Folding Knife as a Sgian Dubh?

[cavscout]

The following is anticipating using a folder about the same 4" handle length as a traditional sgian dubh. If you went with a longer folder it would be possible to mold a sheath to hold the folder about 1/2 way up the handle leaving about 1/2 the knife above th hose to grip. A 4" handle though would only leave at most 2" visible and available for gripping above the hose so your looking at a folder at least about 5" long folded.

This has been a thought I've played with for quite a while and I always come back to the same outcome, it's not practically possible to wear a short folder in the sock and have it serve as a sgian dubh without sacrificing the decorative value, easy draw/use functionality or the secure stowage.

The sgian dubh is mostly a decorative knife worn usually for appearances so the handle needs to be long enough to stick out of the sock to be seen. To anchor a knife with a handle that long into your sock, you will need something running down into the sock at least the length of the handle (typically the blade in a sheath). A folding knife would eliminate the anchoring portion in the sock and increase the weight in the handle above the cuff of the sock making the knife extremely top heavy and prone to wiggling free of the sock while walking.

I carry the "Officer" sgian dubh by Gaelic Themes which is sort of a folder. The blade is fixed but there is a cork screw and bottle opener/screw driver folded into the handle. It's a very top heavy sgian compared to most.

The best solution I've found for anchoring a top heavy knife into a sock with minimal anchorage in the sock is to replace the stock sheath (far left) with a molded sheath (middle).



The extra height on the sheath wraps around the bottom of the handle anchoring it into the sock very securely.



The molded opening also protects the expensive kilt hose from being sliced up by providing a constant opening to easily unsheath or resheath the knife.



The sheath rides right at the top of the cuff so it's very low profile.



So far I've not come up with a design for a folder that can be worn in the sock, stay secure in the sock when walking, be decorative / visible and not be 3 times as long.

Even a sheath that gripped the folder 1/4 to 1/3 of the way up the knife might still have problems with wiggling loose without a bit of blade running further down.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Most men wear their sgian dubh riding too high in their hose. The reason for this (I'm guessing) is that they want to show off clan badges, etc. On the prototype Officer's Model Sgian Dubh (as seen above) the scales were chequered, like the grip of a pistol. The decision to mount a clan badge was made to increase marketability. As far as the extra weight of the Officer's Model is concerned, well that's partially the penalty of having the two extra tools in the hilt, as well as the fact that it is made from metal, rather than injection molded plastic.

Prior to designing the Officer's Sgian Dubh I designed a knife which, when folded, had 3.5 inches of blade exposed beyond the end of the grip. Thus, it could be worn like a sgian dubh tucked into the top of the hose, with the 3.5 inches of exposed blade carried in a sheath exactly like any other sgian dubh. If more blade was required the knife could be unfolded, the blade locked back and, voila, you had almost six inches of hunting knife.

Pretty nifty, huh?

Except for three important points:

1) weight: The extra three inches of steel made the knife VERY top heavy.
2) legal: In many countries it is against the law to carry a knife with more than a 3.5 inch blade.
3) field test results: The grip was generally considered too small for a blade of that length, and the knife was too bulky when worn in the traditional manner.

Folding knives (pocket knife, Swiss Army knife, etc.) are designed to be carried in the pocket, and as a result of their basic design do not ride well when carried in the top of one's hose.

In the 100-125 years that the sgian dubh has been considered a de rigueur part of highland attire, despite many attempts to improve upon its utility or decoration, the little black knife has hardly changed at all.