Dixie Gun Works

[PiobBear]

This is probably going to get me flamed, but if you are going to carry a weapon, and the Sgian Dubh qualifies, shouldn't it be something that you can use.

Not a flame, but IMO a sgian dubh's a tool, not a weapon, rather like a utilitarian pocket knife. As such it does need a live blade to be of any use.

I've always been skeptical of the idea that the sgian dubh was derived from some sort of weapon. That would imply that in a country that developed the four-foot-long claidheamh mòr (claymore) and the Lochaber axe, during a time of reivers, highwaymen, intergenerational clan rivalries and blood feuds when people went armed with broadsword and dirk everywhere (inlcuding to church), people expected to defend themselves with something akin to a paring knife.

[Captain]

Not a flame, but IMO a sgian dubh's a tool, not a weapon, rather like a utilitarian pocket knife. As such it does need a live blade to be of any use.

I've always been skeptical of the idea that the sgian dubh was derived from some sort of weapon. That would imply that in a country that developed the four-foot-long claidheamh mòr (claymore) and the Lochaber axe, during a time of reivers, highwaymen, intergenerational clan rivalries and blood feuds when people went armed with broadsword and dirk everywhere (inlcuding to church), people expected to defend themselves with something akin to a paring knife.

I'm guessing (and I could be way off here), that it could have been both a utility knife (it's main use) and a weapon (it's function only if necessary). I'm not saying it's their main way to defend themselves, but most police officers or licensed handgun carriers today carry a back up gun that's usually smaller and of a smaller caliber than their main weapon (and alot of them carry them in a similar spot - an ankle holster). The Sgian Dubh would certainly make a decent last-ditch, desperation back up weapon.

One might make the argument that I'm applying modern thinking to an ancient item... but I say if you got a knife in your sock/boot and everything else has been taken away from you, you probably don't think to yourself, "I could defend myself with that, but I only use that to cut rope and tree branches."

Anyway, sorry if this gets the thread closed, but I did mention what I did in context of a sgian dubh!

[ccga3359]

I'll agree with Captain that the sgian dubh was a "back up" in days long ago but let's not go there, especially with today's parallel. A knife of this size today should be carried as PiobBear points out, as a tool. Please allow me to clarify this as I earlier I called it ceremonial. It can indeed have a purpose and an edge. But lets not carry it for it's original intended purpose, after all about the only rampaging Englishman you'd find today would be me! And I'm wearing a kilt now.