Protecting Kilt Hose from Sgian Dubh Damage.

[Braw Cathairneach]

My kilt hose was damaged by my sgian dubh sheath tip. A proper metal chape might help, but I found it more expedient to hand sew a stiff Velcro patch to the lower end of the leather sheath. The yet unproven theory is that the stiff Velcro patch will not penetrate kilt hose as would a narrow sheath tip. The hook side is intended to help keep the sgian dubh from sliding down into the kilt hose. The concept needs yet to be tested at a kilted event.

[Braw Cathairneach]

Sorry about the overly large photo. The photo was properly down-sized on the draft but defaulted to the overly large photo when submitting the post.

[Highland Logan]

That's an idea. I went simple and straight to the point. I had my wife monogram a white handkerchief, and use this folded, with the sgian inside. This keeps it off my leg, and protects the hose. No need to mod my stuff.

Frank

[ThistleDown]

Do you know, I've been wearing a sgian for something like 70 years and have never had a hose issue?

Some of mine have brass or silver sheath fittings, some have just leather. I suspect, if you are having problems, they have more to do with your hose than your sheath.

All my hose over all those years have been hand-knit from wool. I do recall one pair I had, and probably still have, where the tip of the sheath protruded, I guess because of the looseness of the knit. I think I liked that bit of personal bling.

What I would like to pass on from all those years is: if you value your hose more than your sgian, then don't wear a sgian.

If, on the other hand, your sgian is valued and important to you, find hose that will match that value and last at least your generation.

[Tobus]

I have worn a sgian dugh with a sheath similar to the one in the photo above for many years, and never had a problem with the tip. I do wear hand-knit hose with a rather loose knit compared to commercial hose, and still no problem. Did this incident occur when you inserted it into your hose, or at some point during the day whilst walking?

My first approach to solve the issue would have been to round the tip of the sheath a little more with an Xacto knife (or razor blade) and burnish the edges so that they are smoother.

Another question to consider is whether the sheath is laying flush to your leg. Most sgians should have the handle flattened or tapered on one side so it will ride smoothly against your leg, without standing "proud". The sheath should, then, lay flat on your leg. If it's not, then perhaps the antler handle could be ground down a little better on the leg side (and then polished) to help it sit better. And last but not least, if the tip of the sheath has any curl to it due to it being slightly too long for the blade, then I would consider shortening the sheath at the handle end so that the blade is pretty nearly bottomed out in the tip of the sheath. That, plus, reducing the amount of leather outside the stitching (and rounding/burnishing it) should reduce any issues.

[Braw Cathairneach]

I have worn a sgian dugh with a sheath similar to the one in the photo above for many years, and never had a problem with the tip. I do wear hand-knit hose with a rather loose knit compared to commercial hose, and still no problem. Did this incident occur when you inserted it into your hose, or at some point during the day whilst walking?
The damage occurred at some undetermined point during a kilted event. Everything was proper when I kilted up.

My first approach to solve the issue would have been to round the tip of the sheath a little more with an Xacto knife (or razor blade) and burnish the edges so that they are smoother.

Another question to consider is whether the sheath is laying flush to your leg. Most sgians should have the handle flattened or tapered on one side so it will ride smoothly against your leg, without standing "proud". The sheath should, then, lay flat on your leg. If it's not, then perhaps the antler handle could be ground down a little better on the leg side (and then polished) to help it sit better.

Your suggestion to flaten the inboard side of the sgian dubh handle has merit. The handle is 3-dimensional on both sides. Fortunately my son and grandbairns will soon visit me from Alaska for the holidays. They are adept at working with antlers and ivory.

And last but not least, if the tip of the sheath has any curl to it due to it being slightly too long for the blade, then I would consider shortening the sheath at the handle end so that the blade is pretty nearly bottomed out in the tip of the sheath. That, plus, reducing the amount of leather outside the stitching (and rounding/burnishing it) should reduce any issues.
The blade is bottomed out, fully extending into the tip without any curl.

And again, Thank you as well as the other respondents for taking time to analyze and opine.

[McCracken140]

I always found that the scabbard on my sgian was a very tight fit on the blade. If I tried to draw the sgian, the whole thing would come out of my hose instead of just the blade. My garters couldn’t hold the scabbard tight enough. So, I just glued a couple narrow pieces of the ‘hook’ piece of Velcro to the scabbard side that faces the hose. Now, I don’t have that problem, and the blade is still very secure in the scabbard.

[Highland Logan]

I always found that the scabbard on my sgian was a very tight fit on the blade. If I tried to draw the sgian, the whole thing would come out of my hose instead of just the blade. My garters couldn’t hold the scabbard tight enough. So, I just glued a couple narrow pieces of the ‘hook’ piece of Velcro to the scabbard side that faces the hose. Now, I don’t have that problem, and the blade is still very secure in the scabbard.

Leather? Place in water, wedge in object, such as butter knife etc., which is slightly.. and I do mean slightly, to stretch the leather. Let dry naturally. Problem solved. Stretched too much? Soak, replace sgian, apply heat from a low heat source, such as a hair dryer. Best in a box to capture the heat, allowing you to not use direct heat. Feels tighter? Still warm? Place to the side to continue drying naturally.

As example above, no need to mod your kit.

Frank

[Tobus]

If I tried to draw the sgian, the whole thing would come out of my hose instead of just the blade. My garters couldn’t hold the scabbard tight enough.

With most sgians, they should be worn far enough down in the hose that the garter is holding the handle, not the scabbard. If the garter is just holding the scabbard, there will be a lot of handle poking out the top, and the balance will be off. Generally speaking, you should only have the last inch or two sticking out of the hose. At most, half the handle.

I'm of the opinion that the scabbard should come out with the blade. Otherwise, when you put it back in, you have to either fish the scabbard out, or try to gently guide the blade back into a hidden opening, whilst trying to hold the scabbard from pushing further down into the hose and trying not to catch the hose with the tip of the blade.

[OC Richard]

For sure sginean that have this sort of sheath (which many do) can be problems



It's happened to me.

The sheath mount has sharp bits that beg to be caught on the threads of the hose.

What I did was to wear my vintage sgian with a new plain leather sheath, which had nothing to snag.