Dirks are for Pipes & Drums

[Bugbear]

As far as sgians dubh are concerned, wear the real thing, or nothing at all. Fake is fake, and gentlemen don't do fake.

* throws away the DIY sgien don't being worked on *

Looks like the STM has some nice ones, and a new custome made kind now.

[Woodsheal]

As someone said, the notion that dirks are "strictly military" is fairly recent. Back in the (historic) day, every highlander had his dirk - even the poorest who could afford no other weapon. And, it was as much a tool as a weapon.

I have two rather plain ca. 1700 style dirks that I wear at reenactments or when in historic get-up. They've come in quite handy for slicing fruit, bread, meat & potatoes! I haven't worn them with modern garb, though I could maybe see them complementing a tweedy day-wear outfit in an outdoor setting, such as a highland games event....

[Thomas]

As someone said, the notion that dirks are "strictly military" is fairly recent. Back in the (historic) day, every highlander had his dirk - even the poorest who could afford no other weapon. And, it was as much a tool as a weapon.

I have two rather plain ca. 1700 style dirks that I wear at reenactments or when in historic get-up. They've come in quite handy for slicing fruit, bread, meat & potatoes! I haven't worn them with modern garb, though I could maybe see them complementing a tweedy day-wear outfit in an outdoor setting, such as a highland games event....

Wow- Congrats on those beautiful pieces of work. Glenn McClain could be the maker- am I right? I´m making dirks myself, and I prefer the early types as well.
You´re a lucky guy owning such beauties.
Regards
Thomas

[Woodsheal]

Wow- Congrats on those beautiful pieces of work. Glenn McClain could be the maker- am I right? I´m making dirks myself, and I prefer the early types as well.
You´re a lucky guy owning such beauties.
Regards
Thomas

Hi, Thomas!

You're half right. Warren Halstead made the bone/brass-handled dirk, Glenn the bog-oak one.

Can we see some pics of your work?

[Thomas]

Hi, Thomas!

Can we see some pics of your work?

I recently posted pics of my latest dirk, but can´t find the thread. So here are some other pictures of self made dirks. ( one exception: in the pic showing four dirks, the left one is a customized CasIberia dirk. So this one isn´t completely done by myself)g[/IMG]IMG]
I think, you´ll have to clic on the pics to enlarge them (sorry- no computer expert)
Again- Congrats on your dirks and especially on the fantastic sheaths. The leatherwork is outstanding.
Cheers
Thomas
(just noticed there are some pics missing- don´t know, why?????? Sorry for the adverts when enlarging the pics)

[piperdbh]

I don't own a dirk, and don't want one, even though there are some knifewrights here who make beautiful ones.
Most of the time I carry a fairly useless sgian dubh in my sock, but I always have my Swiss army knife (which I got in Switzerland, thank you very much)in my sporran. It has a corkscrew, bottle opener, two blades, scredrivers, and all those other handy things, chief of which is the toothpick.

[Kerr the Walker]

* throws away the DIY sgien don't being worked on *

Nah Ted, don't chuck it. Having a sgian don't in your hose top beats the heck outta trying to pry open a bottle with a lighter, a table-top or the like. Much more refined to pull a finely crafted tool from your hose and pop to the top.

A gentleman is prepared for the task at hand, and if you're more likely to have to open a bottle than slice something, then a sgian don't fills the square.

I personally feel funny leaving the house without a blade, but where I grew up not having one was like leaving the house without your shoes.

[Malcolm MacWilliam]

Well, since I mostly do military, I wear a dirk much of the time, but I'm careful about the venue.....for example, when I wore my kilt to the seminar that I'm teaching at a local college, I did NOT wear my dirk nor my side knife. I almost always wear a side knife. I have a sgian dubh, but it's a new item to me since I've only ever done 18th century before I found this forum last year (now you folks have me doing modern!!). I have three dirks. A formal one for evening (black, fancy), a Glenn McClain whingey, and a bolloch - not at all fancy. Also, I wear them mostly in the Jacobite way (not on my right side, but hanging behind my sporran). AHHHH, it's great to have big boy toys and wear them fashionably.

Malcolm MacWm., 42nd/77th Highland Reg'ts, Grenadiers
www.muskets-of-the-crown.org
ASM, British Brigade
www.britishbrigade.org