What's New at Rainnea Ltd.

Sgian Dubh with a Sterling Silver blade and clan crest set in an Ebony handle with Tayside Amethyst pommel

Rainnea — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:53:00 +0000

Ann commissioned this special Sgian Dubh for her husband, Alan’s birthday. They have kindly allowed us to quote from their emails.

“Hi, Both, Just taken delivery of the package and it looks really impressive – I’m sure my husband will be delighted and I have to thank you for all the work you have put into it. Craftsmanship of this quality is very hard to find and highly underappreciated these days so thank goodness for the internet which gives us access to businesses such as yours
Many thanks, Ann”

“Hi Rab and Tanya,
To-day was my sixtieth birthday and we had a family party at the weekend. I was absolutely bowled over by the sgian dubh which was my present from Ann. To say that the sgian dubh you made for me is a thing of beauty and a joy for ever, may misquote Keats, but it is absolutely true. From the amethyst pommel to the beautifully worked blade, it exudes a quality of craftsmanship one sees only rarely. I will carry it with pride in the knowledge that it is doubly unique; first in your beautiful design and secondly in the engraving which signifies that it is mine alone.
Best wishes, Alan”
(Alan has a great website with stunning photography which is well worth a visit at www.arcameronphotos.co.uk)

A Family Set of Sgian Dubhs

Rainnea — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:07:43 +0000

Here’s a recently completed commission we made for Bryan, his brothers and his son.
The handles are carved from an Isle of Jura Whisky barrel and are inlaid with Sterling Silver clan and regimental crests. The blades are of Damascus steel and each individual’s initials are engraved on the lower silver ferrule band. The Pommels were of Fife Red Jasper and we provided a brooch from Nat at Scottish Gemstones with a matching stone.
Bryan kindly sent us his description of these Sgian Dubhs;
“Superb priceless sgian dubhs that will be worn with pride and honour.”

Pictish Wolves Engraved Sgian Dubh

Rainnea — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:53:00 +0000

Here’s a recent commission featuring the engraving of a pair a Pictish Wolves and the letter ‘S’ upon a Damascus blade. It’s very hard to photograph the diamond point engraving – it’s clear when it catches the light but otherwise doesn’t detract from the natural blade pattern so we have to angle the blade just right to catch it. The wolf design is recreated from a broken carved Pictish stone currently at Inverness Museum but originally from Ardross.
We were emailed the following quote;
“Stunning sgian dubh! Rab worked with me to get exactly what I needed and the custom engraving is amazing.”

A Whale Tooth Sgian Dubh

Rainnea — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 10:50:25 +0000

Here’s a special commission we completed just in time for Christmas for our customer’s son. The handle is made from a whale tooth which was recovered by our customer from the carcass of a beached sperm whale. The back of the handle and the box are made from 5300 year old bog oak. The blade is made from Swedish Damasteel from the foundry we visited earlier in the year. On the lid of the box is an Iona Marble pebble found by the son, set in Sterling Silver and engraved with a personal message.
This was a very unusual and challenging project for me; however I enjoyed working with our customer to develop and shape his design and ideas and I’m very happy with the way it all came together.

Guitar Plectrum, Custom Made in Sterling Silver

Rainnea — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:17:13 +0000

Here’s a recent custom made guitar pick we made for Lianne who kindly allowed us to post this picture and her comments.
“Received the plectrum 10 mins ago, I am absolutely over the moon with it. It is totally amazing!! I can’t express how impressed I am!! I will recommend you to everyone and use you always for all jewellery needs. Have a wonderful Christmas and thank you!!
Best wishes, Lianne x”
Please visit our main site for other custom made guitar plectrums, etc.

Obsidian Sgian Dubh

Rainnea — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:53:14 +0000

Here’s a very interesting commission I undertook for David, a Geologist from Canada, who wished to a have a Sgian Dubh made with an obsidian blade (obsidian being a volcanic glass) and incorporate a pommel stone from his family’s ancestral croft.

We were fortunately able to have a knapped obsidian blade made to my drawing by Tony Stanfield in Oregon and incorporate that into an Ebony handle I carved with a cross-hatch weave. I sent this down to a skilled leather worker, Terry Osborne in Northumberland who made a lovely leather sheath, wet molded to perfectly fit the knapped blade.
For the pommel stone, on a lovely summer’s day we took a family outing and visited the old croft at Caphluich, Tarvie which was built by David’s great-great-great-grandfather around 1800, although sadly now it’s just ruins. We sent a small rock from there to Renato Forno at Scottish Gemstones who cut and polished it to fit our Sterling Silver ferrule top band which was hallmarked with our maker’s mark at the Edinburgh Assay Office.
I fitted the lower ferrule band which I had engraved with a Celtic knot design and finished the handle off with silver pins to the front only for sake of comfort when worn against the leg. This has been a lovely collaborative project to work on and David has kindly allowed us to publish the email he sent when he received his Sgian Dubh;
“It is with great joy that I announce the arrival of SGRS16 to its new home in Canada! …I turned it over in my hands smiling the while. I slid off the black wet-formed sheath to expose the black blade (black in reflected light!) I held the blade up to the light and joy of joys, there is a powerful striped texture to the depth of the blade. The ebony handle is comfortable to the hand, the seven pins handily identify the front of the haft, and the carved ebony just adds to the overall effect. Rab, my sgian dubh is nothing short of magnificent!
Thank you so much… Cheers, David”

Sgian Dubh in 5300 Year Old Fenland Bog Oak with Damascus Blade and Iona Marble Pommel Stone

Rainnea — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:55:31 +0000

We’d like to share this email and photos. Thank you to Andrew for his permission to post these.

“Rab & Tanya, I have just received the Sgian Dubh, it’s absolutely exceeded all my expectations. My wife Fiona loves the Iona set stone in the bog oak handle. The Damascus blade is stunning, I shall treasure this and always wear it with pride. Once more thank you so very much for a job well done, excellent workmanship. Kind regards, Andrew”

Hand forged Sgian Dubh blades from an old school bladesmith

Rainnea — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:41:21 +0000

These 6 blades in 1080 carbon-steel have been crafted by George Ezell who’s an old school bladesmith from Alabama.
These are only available in a very limited quantity as they’re individually hand forged and finished, the exquisite and varied filework on their spines is also hand cut so no two are identical.

A word of thanks is due to Mark McMorrow of Sword Forum International (a site well worth visiting) who’s a friend of George and who asked him to make these blades to my precise specifications so I could offer them as a special option on my Sgian Dubhs.

(please click on the photos to enlarge)

A Sgian Dubh featuring insignia of the Parachute Regiment

Rainnea — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:11:46 +0000

Just finished this one of a kind Sgian Dubh commission. It features a 15 PARA Regimental Crest as well as USA Army Parachute Wings. The handle and sheath are made from bog oak which is approx 4300 year old and the ferrules and blade are all solid Sterling Silver.

Bespoke Titanium Hand-Fasting Rings

Rainnea — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 09:47:36 +0000

Just completed this commission for a pair of bespoke hand-fasting rings for a couple in Texas. They’re made in titanium, cut with a Celtic knot design and heat-coloured with a torch with the highlights then polished. The photo was taken from our back door with Loch Ness in the background.
“We got them today, and they are positively stunning! We love the purple hues of the oxidation and are very happy with them. Thank you so much for your craftsmanship on these rings. “ Damon & Yvette, Texas, USA.
See our site for more info on bespoke titanium rings.