Where to wear my sgian dubh??

All my bandmates wear a sgian dubh in their socks. So at the Games this weekend I finally bought my cap badge, my kilt pin, and my sgian dubh. Without thinking, and being very left-handed, I slid the sgian dubh into my left sock, and was promptly informed that I was wrong. So mumbling to myself about being left-handed and how will I ever reach it if I need it, I switched it to my right sock.

After a google search, I found several sites that recommend wearing it on either side, depending on left-handed-ness or right-handed-ness, but found a couple that say it ALWAYS goes on the right side.

So what is the proper way?

You were correct katie, its what ever hand you use

back in dais days () the instriment was used as another weapon, if your gun or what ever failed, so it had to close to your strongest hand, hence the sock..

so if yer right handed.. wear it in yer right sock.. if yer left... wear it in yer left

Should be worn in the right side sock. Uniformity with everyone else in the band/regiment. Never heard of the sgian dubh being worn in the other sock.
Originally the blade was hid in the pleats of the kilt to hide it if you were in someone elses house, you used to hand over your sword and dirk at the door, but the sgian dubh was hid for your own protection.

Ian

Robbie.Crow wrote:You were correct katie, its what ever hand you use

back in dais days () the instriment was used as another weapon, if your gun or what ever failed, so it had to close to your strongest hand, hence the sock..

so if yer right handed.. wear it in yer right sock.. if yer left... wear it in yer left

And another weapon in my day was the nearest brick? ye wee so and so??
to be serious Katie, as Tankie says, I have never known it to be worn on the left hand side? I can understand what you mean about drawing it to use? but again, there is also a saying that you should NEVER take your Sgian Dubh from it's scabbard, unless you draw blood. I remember an old RSM mate of mine, would actually take it out and cut his thumb? rather than break this tradition.Nowdays of course it is purely there for show/ so I would follow the lead of the rest of the band? wear it as they do

Wear it in the right sock.

Thanks, guys.... that's what I need to know. I should match my band, so I'll leave it on the right.

Dai, I didn't know about the tradition. I used it yesterday, and dang near drew blood! My own, unfortunately. LOL I bought a tin of Tobermory Whisky Fudge and used my sgian dubh to cut the seal.... the knife slipped and grazed my finger. But of course the thing was dull as a butter knife, so there was no blood. I didn't know I'm not supposed to use it.... my bandmates use them all the time for cutting hemp and stuff.

So I guess I'll leave it in my sock and use a pocket knife or something to open my fudge next time! Ron's a bit worried about me having a knife in my possession anyway. I can't seem to chop vegetables without cutting myself.

Thanks again for your kind advice!

Dai Robb wrote:

Robbie.Crow wrote:You were correct katie, its what ever hand you use

back in dais days () the instriment was used as another weapon, if your gun or what ever failed, so it had to close to your strongest hand, hence the sock..

so if yer right handed.. wear it in yer right sock.. if yer left... wear it in yer left

And another weapon in my day was the nearest brick? ye wee so and so??
to be serious Katie, as Tankie says, I have never known it to be worn on the left hand side? I can understand what you mean about drawing it to use? but again, there is also a saying that you should NEVER take your Sgian Dubh from it's scabbard, unless you draw blood. I remember an old RSM mate of mine, would actually take it out and cut his thumb? rather than break this tradition.Nowdays of course it is purely there for show/ so I would follow the lead of the rest of the band? wear it as they do

Or slice apples .

Katie yours may be dull as a butter knife, but most are razor sharp. I managed to slice my thumb open on one, a couple of hours before a competition. Of couse it didn't help that I was holding it upside down with my left hand, (i'm right handed) and trying to cut the castoff stitiches of a friends hose. Ha, maybe I should have put this in True's 'stupid things I have done' thread.

I to am left handed and to start with had it in my left sock I was then told that it was wrong so had to change it in to my right sock.

[ there is also a saying that you should NEVER take your Sgian Dubh from it's scabbard, unless you draw blood. I remember an old RSM mate of mine, would actually take it out and cut his thumb?
Glad i did not join your old regiment, knew the Ghurkas were mental about drawing blood but when did we become insane. Cancel that were you RHF or Black Watch ?

Just a word of warning if you sharpen a sgian dubh it becomes an offensive weapon which can be confiscated and lead to convictions in UK. Speaking from experience Strathclyde Polis (not band) took one of mine in Balloch after watching me cut hemp with it!

My Sgian Dubh was as sharp as a razor when I bought it. I keep it safely in my (right) sock at all times.

Robbie is quite correct. The Sghian Dhu (Black knife) gets it's name from tha fact that it is a hidden weapon.
If the majority of Jacobites at Culloden were right handed then they would be holding their targe on the left arm and sword with their right. If the grip on the sword is lost then you have easy access to another weapon concealed in the right leg by use of your right hand. Similarly a left handed person would hold the targe with the right arm and sword with the left.
Historically the knife is dependant on whether you are right or left handed.

As for unifrormity within a band, if the person in charge requires that it is worn on the right leg then I see no problem. It is nowadays only a matter of tradition and is usually accepted as being worn on the right leg. (My apologies to the "lefties" among us).

As for the "sharpness" of the blade, this has no bearing in Scots Law. What matters today in Scotland (as far as the law is concerned) is the length of the blade and the reason as to your possession of the article.

Ever the words of Wisdom from the old man?? Cheers Stormy,and thanks for that story/ History was never my strongpoint?, maybe it should have been.

stormy wrote:Robbie is quite correct.

i need a strong drink now
ME, ROBBIE was correct??

*faints*

Well, I am truly confused now. I am left-handed, so it should go in my left sock, but my band wears them in the right sock so it should go in my right sock.

I guess to be uniform with my band, I will put it in my right sock, but it sure will be awkward to get it if I need to use it, which Dai says I'm not supposed to anyway!!

right sock - none o' that pinko-lefty stuff

Yes sir, Sir!!

(Pinko lefty??)

KatieMc wrote:Yes sir, Sir!!

(Pinko lefty??)

Dont ask Katie? i think it is just a true blue thing ??

Thank you, Dai! I was beginning to feel like something is wrong with me for being left-handed. LOL I see True's even taken to talking about me and my sgian dubh in the chatbox... ALONE!! Bless his heart! He must be desperate if I'm all he can find to discuss with himself!!

Dont even think about it? he is actually a sad old man? no honest!!!! he often talks to himself and even loses arguments with him self, The doctors have said it is just an ageist thing, he is really older than me? And he doesnt live in HK, he is in an old folks home deep in the heart of England, he only comes on here when his medicine is working?

Dai....the weem me in the white coats will be waiting to get you....

or as we used to say in Edinburgh....the yellow van from Gogarburn is on its way.....

Y'all are TOO funny!!!

Dear Katie,

Sorry dear but I can't translate pinko-lefty into Mississippi-an.

Anyone care to halp me ?

Best I can come up with with is a Guardian reader, who is probably a school teacher, who hugs trees, watches dolphins, wears an anorak, once lived in Green Dommon...and is possibly a lesser.....

Anyway don't you worry about it dear, all you have to remember is right leg.........I would start going on about left footers but this is neither the time nor the place. LOL

Unfortunately, the only parts of that description I understood are school teacher, tree hugger, and dolphin-watcher.... although I think an anorak is a jacket of some sort. I'll have to look up the rest!

But I will take your advice.... knife in right sock.... no questioning that.

Dai Robb wrote: History was never my strongpoint?, maybe it should have been.

Dont understand that Auld Yin !! youve lived through most of it !!!!!