Sgian Dubhs reflecting an Irish Heritage

Posted on April 9, 2026 by Rainnea

We were asked by Stan if we could create a pair of Sgian Dubhs, for himself and his son, to reflect their Irish heritage. Both Sgian Dubhs have Bog Oak handles carved with a Celtic pattern and have Connemara Marble pommel stones, which were cut and polished for us by Nat at Scottish Gemstones. We engraved a repeating pattern of Irish Harps into the Sterling Silver ferrule bands and embossed a harp onto the leather sheaths. Stan and his son also wanted the roman numerals II and III on their respective Sgian Dubhs to make them individual to them.
Stan very kindly messaged us the following when he received the Sgian Dubhs:
“They have arrived!!!! They are amazing! Thank you so much for helping me make something that reflects my heritage.”

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Scottish Thistle & Yorkshire Rose Kilt Pins

Posted on March 23, 2026 by Rainnea

Tom asked us to create a matching set of three Sterling Silver Kilt Pins for his wedding. He asked that they incorporate a Scottish Thistle and a Yorkshire Rose so we worked with Tom through some draft sketches and drawings until we had captured the essence of what he had envisioned whilst also ensuring that the Kilt Pins were both decorative and functional.
Tom kindly emailed us:
“They’re amazing, thank you so much. Your craft is incredible and I’m truly so grateful for the patience and collaboration to get these to where they are.“

Set of 3 matching custom made Kilt Pins in Sterling Silver. Design features a Claymore Sword with a Scottish Thistle and Yorkshire Rose intertwined with a Celtic Knot at the sword hilt.
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Bog Oak Sgian Dubh & matching Celtic Knotwork Ring

Posted on March 6, 2026 by Rainnea

In the run up to Christmas last year, Katherine contacted us asking if she could commission a Sgian Dubh as a gift for her husband. As time was short, she made her husband a ‘gift certificate’ and gave him the choice of how he would like his Sgian Dubh to look. A surprise element of her gift was the Sterling Silver ring we engraved with the same Celtic Knotwork as the Sterling Silver ferrule of the Sgian Dubh.

The handle of the Sgian Dubh was carved with our Knotwork & Thistle design in ancient Bog Oak from a tree buried in a bog on farmland in the Culloden area near Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands. To compliment the dark wood, Angus Black Marble was chosen for the pommel stone, which was cut for us by Nat at Scottish Gemstones. The Damascus steel blade was selected for its patterning and how well it suited the Sgian Dubh.

Katherine kindly left us the following review:
“Unbelievable craftsmanship. Also great communication – I had lots of questions and received thoughtful and rapid responses. Could not recommend more highly.”

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Sgian Dubh for 50th Wedding Anniversary

Posted on June 27, 2025 by Rainnea
Sgian Dubh for 50th Wedding Anniversary

Carole contacted us when she began to look for a custom Sgian Dubh to give to her husband James to mark their 50th Wedding Anniversary. We were happy to guide her through the process of selecting the handle, blade, ferrules and personal engraving. For the choice of pommel stone on the top of the handle, Carole emailed us a photo of James’ kilt which led to choosing a Sutherland Greenstone made by our friend Nat at Scottish Gemstones. When the Sgian Dubh arrived in Pennsylvania in the USA Carole kindly emailed: “This is truly a one of a kind gift that will be cherished and passed down the generations.”

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Sgian Dubh with Engraving to Complement Rings

Posted on June 16, 2025 by Rainnea
Sgian Dubh with of Mount Timpanogos Engraving
Sgian Dubh with Custom Pictish Engraving on Ferrule

