A different sytle of sgain dubh?

[Drac]

walrus unmentionable

I like the phrase though when I read it to my wife she suddenly had pictures in her head of walruses wearing lace camisole and frilly tap pants.

Excuse me while I go run a inventory of the liqueur cabinet.

Jim

[Drac]

Thanks. No I don't I outsource to a gentleman who been doing them for about 60 years. I like most knife makers have tried my hand at leather working. Like most I noticed since I spent most of my time on knife making I didn't develop as good of skills with leather. To get better skills at leather working I would have to spend more time on it than knife. So most knife makers are only so-so, not all but most.

Not me. Unlike most knife makers I suck at leather working. I gave up on trying to even make passable sheaths awhile ago and traded my leather supplies for a sporran.

Jim

[Micric]

I think other considerations would come into play, rather than accepting or rejecting on the full tang basis. (Aesthetics, etc)

I have been thinking of making a sgian dubh for a while now, and have this idea of making it fit for both worlds, so to speak!
Don't know if such an animal is possible, but I'll let you know how it goes!!
This thread is a fresh inspiration to get at it,...before spring farm work gets under way!

[Micric]

Re. full tang V's rat-tail tang, or whatever you want to call it;

I don't think it's anything to get hung up on.
The full tang may be stronger, but does it matter?
As in, the stick tang, provided it is made correctly is up to just any work that could be throw at it, so any difference is purely academic.
(look at all the swords, tulwars, and earlier kukris, )
I would have thought a sgian dubh would be better balanced to stay in place if the blade counteracted the hilt weight, and this (theoreticaly!) would be in favour of the partial or rat-tail tang.

Again, I'd say both styles Can look nice, but no advantages one over the other. If there was, they'd have evolved years ago.

Best. R.

[Drac]

I got one going now (slowly due to a lot of distractions) for a brave individual who volunteered to be the first recipient and here it is so far before heat treat -





The bolster aren't pinned down yet since it still needed to go into the oven. Since than it has survived the hardening and tempering and has the rear bolsters (the ones with the file work) and the handle material (African blackwood) attached. Once my in-laws visit is over I will complete it and post a pic.

Jim