Fake vs real dirk.

[Geoff Withnell]

The ref faire I go to most often is the Pennsylvania Rennaissance Fair and they allow weapons, but they must be "peace bonded". There must be a tie wrap, or some means of securing the weapon in the scabbard, so it cannot be readily drawn. I wrap clear duct tape around the top of the scabbard and the dirk handle where they meet with the dirk sheathed. Almost invisible, and the renfair folks are satisfied. Oddly enough, they don't seem to consider sgains to be weapons, as I have never been asked to peace bond my sgian. My dirk is quite sharp.

Assuming your renfest allows attendees to wear/display weapons such as dirks (some don't allow anybody to carry weapons except staff members who are acting as fest characters) and are portraying an historical Highlander, then I'd recommend a mild steel dull/blunt dirk to avoid somebody grabbing it and then suing you for $5 million after he/she cuts him/herself.

If you are wearing a kilt as part of modern Scottish dress, you don't need a dirk, and instead of a sgian dhu I'd recommend a sgian brew (you'll need it).

The only time I carry a dirk is when I'm attired in 18th c. Highland dress as part of a reenactment event. My recreated dirks are sharp (the way the makers finished them) and occasionally come in handy as tools (cutting ropes, for example), but I keep them close and don't allow anybody not in my reenactment group to handle them due to liability issues.