A Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting a Scottish Sgian-Dubh

The Sgian-Dubh (pronounced skee-an doo) is a small, single-edged knife traditionally worn as part of Scottish Highland dress. With a rich history rooted in practicality and craftsmanship, the Sgian-Dubh has evolved from a concealed weapon to a symbol of heritage and pride. This guide will walk you through the process of making your own Sgian-Dubh, from selecting materials to shaping the blade and crafting a fitting handle and sheath. Whether you're a seasoned bladesmith or a beginner with a passion for traditional craftsmanship, this step-by-step guide will help you create a unique and functional piece of Scottish history.

!!PLEASE USE THE APPROPRIATE P.P.E. FOR THIS PROJECT!!

Materials I used:

1. steel saw blade
2. 1/4" stainless steel tubing
3. 1/4"×2" oak strip
4. 1/2" SCH40 PVC pipe
5. super glue
6. linseed oil
7. gun-blueing paste

Tools I used:

1. benchtop belt & disc sander
2. drill press
3. benchtop vice
4. multi-square
5. dremel
6. hacksaw
7. "c" clamp
8. propane torch
9. steel wool

I wanted to make this for as little money as possible. The only thing I payed for was the wood. Saw blades are great material because they're high carbon and well tempered. Check it for rainbow colored or dull grey spots. These are signs the blade got hot enough to lose its temper. I also avoid using the galled portion of the blade near the teeth where it looks like its been sanded.

The knife's intended dimensions is 1"×6" so I cut it a little big so I have some extra material to work with.

1. Mark and cut your material from the saw blade, being careful not to get it too hot.
2. Mark any lines you might want or need to help find your dimensions and drill your holes for the handle material(if you're going full tang like I did).
3. Roughly shape your billet into the desired profile, you can always take off more material later.

At this point, you effectively have a knife. Sharpen it and cut things. OR you can keep going and make this a propper knife.

Now is the time to add any details to the blade that involve cutting or grinding. You don't really want to do this with the handle material already on because it may get in the way or receive collateral damage.

1. Grind in a bevel. They make guides for this and it's recommended you do this on a 1" belt sander. I used a piece of wood cut to 10° and the 4" belt.
2. Grind the faux edge and the jimping on the spine.
3. Mark out your fuller. Cut along the mark with a friction disc. Use a carbide bur to round it out into a nicer shape.

This is arguably the hardest part. Be careful with the drill press. Use the little vice it's supposed to have. The drill took this knife from me, spun it around and cut my right index finger pretty deep. It didn't even have a cutting edge yet.

1. Cut off two sections of 1/4"×2" wood and mate the edges up making sure the ring are traveling in the same direction on both pieces. Sand down the edges so the pieces mate up identical.
2. Firmly attached the knife to the material with a clamp. Drill through the handle material using the holes in the knife as a guide. Do this one hole at a time and use a stick or punch to try to keep the holes aligned as you drill.
3. Fashion some pins from the stainless steel tubing using the hacksaw and sander.
4. Apply some super glue to the handle material on the surface you want against the steel and line up the holes. Push the tubing into the holes and use your vice to drive them through. DO NOT POUND THE PINS IN WITH A HAMMER. the wood will more than likely crack if you pound the pins through.
5. Sand down all your corners and pins. Shape the handle to your desired profile using the sander.

Taking a note from Eoin Reardon, scorch the wood until it's nice and black, lightly buff it with steel wool and add a generous amount of linseed oil while it's still hot. Then apply gun-blueing to the blade as instructed by the packaging of the specific product you chose to go with. Sgian-Dubh is Gaelic for "Black Knife" and they were often colored black to help conceal them. This knife can be any color so long as it's black.

The last step is to make a sheath for it so you dont stab your ankle with it. This knife was generally concealed in a garter under the arm or tucked into the top of the kilt hose on your dominant hand side. Material and appearance of the sheath for this particular knife is only as important as you want it to be. I took about 3-1/2" of that 1/2" PVC and I heated it up and squished it flat with the knife inside. I used two pieces of wood hoping it would leave some wood texture behind. Did not work quite the way I planned. If you're feeling extra, paint it black.