What makes vintage sgian dubh so expensive - are they worth the price..?

[Troglodyte]

Something along the lines of this question has been asked on this forum before, but it seems that a definitive answer has yet to be given.

For some, a plain stainless steel blade stuck into a bit of wood for a handle, and then trimed with silver to make it decorative and appealing, has no attractions. And with that lack of attraction, there is the sum-of-its-parts argument which takes us back to basic material costs.

So what's the big deal..?

After all, a more practical and itilitarian knife can be found for a fracion of the cost of a good vintage sgian, and, as Just William asked about a century ago, what's the point of a knife that you can't do damage with?

And yet vintage sgians have a great following, and are highly collectable.

Most of the vintage ones I have seen fall into a couple of categories - the hand-made and hallmarked silver-trimmed of familiar design, and the exceptional.

The exceptional are all in museums or private collections, and command hundreds (if not thousands) at auction, so for the majority of us here, I guess the other category is our main concern.

Lets start with the handle. The moulded resin version appears to be the entry-level standard, and are frequently a very near copy of a more expensive model, but the hand-carved wood or horn takes things up a few notches. The woods are usually bog-oak which is very nice, but the bulk seem to be the blackwood used by bagpipe-makers, and very good use of the off-cuts and remnants.

There is no standard pattern of style for the handle, and the carver can display his imagination and a great deal of skill, and any slight imperfections enhance the final result. And when seen en masse, the varity of shape, size and design is obvious - something for everyone, in other words.

Next we have the silver trim - but this can be brass, nickel, or plated, so the use of hallmarks is an essential clue. The trims seem to go from the plain minimum, with no engraving or chasing, to the heavily cast with thistle motifs, lions and the like. This, again, is where individual taste comes into play.

Polished steel blades seem to be the norm, with stainless retaining its bright shine with less care, and sometimes these are engraved or etched in some way - not the same extent that a sword might be, but again there is variety.

Certain makers have a cache to their name, and so more competitive appeal when it comes to auction, and regimental sgians have their following, too.

DSCF7010.jpg DSCF7012.jpg DSCF7017.jpg

The line-up in the pictures shows something of the variety available, and the style-matching of the engraving in the sporran cantle and sgian is appealing. The two sgians together is a useful comparison, as one is worth ten or more times the other.

But the question remains - are they worth the price..?