Earlier this year Nathan & Nicole from Utah, USA visited to collect the rings we had designed and made for them (see previous post). While they were here we discussed the details of Nathan’s Sgian Dubh; he wished for the design to complement their rings, so we engraved the Sterling Silver ferrule with the outline of Mount Timpanogos in Utah, Celtic Knotwork and also included a Pictish flower and a Pictish wolf.
The Sgian Dubh handle was carved with a Military Crosshatch design in 5300 year old Bog Oak, finished with Sterling Silver pins and fitted with a high carbon Damascus blade. On the top of the handle is a beautiful Tayside Moss Agate pommel stone made by our friend Nat at Scottish Gemstones.
Nathan kindly emailed when his Sgian Dubh arrived:
“Just wanted to say that I received my Sgian Dubh this week. It is beautiful – I am very happy to finally have one in my collection. I have it displayed right next to my work desk in my office so that I’ll get to admire it as I work. Thank you for the care and attention you’ve given to the Sgian Dubh and to me throughout the process.” Photos by Nathan & Nicole
More info on our Custom Sgian Dubhs

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Clan Grant Sgian Dubh and Hip Flask

Posted on June 5, 2025 by Rainnea
Clan Grant Sgian Dubh and Hip Flask

We recently made this Sgian Dubh for Cole, a Canadian whose Grant ancestors came from Glen Urquhart where we live. Coincidentally in the mid 18th century our farm was owned by the Grants and our workshop is on the site of the old Lochletter House which was built by Patrick Grant in 1761 but it was sadly demolished long before we lived here.
It seemed appropriate that we carved the handle of Cole’s Sgian Dubh from an old oak tree which came down in our garden during a storm and which we estimated was 300 – 400 years old, so would have been here when the Grants lived here. For the pommel we found a stone from the shores of Loch Ness near Urquhart Castle which our friend Nat at Scottish Gemstones cut and polished for us and we engraved the Grant Clan Crest onto the Damascus Steel blade of the Sgian Dubh and onto a Hip Flask.
Cole very kindly emailed us:
“Amazing craftsmanship which is becoming harder and harder to find these days! They worked with us to create bespoke family heirlooms that will be around for many years to come. Communication throughout the process was unprecedented and the price extremely reasonable given the amount of work that goes into these products.”

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Timascus Wedding Rings & Cufflinks

Posted on June 3, 2025 by Rainnea
Timascus Wedding Rings
Damascus Sgian Dubh
Timascus Cufflinks

Rebecca asked us to create a special pair of cufflinks as a gift for her husband Andy, as a few years ago we created their wedding rings and Andy’s Sgian Dubh. We still had a small piece from the same piece of Timascus which we created their rings from, so we used this for the cufflinks and engraved them with the same Scottish Thistle design from Rebecca’s ring. 
Timascus also known as Titanium Damascus is a beautiful metal to work with (although we’ve found it very difficult to photograph due to its iridescence). It has the strength and lightness of Titanium but is similar to Damascus steel as it comprises of many layers of contrasting grades of the metal so when treated it has a patterning like the blade on Andy’s Sgian Dubh,
Rebecca kindly emailed us:
“the cufflinks are beautiful and feel so special to us as they add to our wedding bands and sgian dubh”

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Mount Timpanogos Bespoke Rings in White Gold

Posted on April 20, 2025 by Rainnea
Bespoke White Gold Rings engraved with outline of Mount Timpanogos, photographed on ring fingers of couple with Mount Timpanogos in the background

We had the pleasure of meeting Nathan & Nicole from Utah in the USA who came to collect a pair of White Gold rings we had specially created for them. They live nearby to Mount Timpanogos which is a special place to the couple, so they’d commissioned us to create a design featuring the outline of the mountain along with a band of Celtic Knotwork. It has been a real pleasure working with Nathan and Nicole to create these rings and Nathan has also commissioned a Sgian Dubh, which will feature a similar design on the ferrule band.
Nathan kindly emailed this review and the above photo of the couple wearing their rings with Mount Timpanogos in the background:
” I contacted Rab and Tanya back in the summer of 2023, and they’ve made sure to accommodate my needs every step of the way since then as I decided on details and a timeline. The rings fit perfectly and are absolutely beautiful. I look forward to the completion of the Sgian Dubh and hope to work with them again in the future. “

White Gold bespoke rings engraved with Mount Timpanogos
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Sgian Dubh and Accessory Collection Featuring Scottish Marble and Sterling Silver

Posted on November 29, 2024 by Rainnea
Sgian Dubh Sterling Silver Blade
Accessory Collection Featuring Scottish Marble and Sterling Silver

