New Sgian Don't

[Tartan Hiker]

A friend asked me to make a sgian dubh for her nephew who is just getting into highland attire. I mentioned that I could make one with a bottle opener instead of a knife blade, and she instantly got very excited about that option. Quicker than you can say MacDonell of Glengarry, I ordered two of Rab Gordon's wonderful drop-forged bottle openers. (I figured that if I were ordering one for a customer, why not settle a long-standing Jones and get one more for myself? )

Here's the one I made for myself. The handle is wormy American Chestnut, cut from an old bridge timber in the forest where I hike frequently. The "pommel" is Black Cherry. I love the look of intricately carved knife handles, but I also love wormy chestnut, and this wood simply does not lend itself to carving. Rather, I prefer to create some classic lines, cap the handle with a contrasting native wood, and let the long-dead tree speak for itself.



The neatest thing is that there are four different worm holes in this piece, and all four go all the way through to the other side.

I made another sgian some time ago from the same piece of chestnut, and posted that photo in this thread.

I'll add a photo of the second one as soon as I finish it!