the original multopurpose Sgain dubh

**macwilkin** · 29th March 06, 04:30 AM

Originally Posted by GlassMan

Interesting, the original Swiss Army knife is from the 1890's but the multi-tool Sgian Dubh has silver hallmarks from 1874. Yet another invention that came from the Scots but for which the credit has wrongfully been claimed by another group, in this case the Swiss.

Hmmm...I wouldn't make such a claim without documented evidence that Carl Elsener, the inventor of the SAK, was influenced by this sgian dubh. As Joe stated earlier, this was most likely a "private purchase" item, and not issued by the Army to all soldiers. Elsener designed the SAK because Swiss soldiers needed a screwdriver to maintain and clean their rifle, and he wanted the Swiss Army to be issued a Swiss knife. Before the Swiss were issuing German knives.

I don't think you can say that the Swiss have "wrongfully" claimed the credit for it -- how many of the sgian dubhs are manufactured? Were they ever issued (and not purchased privately) by Scottish soldiers? There are just too many unanswered questions to say that the Swiss "stole" this idea from the Scots.

Regards,

Todd

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 29th March 06, 11:11 AM

Everything old is new again. Check out the "Officer's Sgian Dubh" at the bottom of this page:
http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/blackknife.html

It's what's in my sock now!

**Southern Breeze** · 29th March 06, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by M. A. C. Newsome

Everything old is new again. Check out the "Officer's Sgian Dubh" at the bottom of this page:
http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/blackknife.html

It's what's in my sock now!

Thanks for that link. I thought I had seen those for sale, but I couldn't find the site or remember where it was.