We have had the privilege of creating a number of bespoke pieces for Rob over the last few years. This comprised a complimentary set of cufflinks, shirt studs, kilt pin, brooch, an Albert chain and a Sgian Dubh. All the pieces feature Sterling Silver and were set with Scottish Marble cut for us by our friend Nat at Scottish Gemstones.
The Sgian Dubh features a solid Sterling Silver blade, the ferrule is engraved with a Celtic knot design matching Rob’s sporran chain and a Lion Rampant inlay matches the embossing on the leather sheath. The handle was carved from 4200 year old Bog Oak sourced from a farm in the Culloden area of the Scottish Highlands.
Below are some comments Rob kindly sent by email:
“The Kilt Pin and Ladies Brooch arrived here this morning. Many thanks, they look terrific – just what I had hoped for – very much appreciated.”
“I am delighted with it (Sgian Dubh), it is a magnificent piece – well worth the wait. Many thanks for all of your efforts, craftsmanship and expertise, it is precisely what I wanted. It not only exceeded my expectations, it is even better than I had hoped it would be.”
“Many thanks for your wonderful craftsmanship on the Albert Chain, shirt studs and cufflinks. They are spectacular and shall match in perfectly with my other pieces.”

Please click here for more information on our Sgian Dubhs.

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Wedding Sgian Dubh in Bog Oak, Sterling Silver and Damascus Steel

Posted on September 18, 2024 by Rainnea
Wedding Sgian Dubh in Bog Oak, Sterling Silver and Damascus Steel

We were delighted to create this unique Sgian Dubh for Katie to give to her husband-to-be, Darran (who took the lovely photo) on their wedding day. Katie supplied a stone for the pommel which has special significance to the couple and was cut and polished for us by Scottish Gemstones. The handle is carved with our Coiltie Knotwork design from 5300 year old Bog Oak. We engraved the Damascus steel blade with an inscription in Irish Gaelic on the front and Scottish Gaelic on the back. After their wedding Katie emailed to tell us about Darran’s reaction to his gift;
“He was over the moon with it and it turned out to be the perfect gift in more ways that I had anticipated (apparently he’d always wanted a Damascus steel blade!). Thank you so much! Katie“

If you are looking for a unique wedding gift, please visit our Sgian Dubhs webpage.

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Pictish Symbols Bespoke Wedding Ring in Titanium

Posted on August 12, 2024 by Rainnea
Pictish Symbols Bespoke Wedding Ring in Titanium

We had the pleasure of creating this lovely bespoke wedding ring for Ross. His ring was crafted from a solid bar of Aerospace Grade Titanium, custom engraved and had the edges scalloped. The design features 2 Pictish symbols, the V-Rod & Crescent and the Z-Rod with Double Disc. These are two enigmatic Pictish symbols which can be seen carved into many of the Pictish standing stones in the North East of Scotland, one good example is a stone in the village of Aberlemno in Angus, which has both these symbols and is dated around 500-800AD.
On receiving the ring, Ross and his bride to be, emailed us with the following:
“We both are delighted with the amazing ring that you made and thanks for how beautifully wrapped up it is. We truly are so happy with what a wonderful job you have done!”

Please contact us to enquire about commissiong wedding rings.

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Isle of Jura Sgian Dubh with Antler Inlay

Posted on July 26, 2024 by Rainnea
Isle of Jura Sgian Dubh with Antler Inlay

Frank contacted us to create a unique Sgian Dubh for him to reflect his Isle of Jura heritage. The Isle of Jura is also a special place for us as this is where Rab grew up, so it was a real pleasure to work with Frank on this commission.
The handle is carved from a stave from an Isle of Jura Whisky barrel and the pommel was cut for us by our friend Nat at Scottish Gemstones from a stone that Rab found on the shore below the Jura distillery on one of his visits back to the island. Set into the front of the handle is an inlay in the shape of the Isle of Jura made from a slice Jura deer antler which was found by our friend Kenneth who lives on the island. The Sterling Silver lower ferrule band and the leather sheath both have spiral designs to reflect the Corryvreckan (Coire Bhreacain) whirlpool which is to the north of the island. Frank kindly emailed about his Sgian Dubh:
“the Isle of Jura Sgian Dubh you created for me and future generations of my Clark family is truly original art. That you knew some of my family growing up on Jura is wonderful! You have put both skill and soul into this heirloom treasure. On those occasions that I slip it into my kilt hose I am keenly aware of all those folks that made me possible. Thank you Rab and Tanya!”

