If you have ever seen someone dressed in a traditional kilt or highland outfit you might have noticed, at the top of one of the wearers hose, a hilt of a small knife, this is known as the sgian dubh. Phonetically it is pronounced scheeeian doo and everyone has a favourite spelling. Youd think that having superpowers would make a rescue expedition easy, would. It is a small, singlededged knife gaelic sgian worn as part of traditional scottish highland dress along with the kilt. Discover all the extraordinary items our community of craftspeople have to offer and find the perfect gift for your loved one or yourself. Check out our sgian dubh selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our groomsmen gifts shops.
Clan crest sgian dubh, dirk, knife, dagger celtic studio. A sgian dubh is a knife, designed as an article of dress or. Scottish scottish claymores, dirks, sgian dubh, daggers. We carry everything from custom kilts and celtic jewellery to the finest uk chocolates. The sgian dubh company has been manufacturing sgian dubhs in scotland for over 30 years, gradually developing their range over time. Its true that, in the united kingdom, as part of traditional ethnic dress, the sgian dubh is exempt from the knife law which, if transgressed could result in the maximum penalty for an. The sgian dubh pronounced skien doo, is a small singleedged knife.
Not probably speeder, but a definate assault in my book. My main question is regarding us law and any rules they have regarding. The sgian dubh is a scottish knife that is worn on the calf of the leg tucked into your sock in highland wear. The decorative trim is thistles and the handle and sheath are plastic but look and feel like wood.
We manufacturer scottish sgian dubhs, pocket watches, kilt pins, cufflinks. The chrome design fell off as soon as i took it out of the box. I hope these pictures give you a feel for the level of craftsmanship involved in making your knife. Here is a neat little sgian which we sold at the games this year. A sgian dubh pronounced skian doo is a ceremonial stabbing knife with a. Tucked into the top of the kilt hose, a sgian dubh is the small, single edged knife worn with the top of the hilt visible against your calf. I hope these pictures give you a feel for the level of craftsmanship involved in making your sgian dubh. The sgian dubh, canadian law, and personal freedom and rights. A functional sgian dubh with a good blade is also useful as a knife. But he told scotland on sunday that he wanted montreal law to be changed to match scottish laws, which state that if someone is carrying a knife. Highland roots dirk and sgian dubh set with fullered and vine filed en45 blades.
We use our very popular standard sgian dubh mounted on top of the hilt with a paste cairngorm topaz. Rules regarding sgian dubh when travelling out of uk to. We are a family owned and operated business that opened our doors in 1995. How to wear your sgian dubh, with advice on air travel and wearing it in public. Slaters are delighted to stock four options of rankin bespoke sgian dubhs in our seven scottish stores. Wearing a sgian dubh all you need to know clan by scotweb. Looking at your post, it seems like the answer to that is the former in scotland.
The classic black handle is adorned with a scottish crest medallion and cast metal pommel and guard. Since carrying a knife is frowned upon, or even banned, in many places, a sgian brew makes an attractive and useful replacement in such situations, maintaining the appearance of a sgian dubh but without the blade. The evolution of scottish arms and armor is not generally written about in detail in. Sgian dubhs and the law archive bob dunsire bagpipe forums.
It is called a sgian dubh skien doo and, despite its size, it has great importance as part of the legacy and the history of the scottish highlanders and their way of life. Available in either high quality silver pewter or sterling silver. Canadianscottish bagpiper fined for carrying a dangerous. The history of the scottish sgian dubh the knights vault. Is it legal in canada to carry a sgian dubh when just walking around going about ones daily routine. The sgian dubh company scotland official facebook page. Our extensive collection from the sgian dubh company includes dress and daywear sgian dubhs, pewter. Kilts and highland wear accessories sgian dubhs page. I not sure what the laws in canada are but in most cases south of you, equus racer is correct. Stainless steel bladeavailable in a choice of 6 stone colours or alternatively can be supplied with a plain metal top. Sgian dubh is gaelic for black knife which may refer to the usual colour of the handle of the knife. The stone is multi facet cut and gold foil backed and the traditional 4piece celtic metalwork is cast in leadfree pewter and plated in palladium. Being a kilt wearing goth, wearing safe stuff is important.
