Youth Sized Sgian Dubh For a Mere $15.00 US

[Riverkilt]

So work sent me to Tuba City, Arizona Friday. That's out on the Navajo reservation. Every Friday in Tuba City there's a huge swap meet. Full of everything from used clothing to fresh cooked Navajo and Hopi traditional foods, and jewelry, and tools, and t-shirts. Its free to wander and the smells of the food are worth the stroll. While the swap meet is mostly run and attended by Navajos, anyone is welcome. I came to a display of knives a White guy had set up. Looked like the prop man for a Zombie movie...hatchets and weird knives. Tucked away was this little knife intended to be worn around the neck...but I could only see the handle sticking up out of kilt hose.

[Riverkilt]

Weird, can't type on the initial post...froze up. Here's another pic comparing the wee sgian dubh with a regular size one. For $15 how could I not buy it. Made in China. Logo is an elk skull with the words The Bone Edge under the skull. Since its meant to hang around the neck there's a little locking notch on the knife so it won't come out unless you pull hard. But, if used as a sgian dubh you could just reverse the knife so the notch didn't engage. Blade was already sharpened on both sides. Don't know that its a "real" knife - but its more than a letter opener.

[PodKiDo]

It's not exactly traditional, but is the right size. With some leather and a little ingenuity it could look very nice.

[mbhandy]

Very nice score, Ron.
Like a wad cutter knife for black powder.

MrBill

[Chas]

I have always been an advocate of giving a boy a pocket knife. Practically all the rights of passage have disappeared from modern life. So much so that young people invent their own. Unfortunately these usually involve bad decisions and illegal substances.

But give a boy a knife; lay down the rules of use, when/when not, how, safety, cleaning, sharpening; put it in his hands and tell him that his first steps to being a responsible citizen start now. All the onus and responsibility is now on his shoulders. There are very few boys in this world that do not step up, given the opportunity.

I think that this is a good idea. It does not matter that the knife might not be a 'real' knife. It is what the knife represents to the boy that matters, not what it is. Allowing a boy to own a knife is an act of trust and most importantly the boy knows that it is.

Yes, I think it is a good idea.

Regards

Chas

[PodKiDo]

I have always been an advocate of giving a boy a pocket knife. Practically all the rights of passage have disappeared from modern life. So much so that young people invent their own. Unfortunately these usually involve bad decisions and illegal substances.

But give a boy a knife; lay down the rules of use, when/when not, how, safety, cleaning, sharpening; put it in his hands and tell him that his first steps to being a responsible citizen start now. All the onus and responsibility is now on his shoulders. There are very few boys in this world that do not step up, given the opportunity.

I think that this is a good idea. It does not matter that the knife might not be a 'real' knife. It is what the knife represents to the boy that matters, not what it is. Allowing a boy to own a knife is an act of trust and most importantly the boy knows that it is.

Yes, I think it is a good idea.

Regards

Chas

***

[Geoff Withnell]

One of the reasons (albeit a minor one) that I like wearing a kilt is that it is easier and more socially acceptable to wear a knife. When I was a lad in the 50's, we all went to Cub Scouts, and when we passed the Knife Safety Achievement, we usually received our first knife from our parents. Mine was a small Swiss Army knife. Over half a century later, being without a blade at hand seems like I forgot to get fully dressed. The sgian dubh is a useful tool, just at hand. Riverkilt, do you know a lad who deserves your find?

I have always been an advocate of giving a boy a pocket knife. Practically all the rights of passage have disappeared from modern life. So much so that young people invent their own. Unfortunately these usually involve bad decisions and illegal substances.

But give a boy a knife; lay down the rules of use, when/when not, how, safety, cleaning, sharpening; put it in his hands and tell him that his first steps to being a responsible citizen start now. All the onus and responsibility is now on his shoulders. There are very few boys in this world that do not step up, given the opportunity.

I think that this is a good idea. It does not matter that the knife might not be a 'real' knife. It is what the knife represents to the boy that matters, not what it is. Allowing a boy to own a knife is an act of trust and most importantly the boy knows that it is.

Yes, I think it is a good idea.

Regards

Chas

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Is it wrang to mention knife-gift superstitions?

One my father taught me was "give a knife, give a penny with it" -- for knives cut things off, and one may signal a polite but permanent and complete farewell by giving a knife. But a knife does not cut a penny at all well; at worst it can scar it, so the penny symbolizes that "though I want you to have this knife, the relationship continues."

[aonghas]

I had a small knife given to me when I was 5-6? Shown how to use it and expected to carry all the time when outdoors. The same was taught to my son.
We have a slightly different saying: A silver coin from the receiver of a knife, so he buys it not given. Again so a friendship is not cut.
Also we were shown to break/tear a piece of bred rather than cutting it, the same reasons.

[tadyergey]

I have always been an advocate of giving a boy a pocket knife. Practically all the rights of passage have disappeared from modern life. So much so that young people invent their own. Unfortunately these usually involve bad decisions and illegal substances.

But give a boy a knife; lay down the rules of use, when/when not, how, safety, cleaning, sharpening; put it in his hands and tell him that his first steps to being a responsible citizen start now. All the onus and responsibility is now on his shoulders. There are very few boys in this world that do not step up, given the opportunity.

I think that this is a good idea. It does not matter that the knife might not be a 'real' knife. It is what the knife represents to the boy that matters, not what it is. Allowing a boy to own a knife is an act of trust and most importantly the boy knows that it is.

Yes, I think it is a good idea.

Regards

Chas

As a Eagle Scout and Scout Leader I have always (except on an airplane) had a knife on my person. My son received one as soon as he earned the right as a cub scout. I cannot agree more with Chas that with the proper rules and strict consequences for breeches of those rules, it starts one out on a path of responsibility. I intend to give my daughter a pocket knife when she turns 9 as her cub scout brother did.