about 7 1/2" long and comes with a warning that the blade is sharp. Comes with SD7C sheath included in price. Made in Scotland. $37 The chrome cap on this sgian dubh is popular in Scotland; it is often engraved with the owner's name or initials.

SD10 (immediate left). This beautiful sgian dubh has a Celtic four-knot motif on the end of the real horn handle. The flat piece of horn on the end of the handle is shown dark, but some are light colored. The handle is backed with a flat wood piece, possibly oak. The leather sheath has greenish undertones and a raised Celtic design. About 7 1/2" overall. This is a very classy item. Presented in a green box. Made in Scotland. $63

Because the handles on these are made of real horn, there will be some variation - no two are exactly alike.

SD11. New arrival: horn-handled sgian dubh with Damascus steel blade. The distinctive characteristic of a Damascus blade is the swirly pattern, produced by the unique method of manufacture. Historically, Damascus is a hot-forged steel used in Middle Eastern swordmaking from about 1100-1700, although its origins may have been much earlier. The historic methods of making Damascus steel have been lost. However, according to Wikipedia, "Modern Damascus is a lamination of folded steels selected with cosmetic qualities, with grinding and polishing specifically to expose the layers. True Damascus patterns are formed when carbon trace elements form visible swirls in the steel mix. These elements change properties when the steel is work hardened (forged), creating the patterns." Clearly, this is a real knife collector's item. Made in Scotland. $75

Note: The stamped designs of the leather sheaths shown above may vary slightly on some of the sgians dubh.

SD12. Boys' sgian dubh. Real horn handle with ebony piece on the top end of the handle. Black leather sheath. Blade is not sharp for safety reasons. 6 1/4" long overall. Made in Scotland. $24

Our dirk, made in Britain, has a real horn handle and an excellent-quality (very sharp!) blade made of traditional carbon steel. The sheath is made of dark brown heavy leather. Size of dirk: almost 18" overall when unsheathed. Weight of dirk plus sheath: 1 lb. The handles vary in color and shape. $199. We have one of these left at this price.

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The Harp and Dragon
25 Madison St, Cortland, NY 13045 USA
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8B. Hunting sgian dubh has small round crown; because the handle is real horn, no two will be alike. Comes with the Celtic-embossed black leather sheath shown. Sgian dubh is about 7 1/2" long and comes with a warning that the blade is sharp. Comes with SD7C sheath included in price. Made in Scotland.