Knife legislation is defined as the body of statutory law or case law promulgated or enacted by. Real sgian dubhs with wooden handles made in the scottish. A canadian bagpiper of scots descent has had his sgiandubh confiscated and fined for carrying a knife. Gain clarity with this guide on what knives you can and cant carry in canada. The sgian dubh company scotland, irvine, united kingdom. All of our sgian dubh for sale have steel blades, but are not sharpened before delivery, unless otherwise noted. Find great deals on ebay for sgian dubh and scottish dirk. They now have one of the largest and arguably, best sgian dubh ranges in the world. Wild turkey handmade damascus collection dirk sgian dubh knife wleather sheath 4. Imitation sgian dubh sgian dubhs usa kilts usa kilts. Mccarthy says there are many lawabiding members of montreals scottish community. The canadian criminal code criminalizes the possession of knives which open automatically. Sgian dubh knife the term sgian dubh itself actually means black handled.
Nowadays, the threetofour inch single edged knife is used. The sgian dubh we see today is a mixture of history, myth and misinterpretation. The sgian dubh is a traditional complement to highland dress. Scottish sgian dubh a scottish tradition, the original sgian dubhs were frequently worn under the shirt close to the armpit. The sgian dubh and its highland history scotlandshop. This beautiful sgian dubh or traditional scottish black handled knife is available mounted with your clan crest or one of our many celtic designs.
Traditional kilts and accessories for the modern man. Sgian dubhs the sgian dubh pronounced skien doo, is a small singleedged knife. Scottish claymores, dirks, sgian dubh, daggers and more the evolution of scottish arms and armor is not generally written about in detail in comparison to other nations. The sgian dubh is a small, traditional scottish knife. We use our very popular standard design sgian dubh mounted with a paste cairngorm topaz on the top of the handle. I am a bagpipe player with a small pipe band in bridlington.
Sgian in gaelic means knife, the dubh part means black. Sgian brew in snakewood and scottish wild cherry, kilt knife,scottish knife, sgian dubh, wedding gift, groom gift, best man gift, mens gift. The black refers to the fact it was a hidden knife or a concealed weapon. Rules regarding sgian dubh when travelling out of uk to us. The hand crafted sgian dubhs made from local woods and naturally cast antler have a contemporary twist and are a great addition to our highland retail range. Choose from a range of finishes from antique or chome to black, matt and polished. A historical dagger from the 16th and 17th century highlanders. The sgian dubh is one of the small details which give even more historical significance to the whole kilt outfit. He hasnt seen it yet, but i know he will be thrilled.
The following options include blades manufactured in small batches to my own exclusive blade design resulting from many years of experience in making sgian dubhs. This beautiful sgian dubh or traditional scottish black handled knife is available mounted with your clan crest. Scottish sgian dubh sgian dhu knives harp and dragon. Natural materials and genuine craftsmanship mean that each sgian dubh is unique. Beautiful sgian dubh hand crafted in scotland to the highest standard. Never has one piece of weaponry evoked so many different spellings some variations are skene du, skein dubh, skean dhu, sgian dubh and skhian dubh. Black watch of canada kit shop black watch sgian dubh c040 regimental sgian dubhas worn by officers and senior ncos of the regiment. There is nothing criminal about carrying a sgian dubh. Sgian dubh by mercedes lackey goodreads share book. Check out our sgian dubh selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our accessories shops. The legal position in these modern times is not hard and fast. Sgian dubh knife kilt knife buy sgian dubhs knives.
This became less common as new laws were brought into the scottish highlands, and the sgian dubh was then more commonly only worn. Most are available in either high quality silver pewter or sterling silver. Its true that, in the united kingdom, as part of traditional ethnic dress, the sgian dubh is exempt from the knife law which, if transgressed could result in the maximum penalty for an adult of four years in prison and a fine of. Szco supplies dm1077 damascus dirk knife by szco supplies. Szco supplies small sgian dubh scottish dirk, knives. The sgian dubh, canadian law, and personal freedom and rights x marks partners go to the partners dedicated forums hello and welcome to x marks, the worlds largest and most active online gathering place dedicated to the kilt.
