A 19th Century Sgian Dubh

[xman]

... the myth which can be found so easily online that the sgian dubh derives from the concealed-carry sgian achlais and that wearing it in the stocking began with the custom of placing it there when entering someone's home as a guest precisely so that it would be visible and not concealed, thus showing your honorable intentions.

Yes and I had an argument with my brother regarding this last week. Can someone point me to the true data that I may silence his misunderstanding as mine was?

[/hijack]

[saxandpipes]

Wow!

Cheers,

Michael

[Micric]

This looks a very nice little knife, by what the pics say.

I'd say late Victorian, but the silver work is high quality.
I see a rampant lion on the scabbard. Is it holding a letter or anything?
(as in a letter of the alphabet!)
If it Is holding a letter, it may give a clue to who it once belonged, seeing as it is not in a 'belt' so therefore giving the impression that it was the owners personal arms.
Much guessing in the above, as I'm not up on heraldry!

[MacMillans son]

Yes and I had an argument with my brother regarding this last week. Can someone point me to the true data that I may silence his misunderstanding as mine was?

[/hijack]

X ,

I am too lazy to go looking for it, but M.O.R. had a pretty convincing argument against the unconcealed knife in the sock myth a few months ago. If he doesn't chime in here, perhaps the search function can locate it.

Essentially, his belief is that it was originally a utilitarian knife used by gamekeepers/hunters that was kept at the ready for typical tasks of that proffession IE field dressing animals. Nothing more romantic than that.

Now stop that hijacking!!

[figheadair]

I'd happily trot out the myth which can be found so easily online that the sgian dubh derives from the concealed-carry sgian achlais and that wearing it in the stocking began with the custom of placing it there when entering someone's home as a guest precisely so that it would be visible and not concealed, thus showing your honorable intentions.

And a myth it is. What rubbish! The first example I know of a sgian dubh is in Raeburn's portrait of Col Alasdair MacDonell of Glengarry and if didn't invent the tradition then it's a fair bet that someone else did during the Highland Revival era but given his pretentions he's certainly the prime contender.