My New Daywear Sgian Dubh

**Taygrd** · 19th September 11, 04:28 PM

I have been wanting to make myself one of these for awhile and I got around to it this weekend, only took about a year. I have made a few Japanese style knives and had some rayskin in the shop so I decided to make a Ray Dubh

The handle is stabilized rayskin over wood that was dyed black and weathered a bit to bring out the nodules. It makes a very tactile and secure grip and rayskin or shagreen has been used for centuries on blades. Going to wear it to a semi formal event this weekend

**Downunder Kilt** · 19th September 11, 05:14 PM

Very, very nice Taygrd, I do so like the shape of your blades, I get comments on mine all the time. As for the black ray skin, I think it superbly fits the bill as an arounder. I could see no problem in wearing to a formal event or to the highland games.

**Dale Seago** · 19th September 11, 05:30 PM

That would go wonderfully with something like, say, a Ferguson Britt rayskin sporran. . .

**NewGuise** · 19th September 11, 09:43 PM

Lovely.

Envious.

**CMcG** · 20th September 11, 12:59 AM

I think this is my favourite Taygrd sgian that I've seen so far... I'm partial to the simplicity and functionality.

**Taygrd** · 20th September 11, 05:50 AM

Thanks fellas, it is a little non conventional but I liked it. May play with the idea some more. The rayskin is hard like rawhide and I had to wet mold it to the handle so it is limited to a simple handle design.
Dale I was thinking about adding some menuki to it

**kilted_brewer** · 20th September 11, 02:57 PM

Very nice! Very simple and clean. I would love one of these.

**Rab Gordon** · 29th September 11, 02:30 AM

I love that handle, ideal for a Sgian Dubh, are you going to make a matching sheath ?

**Taygrd** · 29th September 11, 10:23 AM

Thanks Rab, quite a compliment from such a talented maker such as you.

The sheath is leather and I took a piece of hard rayskin and pressed it into the wet leather for a sort of reverse look. This one is a prototype and I am thinking of making another where I might use the "cured" or soft rayskin on the sheath. The handle is made from the hard rayskin that I wet molded to the handle and dyed black. I am going to leave the rayskin the natural white on the next. The seam is on the back and it is cut with a thin diamond wheel. I have done this before with Japanese style blades, but it think it looks pretty good on a sgian