Safety / fake Sgian dubh

[elperrogrande]

Who uses a fake blade? I was at the Montreal highland games and saw a few people that had a stag or antler sgian dubh Sticking out of their hose and it just looked so cool to me. I have antlers a friend gave me and a blade from a cheap sgian and could make one but since it is just for show and I do cross boarders to go to the u.s I was thinking of just cuting a piece of the antler and thinning half of it a tinny bit and us is for show.

[CollinMacD]

Some have bottle openers instead of blades.

[Panache]

Some have bottle openers instead of blades.

It is pretty easy to find a bottle opener at your local hardware store. I used to use the cheap paint can opener version, grind down the other end to make it the same size as the shaft, drill a hole in the handle I fashioned, and then used two part epoxy to secure the opener into the handle.

You can do the same with a comb if you have a mind to.

Cheers

Jamie

[Steve Ashton]

Or make yourself a "Sgain Shoe"



]

I use the safety Sgains in my rental fleet. I often have young men rent a kilt for prom and a safety sgain is better on the school grounds.

[Taskr]

I'm getting close to carving my first handle (overthinking the design). Without a blade of any type I am instead considering an oak rectangle of suitable depth to set inside the hose. Simple, sturdy and harmless.

[elperrogrande]

I was actually working on the handle and because by trade I am a mechanic the end of a small wrench would be cool.

[Luke MacGillie]

Who uses a fake blade? I was at the Montreal highland games and saw a few people that had a stag or antler sgian dubh Sticking out of their hose and it just looked so cool to me. I have antlers a friend gave me and a blade from a cheap sgian and could make one but since it is just for show and I do cross boarders to go to the u.s I was thinking of just cuting a piece of the antler and thinning half of it a tinny bit and us is for show.

I have been crossing the border with the full complements of equipment of an 18th Century Highland soldier since the 1980’s, full compliment ;-) . Sometimes with a letter from a Canadian Museum, sometimes not. Never had an issue. A skene Dubh is not going to raise an eyebrow, especially if the rest of your ethnic dress is in the suitcase. It’s a border crossing, not an airline flight.

[Ivor]

Am i not right in saying that a sgian dubh is a traditional part of highland dress? I believe many here wear non-traditional attire such as “cargo kilts” so there should be no need to have a sgian dubh but correct me if I am wrong. If you do not intend to dress in a traditional manner then there seems no reason why you should have a sgian dubh. Airport security will even confiscate nail clippers etc. so it is hardly surprising that sgian dubhs are a no no.