Scottish claymores, dirks, sgian dubh, daggers and more. Presentation boxes my sgian dubhs are supplied in a smart card presentation box as standard which has a card with some information on your sgian dubh, including the serial number, materials used, a short background history, and its care and maintenance. The tip is pointy and the blade is reasonably sharp, which is a surprise. Canadianscottish bagpiper fined for carrying a dangerous sgian. Highland gear accessories sgian dubhs page 1 burnetts. The commonest spelling is sgian dubh, but sgian dhu. Solid bronze hilt fittings also vine filed and grips crafted in 5,000 yearold caledonian bog oak. Used by the scots of the 17th and 18th centuries, this knife was slightly larger than the average modern sgiandubh and was carried in the upper sleeve or lining of the body of the jacket. But check with local laws or event organisers before ordering a sgian dubh to. Sgian dubh knife blades in damascus, silver, titanium, etc. The interest of most early arms historiographers was in the clear trends in the evolution of arms and armor in europe and their influences on england. Luss thistle pewter dress sgian dubh with stone top. The scottish highlander sgian dubh is a modern version of its elder and is equipped with a 3 38 inch stainless steel blade.
The only prohibited knives in canada are those that that are spring loaded or those that open by centrifugal force, or any knife if it is carried for a purpose contrary to the public peace. The law and sgian dubhs the legal position in these modern times is not hard and fast. Our largest selection is our real sgian dubh, which range in material including antique, chrome and black enamel. The imitation sgian dubh is for a child to wear to the highland games. A canadian bagpiper of scots descent has had his sgiandubh. Late 17th century jacobite style highland dirk with en45 blade and double fuller in the style of a broken backsword blade. Kilted jeff mccarthy was walking down the street in montreal when police spotted the. Gbp british pound, eur euro usd us dollar cad canadian dollar jpy. Our gallery of sgian dubhs the real sgian dubh company. The sgian dubh pronounced skian doo is a gaelic word, sgian.
What i am wondering though, is it actually exempt officially in law, or is a blind eye turned. Canadian knife laws what you can and cant carry canuck. Professional piper jeff mccarthy shows off a sgiandubh dark or hidden knife. Hi there, i am travelling to a wedding where the guests will be wearing the highland dress.
Jeff is now taking legal advice to contest the fine and has the support of the. Have you ever wondered what the knife is that is tucked into a scotsmans kilt hose. The sgian dubh, canadian law, and personal freedom and rights ive done a search but i could not find a thread or post that addressed my questions directly so here goes. I craft my sgian dubhs with a wide range of blade options. Sgian dubhs order your sgian dubh online now kinloch. In england and wales, it is legal under the criminal justice act 1988 section 9 4 and the offensive weapons act 1996 section 3 and 4 5 for someone wearing the national costume of scotland to carry a sgian dubh see knife legislation.
The sgian dubh offers a historic touch to your outfit and is another way to ensure that your kilt outfit is personalised. For the traditional kilt wearers a great safe alternative. I think this law was applied to me in a very harsh way, he said. Worn as part of highland dress in the sock of a kilted scot. The sgian dubh, canadian law, and personal freedom and. Police ticket montreal bagpiper for carrying small symbolic knife. Sgian dubh knives are worn tucked into the sock with half of the handle on show above the sock on the right leg. We are proudly scottish and delighted to help you connect with your heritage. Joy for canadian bagpiper charged over sgian dubh in sock the. Now it is traditional for the sgian dubh to be worn in the stocking of the highlander, and the knife is frequently called a stocking dirk. Easy to glue back on, but not what i was looking for. I would like to know if it is legal for us to wear our sgian dubhs in public. It is also suggested that black means secret or hidden as its origins may have evolved from the sgian achlais, a dagger that could be concealed under the armpit. And of course, as part of that highland dress is the sgian dubh small ceremonial dagger that tucks into your hose.
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