We had the honour of creating this unique commemorative kilt pin in Sterling Silver. The centre of the cross is engraved with “Never Forget”, a pair of fire axes and “343” in memory of the fallen firefighters at the Twin Towers on 9/11. The design features an adaptation of a Celtic Cross with an overlaid sword engraved with ‘Tada Gan Iarracht’ in Irish Gaelic meaning ‘Nothing Without Effort’ and the outline of a shamrock. It was a real privilege to be asked to create this piece and we received this lovely email once the kilt pin had arrived with its recipient: “Wanted to let you know that the pin has been received in Colorado and very well received! Michael really loved it and your craftsmanship is absolutely beautiful. Once again, thank you so much for your time, your talent, and your kindness.”
Rab has been making Sgian Dubhs for well over 20 years but this one is very special and personal; it was also crafted with help from some friends. Greg Marr ( Glittering Edge ) forged the billet of ‘Dramascus’, which in this case was Damascus made from a combination of Jura whisky cask hoop, 52100 and O1 steel. Chris Grant used his metallurgical expertise to advise on the steels in use then took the Dramascus and crafted it into the stunning blade and created the sheath from deer leather. Renato Forno ( Scottish Gemstones ) cut and polished the pommel stone from a pebble Rab collected from the beach at Jura Distillery. Rab carved the handle from a stave of a Jura Whisky cask and inlaid a Sterling Silver crest he engraved with a stag head, while the lower ferrule is engraved with the Paps of Jura. This was a very special and personal project as Rab grew up on the Isle of Jura where the family farmed at Feolin and would often collect hot draff from the Jura Distillery to feed to their cattle. He’s had the pleasure and honour of collaborating on various different projects for a number of years with Chris, Greg and Nat who are all exceedingly talented craftsmen in their own fields. This has been a great opportunity to bring their skills together for Rab’s own Sgian Dubh.
We had the pleasure of creating this Walnut handled Sgian Dubh for Andrew’s wedding. The Sgian Dubh features a Caithness Greenstone pommel with Brass fittings. The lower ferrule is engraved with the McLean motto “Virtue Mine Honour” whilst the leather sheath is embossed with the castle and leaping salmon from the McLean Clan Crest along with 2022 in Roman numerals. Andrew kindly emailed us: “The Sgian Dubh is absolutely incredible, it is a real thing of beauty and such a special memento to have from the Wedding day. The crest has turned out beautifully and with the brass and the Greenstone it is a real heirloom.”
Philippa and Roddy asked us to craft this unique pair of matching Titanium wedding rings. Roddy had proposed to Philippa whilst walking on Ben Eighe so we engraved the couple’s own hand drawn skyline of the mountain-scape for them. It was a real pleasure to create these rings to capture a place of special meaning to them. The couple kindly emailed us after their wedding with this beautiful picture of them wearing their rings: “We had our wedding day on 2 July and so are wearing our beautiful custom made rings. We are very pleased with them and have attached a picture of them when we were on honeymoon in Mull last week.”
We repaired and refurbished this Sgian Dubh for Scottish author Andrew James Greig. This was worn by Andrew’s grandfather, Gordon Stewart Greig when he was wounded at Gommecourt on the first day of the battle of the Somme. Fortunately he survived his injuries and was later commissioned into the London Scottish Regiment. Andrew has written about the history of the Sgian Dubh and his grandfather at his blog. The Sgian Dubh was missing its pommel stone so we made a new top ferrule from a sheet of nickle silver to match the rest of the metalwork and this holds a Tayside Amethyst pommel stone which our friend Nat at Scottish Gemstones cut for us. The blade needed treated for rust and the old nickle silver fittings required gentle cleaning and were re-secured. The wooden handle was in better condition so just needed a little cleaning and tidying and an application of preservation wax. Andrew kindly wrote to us; “Just to say the Sgian Dubh has arrived safely and I’m blown away – you’ve transformed a sad-looking relic into what will be a family heirloom… I am immensely impressed with how you’ve been able to restore the sgian dubh yet keep its provenance intact and I am grateful that I can pass this down to the next generation and beyond.”
We had the pleasure of designing and creating this pair of complimentary Pictish Wedding bands in Titanium specially for Catherine and Martin. Each band was engraved with specific Pictish symbols for the bride and groom with scalloped edges that flowed around the engravings. The bands were given the same polished finish to ensure they complimented each other perfectly. After their wedding the couple kindly emailed us with these lovely comments: “The rings were great thanks and we were very happy with them. Our guests were looking at them and thought they were unique and lovely. The young bridesmaids loved the unicorn too. Thanks for making them, Best wishes, Martin and Catherine ”
Alex commissioned this special pendant for his wife Morna’s anniversary gift. We had previously made their wedding rings, along with a few other pieces in the intervening years. This design of the 3 Pictish Kelpies are inspired by a pair of ‘Kelpies’ or sea horses carved onto a beautiful Class II Pictish stone standing in Aberlemno Kirkyard. The pendant was cut from aerospace grade titanium which was anodized to display a range of suitable water-like blueish tones which shimmer slightly as the angle of the light changes, showing subtle purple tones on the bodies of the Kelpies. The centre stone is a water-blue agate. Alex kindly commented; ‘amazing, beautiful and stunning craftsmanship and artistry as ever. A wonderful piece for wife’s well deserved anniversary gift!’
