Safety or bladed

[GrainReaper]

I keep a sharp blade with me every day, kilted or not. My Sgian is kept razor sharp and at hand when I'm kilted. I see no need for a decorative trinket because form follows function.

[KyleAisteach]

By "non-bladed safety sgian dubh" do you mean that it does not, in fact, have any blade at all?

Either way, I think the pertinent question is, is there ever a situation in which you might use your sgian dubh as a knife? If so, it should have a properly maintained, sharp blade. (Remember that a dull or weathered blade is far more dangerous than a sharp one.) If not, then there's no need for a blade at all.

[tpa]

If you are going to have a sgian with a blade, it may as well be sharp and of some use. I almost always have some sort of knife with me, a habit formed when owning a convenience store and continually opening packaging, but even without that still find I use it several times a day.

[The Q]

I have 5 sgian blades I am slowly in the process of making handles for.
They are as supplied blunt, I will sharpen them.
I also am making a cross between an officers sgian dubh and a sgian brew.
Eventually I'll make a pure sgian brew.

My choice of what to use depends on the occasion. If there is no requirement for the brew, and nothing to prevent it ( small children, the event premises bans all knives etc) i intend to take the knife

[Father Bill]

I'd love to see pix of these as they progress, Q. (Than-Q!)

[The Q]

I'd have to emphasise slowly!! I have too many hobbies!!

[freep]

Long ago I worked as an armed security guard. In the course of working a crowd control job one of the other guards, a new guy, asked me if I carried my pistol loaded. I was taken aback by the question. I told him I always carried it loaded because someone else with a gun and grudge might think I was serious about the whole thing.

I would suggest the same applies to any tool you carry around. Anything that might be perceived as a weapon should be able to function as such. The notion of a plastic bladed or non-bladed sgian to smacks of costume and that's not why I came. Real deal or nothing for me.

[Elf]

Thank you all for a very thoughtful thread. I have a couple knives but rarely use them in my hose. I am even less likely to wear an ornamental skein for formal affairs since I hope there will be dancing. I do not want either a blade or a substitute in my hose during such activity, although I have never actually had an incident when it disloged. A (sharp, useful) folding knife in the sporran is more appealing, as mentioned by azwildcat96. Just my two cents. I know many successfully carry.

[tripod]

I have carried a knife since I was a child, my school allowed sheath knives. A strange concept in this day where all knives are considered weapons not tools. It did allow me to realise that there are no dangerous weapons, just dangerous people.
I carry a Boker/Magnum sgian dubh supported by my brace, it's kept sharp and been used a few times. It's a tool.

[The Q]

I have carried a knife since I was a child, my school allowed sheath knives. A strange concept in this day where all knives are considered weapons not tools. It did allow me to realise that there are no dangerous weapons, just dangerous people.
I carry a Boker/Magnum sgian dubh supported by my brace, it's kept sharp and been used a few times. It's a tool.

Me too, as a Cub / Scout we encouraged to carry a sheath knife, and at school we all had some sort of pocket knife.