• Front view of the Sycamore Sgian Dubh on a white background.
  • Back view of the Sycamore Sgian Dubh on a white background.
  • Sycamore Sgian Dubh worn tucked into the belt by a figure in a white dress, with a woven blanket round their shoulders.
  • Sycamore Sgian Dubh worn tucked into the belt by a figure wearing a kilt.
  • Sycamore Sgian Dubh worn tucked into the sock with black Doc Marten boots and a black dress.
  • Sycamore Sgian Dubh worn tucked into the sock with black trainers and jeans.
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Faulks Metal

Antler Sycamore Sgian Dubh

Antler Sycamore Sgian Dubh

£200.00 GBP
£200.00 GBP
Sale Sold out
Taxes included.

A decorative Sgian Dubh, made from locally sourced sycamore wood. 

The Sgian Dubh is CNC milled, hand sanded and finished with tung oil. 

This Sgian Dubh holds a story of particular significance. The Sgian Dubh has long been considered a decoration for men, worn with the traditional Highland dress. However, research revealed evidence of a Sgian Dubh worn by women in the Edwardian and Victorian Era.

James Forman (1992) documented an antler Sgian Dubh in his personal collection as having been worn by women with traditional hunting attire in the Victorian Era. Furthermore, Forman listed the Sgian Dubh as having been worn hung on the belt, rather than in the top of the stocking as is tradition with Sgian Dubhs today. Potential confirmation of this theory is found within John Telfer Dunbar’s book The Costume of Scotland (1984). An image capturing an Edwardian huntress features a similar antler handled blade, hung as Forman described from the belt.

Whether these blades can truly be considered Sgian Dubhs is a topic for debate, but their presence in the object's history is undeniable. The Antler Sycamore Sgian Dubh shares this lost story, encouraging viewers to reconsider the biases they may hold over the gendered nature of the object.

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