Sgian Dubh and the Church

[Nighthawk]

I rant...

Sorry, Panache!

[Panache]

Steady there Gents!

We are moving away from the original issue and toward the edge of the cliff!

Back to sgian dubhs in church...

Okay?

Cheers

Jamie

[george7]

It really comes down to what your church says about knives. You can ask us, but we come from such different backgrounds. My suggestion isn't to wear or not wear the sgian. I think you'll find the answer inside of you. I know what to wear and not wear to church based on where I am.

[MacKay71]

I would also consider the policy of the church in question, not the opinion of every individual you meet. There will always be a least one person who will not agree with you. If that were the case you may as well forget about ever wearing it at all.

[BroosterB1]

My sgian is Damascus steel and sharper than my pocket knife. If I have one I don't need the other.

What he said.....I had a Rodeo coach (yes rodeo teams have coaches) once tell me the three most useless items in the world are; teats on a boar, a unloaded gun, and a dull knife.

My Sigan is not ornamental. Peace is in your heart, not your tools. Respect for others feelings, especially in church leads me to leave the sigan in the car, unless I am in full dress; but occasionally I get tripped up on that one as well. The other day I had a woman ask me if I had my "sock knife" as they needed a knife to cut the plastic packaging off some new choral sheet music! Go figure!

[Howard Clark]

I have worn my sgian to church since the first time I wore a kilt to services. I have been involved in the church for fourteen years, and served for more than half of that time as a member of the session, and elected elder commissioner to Presbytery. The sgian is in my hose the whole time. It is a tool, and a handy one at that.

Only one individual ever has said anything to me about it, and she was persistent, and somewhat difficult. I do not wish to hurt other people's feelings, especially at church, but you cannot guilt me into not having my knife. I finally got her over the fear of the sgian by pointing out that if I felt in need of a weapon it would not be a wee sgian dubh that I'd be carrying.

[Bog Trotter]

Many thanks, my friends, for your comments.

[robinv]

My only comment is that you say you wear the sgian dubh out of tradition yet you don't seem to consider traditions of the church. I am not a church goer but was as a youth. I believe that most times in history when men were more likely to be armed in some way, be it sword or six gun, they did not take those weapons into church.

This quote about the Scottish comes from English Historical Documents 1714-1783 by David Bayne Horn and Mary Ransome:

Proud of this prime quality, they always appeared like warriors; as if their arms had been limbs and members of their bodies, they were never seen without them: they travelled, they attended fairs and markets,* nay they went to church with their broadswords and dirks, in latter times with their muskets and pistols.

[...]

* In those days, that is, about 170 years ago, a clergyman in the Isle of Skye went to church with a broadsword at his side, and his servant walked behind him with his bow and a quiver full of arrows.

[Jock Scot]

I went to a funeral, the other day, of a gamekeeper and twelve other gamekeepers who were there dressed in their respective estate tweeds PLUS their shotguns were in attendance. Their weapons were placed in an inside corner by the kirk door until the service was nearly over. Then the keepers filed out,picking up their guns and formed two ranks outside the kirk door and fired a two shot volley as the coffin passed by.Not an unusual send off by any means up here.There were several kilts and tweed argyll jackets on parade too.

[Howard Clark]

Sounds like a fine tribute to me ! I'd be honored to do that. The phobia seems to be a modern thing, I think.