Sgian Dubhs, what is appropriate?

[Carlo]

Jock has hit the nail right on the head.

I will also add that you can get immigration Sgian Dubh's and one like mine which Is a bottle opener. Which is made as a daywear one but since I don't often wear it during the day it does me in the evening too.

immigration Sgian Dubh ?
Are we talking about Swiss Army knives in the sock?

[Jordan]

immigration Sgian Dubh ?
Are we talking about Swiss Army knives in the sock?

I meant imitation. Dam auto-correct.

[MacRobert's Reply]

Day sgians tend to have stag-horn or brown wooden handles. Fittings may be brass.

Dress sgians for formal wear usually have more ornate handles, often in black wood with silver fittings. The very dressy ones with a cairngorm mounted on the top of the hilt. Cheap modern versions often have handles made of black plastic.

[sailortats]

Chaps here is a pic of my day wear and evening wear sgian dubhs. The one on the left is the day wear. The day wear one only cost $20. and the evening wear one was around $70. The evening one isn't so fancy that it cannot do duty as day wear from time to time.
sgian dubhs.JPG

[rondo]

...And some of us choose not to wear any sgian, day or night. It is, imho, not a requirement much like a kilt pin.
Rondo

[IsaacW]

I have a nice stag horn handle one that I never use. It is a plain and too illegal or questionable in most places. I think a bottle opener would be far more useful in most in most settings. Until I start. Hunting in my kilt

[Tobus]

I think a bottle opener would be far more useful in most in most settings.

To each his own, of course, but I find a functional blade to be FAR more useful than a bottle opener. I just don't have very many bottles that need opening, especially when out-and-about in a kilt. If I go to a pub, I'm drinking draft beer in a mug or glass. And if it's a low-class joint that actually serves me a bottle, I would assume they at least have the decency to open the bottle for me!

At the Highland Games, I sometimes buy myself bangers and mash. They typically serve it in that cheesy little cardboard tray with a plastic fork or a spork. Out comes the sgian dubh to cut the sausage into edible pieces so I don't have to look like one of those ridiculous Viking reenactors, gnawing sausage links with grease running down my beard! The sgian dubh is also handy for opening packaging (why oh why are so many everyday consumer products packaged in thick rigid plastic with heat-pressed edges?), and a million other uses. Let me see you cut your bangers or open plastic packaging with your bottle opener!

[IsaacW]

Trust me... I like a good knife. It just seems that in most places I wear a kilt, it is not helpful. Most of my kilt wearing is at work and I am a school teacher. Although I bring my share of weapons to school for educational purposes, the simple carrying of a knife for no real educational purpose would likely upset my bosses. Otherwise, I wear it out to dinner, a bar, or a party. At the Burns Night I held at home, there was a lot of bottle opening (I brew and bottle my own) and it would be helpful.

I do hope to perhaps wear my kilt out more at sporting events this next year and perhaps I will find more use for a bladed tool. I am thinking of throwing the boys at the sportsmens club for a loop by wearing kilt and tweed while shooting league this summer (at least one day depending on heat). I would also like to do some bird hunting the same.

Isaac

[Layne]

I do actually wear a kilt more often than not, when not at work (due to safety program requiring trousers); and typically carry a sgian dubh for aesthetics as well as for practicality. Recently I purchased a set containing two cased knives, one of total overall length of about 7.5" and the other about 10". The shorter of the two is near the length of the one that I am accustomed to carrying.

So, my question - what is the longer one for? Does anyone carry more than one at a time? If so, where?

[TheOfficialBren]

...And some of us choose not to wear any sgian, day or night. It is, imho, not a requirement much like a kilt pin.
Rondo

Plus one. I wear a kilt pin about every third or so time that I kilt up. A friend on here, Mike Montgomery, made me two really sharp ones. I really like them. I don't own a sgian dubh.

Wear one or don't. It's all personal preference and not "required."

from Southern California!