We crafted this Sgian Dubh and matching Sgian Brew for a wedding last month. Craig used his Sgian Dubh to cut his wedding cake, whilst the Sgian Brew was for his brother. The pair were made from a piece of cast antler which our son Max found whilst on the nearby hill, helping our neighbour with his cattle. The top and bottom of the handles are capped with Culloden Bog Oak and the blade and bottle opener are in Damascus steel. Craig kindly sent his review; “A huge thank you to Rab and his family for creating my Sgian Dubh and matching Sgian Brew! I cannot emphasise enough the care and craftsmanship that has gone into the pieces and the quality of work is amazing. He made the whole process very enjoyable from design through to completion and really made it that bit more special knowing who has made the Sgian Dubh rather than picking one off the shelf. Thanks again, it will serve me well for a very long time.”
We were delighted to be asked to make this special pair of matching Sgian Brews and Kilt Pins for Andreas and Thomas’s wedding. They were able to provide us with some lovely Danish Amber, which we asked our friend Nat Forno at Scottish Gemstones to make into pommel stones for the Sgian Brews and a matching pair of cabochons for the Kilt pins. The Sgian Brews have handles carved from 5300 year old Bog Oak and Damascus Steel ‘blades’, the fittings are made from Sterling Silver. On receiving their commission, the couple kindly emailed us with the following: “Thank you so much for making them for us. They look even better than we imagined them. I was born into a family of artisans where good craftsmanship always has been highly valued. Therefore it’s extra special for me to be able to wear something truly handmade for my wedding.”
We were commissioned by Isabel to design and create these unique pendants as wedding presents for Morag and Robyn whose pair of Pictish wedding rings we recently made. The pendant design complements the rings and is engraved into Titanium, then set with beautiful Tayside Amethyst which was cut and polished for us by Scottish Gemstones. We developed the hues of the titanium to harmonise with the colours of the Amethyst.
This Sgian Dubh was custom made for Cameron’s birthday. We carved his handle from 4200 year old Culloden Bog Oak and inlaid it with a Sterling Silver insert, which we cut and engraved with his clan crest. A pommel stone was cut from Angus Black Marble by our friend Nat at Scottish Gemstones. The leather sheath is embossed with the stag from the clan crest. We crafted the blade from Damasteel (Swedish Stainless Steel Damascus). Cameron kindly wrote a review of his Sgian Dubh:
“For anyone wondering if they are after a custom sgian dubh or if they are worth the price I hope this post will help them decide if it is right for them, but if so I highly recommend Rainnea with Rab and Co`s work.
I first contacted Rab over a year before the blade was finished and this was due to me wanting to have all the funds for the sgian dubh ready before he even started working on the blade. From this I can say that Rab and his team are incredibly patient when it comes to customers requests, even when I was wanting to see different parts on the handle, and when I had more questions about specific options for the blade. Once I had everything sorted for my specification, the construction of the knife didn’t actually take too long, about 4, maybe at a push 5, months for anyone on a time limit, and the quality of the piece is amazing. For anyone wondering about the cost, my design wasn’t too expensive but also wasn’t the cheapest they can go with the total being under £700.
For anyone worried that the blade may slip out of a leather sheath, for my blade at least, I can say it won’t happen without someone pulling on the knife. I also have my clan crest and name embossed into the leather sheath and I have to say it’s amazingly done with all the lines being clearly visible but not so deep that I might be worried about the leather warping/cracking in the future. The leather they used is quite stiff/rigid so keep that in mind if you were wanting something as soft as the leather typically found in jackets and wallets but the leather used is smooth and quite comfortable in a sock.
I opted for my blade to be sharpened and I can say I am very pleased with the result, however for anyone wanting it to be razor sharp I’d say to mention it in your request. My blade is sharp enough that I wouldn’t want to run my finger down it but not so sharp that I’d be afraid to even have the thing in my sock. My blade material is a stainless steel Damascus and the pattern choice available for this material was impressively varied however don’t expect a limitless supply, the material is still difficult to make. The forge work is very well done, along with the etching to show off the pattern. I can run my nail down the blade and feel the different material lines but they aren’t worryingly deep, just enough to feel the pattern and the blade doesn’t feel flimsy by any mean.
My handle is a bog oak, which they do have the age and location data if you’d be after that type of information on your sgian dubh, with my clan crest inlaid in silver into the handle and I chose to have no pins. The inlaid silver work is very impressive with the finish on the silver being almost like a mirror, to the point that in some photos the silver looks a bit photoshopped. The edges on the silver are very well done with none feeling like they could cut you or that make the blade uncomfortable to hold properly. My ferrules are also silver and the engraving work on the ferrule at the blade is very impressive. The detail work again is incredibly smooth, like everything on the sgian dubh to be honest, and very defined with nothing feeling like a half-assed attempt.
