This Scottish Dirk has a vibrantly-patterned blade of Damascus steel which was created when the skillful bladesmith pounded and melded differing steels into a single blade. The long blade is purpose-designed for decisive piercing and puncturing as well as capable cutting. The thistle-shaped grip is formed from blackened wood which is surmounted with a brass guard plate and pommel and embellished with brass pins. The dirk is matched with a sheath of durable leather with stitched construction. The belt frog is made from matching stitched leather and is decorated with antiqued brass and has a belt loop for easy wear. The hanging frog can be removed if desired.
An iconic weapon of the Highlander, the lengthy and rigid blade of the dirk was designed to easily pierce thick cloaks and woolen clothing and its notable blade length allowed it to be used in conjunction with a targe. A Highlander could both grip his targe shield and dirk in the same hand and the great length of the dirk allowed for the blade to protrude past the shield rim where it could be used to both prevent an enemy from closing as well as being used for strike of opportunity.
While swords were the reserve of wealthier clansmen who could afford them, nearly every man had a dirk. The universal nature of the dirk among the Highland Scots created a tradition of swearing oaths upon its blade- a tradition which may have been a holdover of Norse and Celtic origins whereby believed quality blades to be imbued with spirit and magic and were thus a focal point for interaction with the supernatural world. This oath-swearing on a dirk was taken very seriously and many oaths ended with proscriptions of terrible punishment upon the oath-sworn should they be broken.
A matching Sgian Dubh for this Dirk is available separately and is linked with a thumbnail in the ”also available” section of this page.
Guy happy with dirk (verified owner) –
This is a absolutely beautiful dirk I could tell who ever created it took pride in their work I rarely ever write a review but this product deserves one
Glyn (verified owner) –
The knife is well made and easy to sharpen, which I give five stars. However for the scabbard I give three stars, since the scabbard is easy to separate from the frog. It’s easy to fix by using Super Glue , Gorilla glue, or sticking it using a leather sewing kit.