I'm interested in information on the knives that an early highlander might have worn. Specifically those contemporary of the great-plaid or solid colored great-kilts. Would the armpit dagger have been worn (sgian achlais)? And I've only found one picuture of a gralloch knife, and it was a "replica" that was a slab handled knife that looked much like a butcher knife. Would the ballock dagger been contemporary with such a dress?

Hi Bill,

When you say "early highlander" about when do you mean?
I recommend reading the myArmoury article about Scottish Dirks if you haven't read it. Excelent reading!
Did the highlanders wear solid-coloured plaids?! I've not heard of it, I just thought this was a reenactorism. Please enlighten me :)

The highlanders certainly did use the ballock knife, so you can't go wrong with that for a late 1500s to mid 1600s highlander. I believe I have a picture of a gralloch knife. I'll try to scan it if I find it!

Cheers,
Henrik

I scanned this from James D. Formans' THE SCOTTISH DIRK

[ Linked Image ]

Cheers,
Henrik

Thanks for the pic! I like that leftmost one quite a bit. The 16th or even 15th century was my interest. About the solid color, I don't know whether its accurate or not, I just remember reading something about a british account of brown heather wool great kilts that made it hard to spot those sleeping in them. The costume isn't my main interest, I was more interested in the history of scottish cutlery, the multipurpose knives as well as the exclusively combat oriented dirk.

Hi again Bill,

I don't think they were solid coloured, but tartans in different colours resembling the colours of the heather. Sort of en early camoflage :D

Also an interesting detail is that the knife second from the left (no. 35) seems to be a the second part of a knifeset (no. 34 the first). I love the fact that they fitted two knifes in one scabbard. I think it seems very practical.

Cheers,
Henrik

If you like the stag handled dagger Henrik showed you, take at look at the "available" tab at the Scotiametal Work web site. (No, everyone, I really am not a shill for Mike MacRae!!!) He describes this knife as a "Rifleman's knife" but then goes on with the desbription of it being an early Scottish design. He even added jimping on the spine. I feel this knife is appropriate for your inquiry. As Henrik offered, the ballock knife as well as any straight -bladed, quillon-type dagger would work. There is an excellent illustration of such a dagger in "Swords and Sorrows," page 51. It is dated to c. 1729 and is "Lowland" - which propably means it could derive from any Northern European country - but the style could easily go back to the late 16th and the entire 17th century. Most of what we catagorize as "Highland" really only blossomed over a releatively short period from about 1670 to 1770 (at least classically). That includes the Scottish derivation of the European basket-hilt as well as the evolution of the dirk from the Drudgeon, Ballock, and cross-shaped dagger. Oh, by the way, also check our Tinker Pearce's website as he has a very nice looking ballock dagger for sale at a very reasonable price. I have a dirk from Mike and it is a very nice knife. Perhaps someone (Mac! or Henrik!) with a scanner can scan the Sword and Sorrows model and post it here. Hope this helps.

I like that one. A fine knife!
I'll get right to it :D

and... DONE!


[ Linked Image ]

Cheers,
Henrik