The stone in the pommel is very well finished too for what I was after, with the surface being completely smooth like a fireplace with the little flecks of colour popping in the sunlight. However, if you are wanting a stone that is perfectly flush with the pommel ferrule I`d say to ask for it specifically but if you do maybe expect an increase to the cost and build time as the task of fitting the stone does have the possibility of damaging the stone or whatever design you choose for the ferrule. My stone however looks perfect unless you deliberately look at the join between the stone and the ferrule, that is when you see that it isn’t a perfectly smooth and flush curve into the ferrule all the way round the stone. There are a few spots on mine where there is a flat dip but this with the grinding/polishing chamfer round the ferrule just shows that these sgian dubhs are made by hand so every one is unique, even if they have the same design.
Finally, the packaging that the blade came in is amazing. It was well protected and recyclable with the blade itself being inside a little black cardboard box with a tartan bow wrapped round it to keep it closed. This box also has the specification for the design inside it, with the material list and age and location data where appropriate. It also has a small paragraph explaining the history behind the sgian dubh name and information on how to maintain the knife over its lifetime.”
We recently had the opportunity to create a ring that allowed us to explore some new possibilities. Our client requested a Titanium ring with a Stainless Steel Damascus inlay engraved with Celtic Knotwork. This was a completely new combination for us to work with. It was an exciting chance to explore some new techniques and we are really pleased with the result. Now looking forward to being able to explore this style further in the future!
We recently finished this custom Sgian Dubh as a wedding gift from the best man to the groom. It features the groom’s family shield made from Sterling Silver and inlaid into a handle which we carved from a storm felled oak tree on our farm in Glen Urquhart. The Angus Bloodstone pommel stone was made by our friend Nat Forno of Scottish Gemstones which he set into a Sterling Silver ferrule band. A matching Sterling Silver lower ferrule band has been engraved with the family name BINGHAM. The Sgian Dubh has been finished with a striking Damascus steel blade. Graham very kindly emailed us soon after he received the Sgian Dubh: “the Sgian Dubh arrived at the weekend. It’s absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for all you’ve done.”
We were honoured to be asked to create these Pictish wedding rings for Robyn and Morag. They discussed their ideas with us and sent a sketch which we were delighted to work with to develop their concept into a very special pair of rings which are unique to them. Their rings are cut from a bar of aerospace grade Titanium which was blued before gently polishing the raised portion to provide a beautiful contrast. The couple kindly emailed us the following comments on their rings; “We wanted our wedding rings to be really individual to us, and to reflect and represent our many adventures together, past, present and future. From the start, Rab and Tanya were open to exploring ideas, and worked patiently with us to ensure that the finished design – and fit! – would be exactly what we wanted. We didn’t know how they were going to squeeze all our big ideas into such a tiny space, but they did! We are so pleased with our finished rings, and amazed and delighted with all the very fine detail. Thank you so much, Rab and Tanya!”
We had the honour to be asked to make an exceptionally unique Sgian Dubh for Jim Nethery, Seanchaidh of the Clan Graham in the USA. Jim supplied the wood for the project from a piece of French oak recovered from the wreck of The HMS Invincible, a 74 gun warship captured from the French in 1744 and then put into service within the British Royal Navy until she ran aground and sank in the Solent in 1758. John Broomhead, the first diver to see the Invincable after 221 years on the sandy floor of the Solent in 1979, kindly provided the historic wood from his collection. From the Invincible oak we carved the handle and sheath with a smooth, polished finish and treated with gunstock oil and wax. We used solid Gold to make the clan crest and cross inlays, ferrules and pins. The pommel stone is Loch Lomond Red Jasper which was cut and polished by Nat Forno of Scottish Gemstones. The blade is Swedish Damasteel, crafted by bladesmith Chris Grant. The presentation box was made by Karl Peet of Bespoke Craft, also from the Invincible oak and into which we made and inlaid the solid gold Clan Graham crest. This was a wonderful project to undertake but also quite complex and time consuming and we’d like to thank Chris, Nat and Karl for their contributions and Jim for his patience and for his comments; “The Invincable Sgian Dubh represents me personally in both the materials and the design. The Loch Lomond Jasper and the belted crest reflect my Scottish heritage. The wood from the Invincable reflects my English and French Huguenot ancestry. The inlayed crest and three escallops show my clan Graham allegiance and the cross my Templar Order. Finally the uniquely beautiful Damasteel blade represents my Norse heritage. Overall my Sgian Dubh’s simple clean lines and unique materials make it completely a bespoke work of art. Something I will always treasure and wear with unmitigated pride. With My Gratitude and Thanks, W. James Nethery, FSA Scot Seanchaidh, Clan Graham in North America”
Please visit our webshop to see a small selection of our Sgian Dubhs.
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