Lets see historical Scottish weaponing...........

[longhuntr74]

This is an armpit dagger (sgian achlais), made by Glenn McClain. It actually belongs to my wife, who uses it as a utility knife at reenactment events. It's well-suited to kitchen duties...!

....all I can say is "I want one!!!!"

[St. Amish]

This is an armpit dagger (sgian achlais), made by Glenn McClain. It actually belongs to my wife, who uses it as a utility knife at reenactment events. It's well-suited to kitchen duties...!

This may be nitpicking or semantics, but "sgian" translates to knife, not dagger. Daggers are sharpened on both sides, and are typically tapered from the point on both sides.

Beautiful piece none the less.

[Strings]

Modern reproductions of Japanese blades, made in the traditional manner, ARE available, and fetch fairly high prices. However, there's a fairly wide following of Japanese blades and their use.

Not as much with their European counterparts.

[Mr. MacDougall]

How, precisely, does one wear such a knife? Is the name misleading, and it's worn at the belt?

[Tobus]

The hook (with the decorative waves) allows the sheath to be hung in the armpit opening of one's waistcoat, or in the coat sleeve.

I'm having a hard time picturing how that would work. Since the handle of the knife sticks out several inches past the end of the sheath (where the clip is), how could it hang from the arm hole of a waistcoat? I'd think the handle would be too long and be sticking up into your armpit, preventing you from being able to put your arm down.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I'm having a hard time picturing how that would work. Since the handle of the knife sticks out several inches past the end of the sheath (where the clip is), how could it hang from the arm hole of a waistcoat? I'd think the handle would be too long and be sticking up into your armpit, preventing you from being able to put your arm down.

This perhaps the most perplexing question asked about the so-called "arm pit" dagger. Most serious students of Scottish arms are now coming round to the opinion that the knife propbably wasn't worn concealed in the armpit, but rather worn close to the body, possibly below the armpit. There is also a growing school of thought (to which I subscribe) that the sgian achles was more of a utensil than a weapon; in other words, while it could serve as a weapon, it was probably used primarily as a knife for cutting and eating food, or applied to other chores that would be unsuited to the much larger dirk commonly worn at that time.

[Woodsheal]

This perhaps the most perplexing question asked about the so-called "arm pit" dagger. Most serious students of Scottish arms are now coming round to the opinion that the knife propbably wasn't worn concealed in the armpit, but rather worn close to the body, possibly below the armpit. There is also a growing school of thought (to which I subscribe) that the sgian achles was more of a utensil than a weapon; in other words, while it could serve as a weapon, it was probably used primarily as a knife for cutting and eating food, or applied to other chores that would be unsuited to the much larger dirk commonly worn at that time.

Well, having worn it hooked into my waistcoat's arm-opening dozens of time, I can assure you - it works just fine!

It's worn sloping, so that the blade portion of the sheath runs down under your arm towards your back, and the haft runs up the front of your shoulder rather flush against your body. It doesn't interfere with a coat worn over, either.

I'll just have to take some dang photos to illustrate...!

[Woodsheal]

OK, I threw on one of my 18th C. waistcoats to demonstrate the wearing of an armpit knife. As you can see, no problem! And, once you don your coat (18th C. gents wore their coats and waistcoats simultaneously), that knife is well concealed. It could even be tucked under the edge of the waistcoat itself for further concealment....

[Mr. MacDougall]

However it might have been worn, there's no arguing that it's a beautiful example! I love the sheath. It might be fun to mess about with it, and see how one could wear it. I have a renaissance doublet with button-on sleeves, and I find myself looking from the picture of the knife to the garment, and wondering....

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Brian--
Thanks for the photos! Obviously this works, and gives greater credibility to the concept of the potential for the knife to be used for defensive, as well as utilitarian, purposes. Of the dozen or so knives that I've handled that have indisputable Scottish provenance, only three had sheaths, and none of those had belt hooks. Since belt hooks were a common feature on Scottish pistols, it would (I think) be reasonable to assume that they would feature on the sheathes of small, personal knives, such as the one owned by your wife (and pictured on this thread). Certainly it would be just about the only practical way of securing the knife to one's person, no matter how, or where, worn.

I am still somewhat dubious about the primary role of the knife as a concealed weapon; in an age and at a time when flatware (or cutlery, as some term it) was not ubiquitous in most households, it was not at all uncommon for a guest to bring his own spoon and knife-- and this continued into the 18th century. Given the manner of dress of the Highland Scots at this time, I would tend to think that tucked away under the arm and close to the body would be the most convenient place to carry a knife primarily intended for domestic duties.

Outside of the Highlands, where the carrying of a dirk well suited to self defense was not normally done, it could very well be that gentlemen did carry such a knife as much for protection as anything else.

As Jim Bowie was of Scots descent, it is a pity that none of his ancestors wrote a book on Scottish dirks, daggers, and knives. Then we'd know for sure.