delving deeper with dirks

[JRB]

Here's my 17th c. style dirk...

[NewEnglander]

Does anyone have any experience with THIS dirk?

[Dale Seago]

Does anyone have any experience with THIS dirk?

I do. Still have one in a drawer somewhere, having bought it out of curiosity. I consider it, as I do a lot of Victorian and later period dirks, as more of a DLO or Dirk-Like Object, though for different reasons. In the case of this one, the handle shape/style doesn't (quite) fit any historical pattern I've ever seen and the grip is also too long, proportionally speaking. The steel "haunches" do closely approximate the look of the cast-brass ones on some historic dirks.

That said, however, it does at least look more like a Scottish dirk than it looks like anything else, and it has the virtue of at least being a decently functional weapon. (Which, for me, is a necessary though not sufficient condition for something to be properly considered a dirk.) If I didn't already own the dirks I do, I wouldn't feel at all bad about being seen in public with that one; and in fact I've seen increasing numbers of that model over the past couple of years on kilted hips at Scottish events (Highland Games, etc.) in the San Francisco Bay Area.

[Dale Seago]

Here's my 17th c. style dirk...

Love that one too. I'm still a moderator over at Sword Forum International, and those pics look familiar. . .was that one made by ArMart?

[CMcG]

Does anyone have any experience with THIS dirk?

Just to make that easier for the rabble to see:

[JRB]

Love that one too. I'm still a moderator over at Sword Forum International, and those pics look familiar. . .was that one made by ArmMart?

Yep, that is an ArmArt dirk. I was one of the lucky early customers that got my commission in to ArmArt before SFI brought them a flood of orders that still remain unfulfilled. It's a shame they are so unreliable because the quality and finish of my dirk is on par with dirks costing four to five times what I paid for it.

[Dale Seago]

Thanks Jay, that's what I thought. They do excellent work. . .when they do it. . .

[Mike M.]

OK, Dale, I'll ask the question....

Armour Class or Scotia Metal Work for a first class dirk? I've got a sword from the former I'm quite impressed with, but they take a looong time to deliver. I've heard good things about Scotia, and they have a couple of dirks in stock. Thanks.

[Dale Seago]

OK, Dale, I'll ask the question....

Armour Class or Scotia Metal Work for a first class dirk? I've got a sword from the former I'm quite impressed with, but they take a looong time to deliver. I've heard good things about Scotia, and they have a couple of dirks in stock. Thanks.

Whichever floats your boat, really. I think Armour Class's handles are better, a more authentically "period" look/feel; but Mike McRae's been improving in that area the last few years. His blades are really excellent: hand-forged and differentially hardened (harder at the edge, softer/springier at the spine). And you'll find him willing to go back and forth with you to make sure he understands what you want before he makes it if it's something bespoke rather than already made.

[CMcG]

I'm still trying to sort out the different styles of dirks, so I'm going to post some pics and maybe the rabble can help me classify in order to understand. There appears to be a historicity to the various styles and it is interesting to me that older styles still seem to be widely available.

Pre 1700 style, antler handled dirks?

Made by Sheffield Knives



Jacobite, early 18th century, or "early" style dirks, which evolved from ballock dagger (not that I know what a ballock dagger is)?

Made by Michael Tinker Pearce


Made Cas Hanwei


Made by Vince Evans (with sgian dubh and sgian achlais)


Late 18th century style dirk?

As sold by Southern Swords


19th century style dress, officer's, or piper's dirks?

Made by Pooley Swords



*edit
Here is a link to an article I found about dirks that answers most of my questions:
http://www.oregonknifeclub.org/dirk.html