Skye Knives Highland Dirks

For the initial design, go here. The image opposite shows the blade forged with its first polish. The handles and sheath have been shaped from the single piece of London plane, and sculpted prior to carving...

This photo shows the basic basketwork weave still drawn on at the bottom of the sheath and roughed out at the top. With a big expanse of knotwork, covering four separate pieces, it's important to get it right at this stage, although it maybe looks deceptively simple ...

Here, each piece has been fully carved, and the thin copper mounts (which protect the wood in use - this is very much a working dirk) are in place. You can now see how the by-knife and fork will fit with the sheath. Again, this is an unusual feature - they generally go on the front of the sheath - designed to give a smooth shape all round ...

This close up of the handle shows the carving in detail. The backplate for the Burnett Rose is in place, but not the pommel plate or the Rose itself, and the wood needs to be stained ...

Here the Dirk is very nearly finished. The wood is stained and polished, and the by-knife and fork have additional magnetic fixings, as well as an excellent fit...

And the finished Dirk! The blade was given a special etch to minimise shine, the steel backplate of the Rose has been blued, and the carved silver Rose is in place (a rare sunny day makes this hard to see in the photo) ...

This is a close-up of the matching sgian dubh I've just finished. It uses the same materials as the large companion Dirk, but the Rose of the Dirk design has been replaced by a plain disk for an engraved inscription.

This image shows the sgian unsheathed, and the by-knife which fits into the back at the bottom of the sheath - tricky to get right!

The reverse of the sheathed sgian, showing how the by-knife fits into the back of the main sheath, and the contrast between the carved and polished finishes.