This fashionable sgian dubh features a thistle crest pattern on the handle with thistle designs below. The metal is pewter that has been plated with Palladium. It is finished with a purple stone which is held in place by a "claw-setting" at the top. The total length of the sgian dubh is 7 inches long. This is a top quality knife that is made in Scotland.
The words in Gaelic for dagger ('sgian') and black ('dubh') i.e. black dagger, were used because the handle was often made of bog oak which was jet black in appearance (a very hard wood suitable for the purpose). The handles on the stag knives simulate horn which was also traditionally used.
The traditional evening wear sgian dubh has a pattern and a Cairngorm stone decorating the top. Other styles have been made using simple wooden or horn handles. These are normally regarded as day wear and date back to the beginning of the last century.