Review: Little Black Dress

[Ryan Ross]

...the little black dress of sgians dubh, that is.

A while back, I recieved a blade from Drac, which has since become my go-to sgian for almost all occasions. I wanted a simple, classic sgian dubh that would be a very usable utility knife for when I was kilted. Drac was excelent to work with and produced exactly what I was looking for.

The blade itself is of an excelent stain resistant steel, Drac's heat treat is spot-on, and the edge is fine and durable. The handle, in ebony, is not only visually beautiful, but very comfortable in the hand and against the leg. The moulded leather sheath holds the blade very securely, but not so tightly that it is difficult to withdraw.

Pics:




Very clean, twisted rope pattern filework:


It's comfortable and looks good against the leg (most of the bulk is from my doubled up cuffs and hand knit garters, not the sheath):




The sheath makes deployment of this blade far better and safer than any other sgian dubh I've ever had; the leather is firm enough to keep the sheath open, once the knife is withdrawn:


In conclusion... Drac makes one HECK of a sgian dubh!
Thanks much, Jim.

P.S. Does anyone else think that this sgian looks like a very small Russian Orthodox priest, peeking over the top of the kilt hose?