Hey friends,
I have a custom Scottish dirk in the works. It's based off a surviving original, the middle one in this picture:

[ Linked Image ]

I want the Wallace clan motto "Pro Libertate" engraved onto the blade to honor my late grandmother's side of the family. I had originally thought about having it done in the fuller, but the fuller is rather narrow. The options would seem to be: 1) enlarge the fuller, probably moving it more centrally or 2) putting the motto outside the fuller.

Option 1 would work, but moves the piece farther from the original inspiration. Option 2 seemed odd, until I found a dirk with a narrow fuller with slogans engraved on the flat of the blade.

From Mac's Picturetrail, here it is:

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=3&...=183791637
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=3&...=183789564

Does anyone know of other dirks where a motto/slogan is engraved outside of the fuller?

Also, out of curiosity, what would you do if this were your project? Make the fuller larger or engrave outside the fuller?

One of the most prevalent I know of Chad is on the spine of the blade. I have seen some slogans (mostly political) on the broadside of the blade itself. Actually, I can't recall ever seeing anything engraved in the fuller other than the maker's name. By the way, I have two of that style dirk in my collection, one my Tod in England and one (very nice) by Mike MacRae of Scotia Metalwork. If it were me, I'd engrave on the spine.

Hi Chad

I've seen other dirks with the same narrow fuller (like that MOS example pictured on my site) with slogans on the flat (nice one at Culloden that I got to handle & photograph) and others with them on the spine, as George mentioned !

Either way would be in keeping with originals !

Avoid squeezing it in he fuller, Mac