Correct wearing of Sgian Dubh

[David White]

I like an older more "traditional" style knife. Nothing fancy-here is what I carry tucked into my hose.

[Standard]

Well, I did it, ordered an Officer's model sgain dubh from Rockie this afternoon. Should be here in about 2 weeks. Let the jonesing begin.

[Galb]

Well, I got in the sgian dubh from swordsofhonor.com. Not a bad little knife. It wasn't very sharp, but I didn't want it sharpened. After I spoke with my father he reminded me that he has a knife sharpener and to simply bring him the blade...sweet.

Now here is the problem...I don't think I will be able to wear it outside of the Highland games. Given the times we live in, people are a bit paranoid with anything that resembles a weapon. My father warned me that it would be a concealed weapon, and since I do not have a permit, I cannot carry it. I called the local police department and briefed them of the situation and the meaning behind it. The officer basically told me the best option is to totally conceal it in the sock. But if I get caught with it, then I will need the permit. When I mentioned that it is properly worn with about an 1" to 2" sticking out, he advised against it. I also mentioned that it is part of the Highland outfit and he said a police officer may stop me if he sees it on me due to the fact that he may view it as a weapon and therefore confiscate it. It really comes down to the discretion of the officer. Oh well. I guess I'll reserve it to the games.

[Donnie]

Sheath and all come out of the my hose! I keep it sharp, and don't need to cut hose or leg!

[Pancho]

If you want a functional knife with a very sharp edge try one of these. The Edge Pro system. Depending on which system you pick, it comes with several different stones.



This should take care of any need to sharpen a sgian dhu or any other knife. I got one for Father's Day and swear by it now......did every blade in the house!

[James MacMillan]

Blade sharpening is an art, and as such you will find proponents of many different manners to sharpen a knife as Carter has little liver pills.

Another very good system is the ceramic rod system and shown ..here..

It is also important to note that almost all of these systems are designed to "Maintain" the edge, but not to place an edge on a bare, blunt knife blank. In almost all cases the initial edge of a knife should be done on a grinding wheel - then maintained with some sort of system or series of instruments.

To learn to sharpen a knife can take years, but is well a subject worthy of study.

[Howard Clark]

I spend a good many hours each month using a 400 grit water stone to refine, define the lines, and sharpen katana I make. I wish there was a better way, but there is not. Of course that is more about shaping the blade geometry than sharpening.

For minor maintenance any of the stuff Jay mentioned is good. If it is really blunt, and you have no power tools or experience, a diamond hone will pull a lot of material off in a hurry, doesn't cost an arm and a leg, and will last a long time if used with water and light pressure. If you push hard, you can shear the diamonds lose from the nickel bonding on some of them, particularly the coarser ones.

[Standard]

I have a set of 3 Japanese water stones that my wife gave me for Christmas several years ago. They are great for initial edge building, and are superb for keeping a keen edge on your knives. IMHO they are some of the best tools for the job that I have had the pleasure of using.

[Dukeof Kircaldy]

This is why they make imitation sgian dubh, which look like SGs, but are actually just solid chunks of plastic. The nicest one of these I've seen came from the Tartan Museum. See this thread:
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/i...046/index.html

Well, I got in the sgian dubh from swordsofhonor.com. Not a bad little knife. It wasn't very sharp, but I didn't want it sharpened. After I spoke with my father he reminded me that he has a knife sharpener and to simply bring him the blade...sweet.

Now here is the problem...I don't think I will be able to wear it outside of the Highland games. Given the times we live in, people are a bit paranoid with anything that resembles a weapon. My father warned me that it would be a concealed weapon, and since I do not have a permit, I cannot carry it. I called the local police department and briefed them of the situation and the meaning behind it. The officer basically told me the best option is to totally conceal it in the sock. But if I get caught with it, then I will need the permit. When I mentioned that it is properly worn with about an 1" to 2" sticking out, he advised against it. I also mentioned that it is part of the Highland outfit and he said a police officer may stop me if he sees it on me due to the fact that he may view it as a weapon and therefore confiscate it. It really comes down to the discretion of the officer. Oh well. I guess I'll reserve it to the games.

[Ryan Ross]

This is why they make imitation sgian dubh, which look like SGs, but are actually just solid chunks of plastic. The nicest one of these I've seen came from the Tartan Museum. See this thread:
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/i...046/index.html

I'll second this. Depending on which model you purchase, the fake sgians from the Tartan Museum are made to the same external specs as their bladed counterparts.