Just finished a couple of Sgian Dubh...one formal, one casual...or something like that. Either way, these were a fun project. They're made of 240 layer ladder pattern Damascus, 1095 and 15n20...The ladder pattern is subtle, but this was my first attempt at it, and I'm happy with the result. This is my second antler handle knife ever. Also, the butt cap and the (I don't know what to call it but a front cap) are made from silver reclaimed from an old snuff lid (at my client's request). It presented some interesting challenges, but I'm happy with them and glad to  share them with you guys. Hard to believe I started this only about 13 months ago banging steak knives out of rebar. I'm hooked.

They both look great!

Thanks

 

As a long-time kilt wearer, I wouldn't consider either of these "formal". Formal sginean-dubh almost always have handles made from carved ebony (or other dense black wood) with silver or gold fittings and even jewels. The antler-handled sgian would originally have been used in hunting and similar rustic situations.

That particular bit of pedantry aside, these are very nice. Your damascus looks very nice, and the flower is very nice. My only critique would be that the level of finish on the handles isn't quite as good as that of blades. Some more time invested in that area would not be wasted.

Keep up the good work.

Thanks for the feedback. Always looking to improve.