More information about our custom made Sgian Dubhs is available here.

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Volcanic Landscape Bespoke Wedding Ring

Posted on February 14, 2024 by Rainnea
Volcanic Landscape Bespoke Wedding Ring
We were delighted to be able to create this very unique Sterling Silver wedding ring for Jonnie. It’s always a pleasure being able to work together with our customers and help bring to life their ideas. Jonnie recently emailed us with these lovely comments:

"Rab and Tanya were incredible from the first contact we had with them, and really demonstrated an understanding and genuine care for what we wanted with this ring. We came to them with a general idea; knowing that we wanted the volcanic landscape of Ardtun (Mull) to be represented on the ring, but not quite sure how. We asked for their creative input and the artistic representation they came up with was better than anything we could have imagined. This is a really special place for us, as the location where we got engaged - and we're so happy to carry a reminder of that around on a daily basis. What a great experience and choice to work with these guys!"

Please get in touch to enquire about commissiong a bespoke wedding ring (or rings) for yourself.

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Sgian Dubh Commission with Badger Engraved Blade and Custom Ferrule

Posted on January 27, 2024 by Rainnea
Sgian Dubh Commission with Badger Engraved Blade and Custom Ferrule

We recently had the privilege of working with Alicia to create a Sgian Dubh as a gift for her husband. This was a lovely commission to work on which resulted in this unique piece. Alicia kindly sent the following on receiving it:
“I have always wanted to surprise my husband with a custom Sgian Dubh and I am so happy I found Rab and Tanya. I didn’t know much about Sgian Dubhs let alone creating one, all I had were a few ideas on how I would like for it to look. Rab and Tanya were so helpful in taking my vision and how they could make it come to light! 
My husband and I live in Wisconsin and he loves the Wisconsin Badgers and had sketched up an amazing Badger design years ago and I knew it had to be part of this piece. Rab helped me find the best place to put the design and I couldn’t have been happier! My husband was speechless when he opened his gift. He was in awe of the details and how well his badger design, he created years ago, turned out! The craftsmanship and artistry is beyond compare! Pictures don’t do it justice and it looks 110% better in person. 
I would highly recommend Rainnea Ltd. to my family and friends! I have loved working with Rab and Tanya and appreciate all of their hard-work, emails, and dedication to their craft! 
One happy customer and one happy, surprised husband!” 

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Pair of Sgian Dubhs from Isle of Jura Whisky Cask

Posted on September 28, 2023 by Rainnea
Pair of Sgian Dubhs from Isle of Jura Whisky Cask

Whilst visiting Scotland from France, Fabien and his family made an appointment to commission a special pair of our Sgian Dubhs. It was lovely to meet them all and help with choosing everything, from the Isle of Jura Whisky Barrel handles, pommel stones, along with the metalwork and blades to make each one special to the individual recipient. For example, Fabien loved the Pictish Bear so his Sgian Dubh has the design engraved on the ferrule and embossed on the sheath.
Once finished we were able to ship the Sgian Dubhs to France in time for Fabien’s birthday and were sent this lovely email from his daughter:
“They are more than happy with what you have done. Jean-Michel (the grand-father) was really emotional when he opened it, he told me he had some chills and was amazed by the object. My father was also really emotional and even though he knew what it would look like he is delighted with the result. They said that it is like having a piece of Scotland with them. They arrived in perfect condition thanks to how carefully it was packed. Both of them are really happy to have such an incredible unique and personal object made by hand by a craftsman. They loved every details from the wood work to the blade and the jewelry and the customized leather.”

Please visit our web-shop “Loch Ness Origins” to view the Sgian Dubhs we currently have available to purchase.

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