Buy Cold Steel Scottish Dirk SwordCold Steel Scottish Dirk Sword Product Description:
- Cold Steel Knives 88SD
- Swords > Military Reproduction
- SKU VL-4111374
- UPC: 705442005360
Product Description
The Scottish Dirk that most knife enthusiasts are familiar with these days is, more or less, a piece of rubbish— a prop—a costume accessory for stage and screen. It’s declined into a “knife like object” that people hang above their mantles or on the walls of dimly lit, wood-paneled dens. Our version is a modern replica that harkens back to an earlier form, when the dirk was a functioning tool and weapon. The 13-Inch blade is forged to a hard spring temper from 1055 Carbon steel. It's 1 1/2-Inch wide and comes fully sharpened and battle-ready, prepared to hew down any foe.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
30 of 30 people found the following review helpful.
By David McEldery
Original, period, Scottish dirks belong with families or in museums, and the custom made beauties are too expensive for people of average means (me). Handmade dirks by the best craftsmen range from $1,200 to $4,000 and the sky is really the limit. If you go to the web and check out reviews, some critics will tell you to the avoid buying mass manufactured dirks because they are not authentic and are mostly non-functional junk. That being said, what is a penurious kiltie to do? I checked out the Cold Steel video on You-Tube and was highly entertained as an urban ninja savagely attacked a hanging pig carcass and decapitated it. That's not the way the old dirks were really used, and most of them didn't have the weight to do such heavy cutting, but I was impressed. I decided to buy one for my son for Christmas, and waited with baited breath. If it was junk, I'd just keep it and eat the cost, consider it another of life's lessons learned.I was pleasantly surprised when it finally arrived. The dirk is very well made, and the fit and finish are quite acceptable, considering it's not a custom made product. The blade is moderately sharp and has a bit of a heft. The fullers aren't as they were on some original dirks (closer to the back of the blade), but they aren't unpleasant to look at. For those of you who might not know, fullers aren't "blood grooves" for extracting blades more easily from bodies, but were used to lighten blades (mostly swords) without sacrificing their strength. The blade is appropriately wedge-shaped and tapers to the point, but not as much as old, Scottish dirks do. The rosewood handle doesn't match any historic type exactly, but it does strongly resemble the baluster style of the 1700-1746 dirks. When you see the handle, it does say "dirk." Dirks from this period most often were "waisted" above the haunches and below the pommel so that the index finger and little finger would comfortably curl around the handle. When the dirk wasn't being used with the targe, it was often used point down, rather than point forward, with the point cocked back towards the elbow, the sharp edge facing outward. Sweeping cuts were made from this position and the point could be employed downward at the end of a cut. Handles were often quite short, less than 4" between haunches and pommel cap. This had the effect of really locking the hand into the handle to reduce slippage. The Cold Steel dirk handle is 4" between cap and haunch and is round, not flattened in profile. The handle is rosewood that is partially scribed with a light basket weave, with round-headed pins or nails driven into the junctures of the weave. This ends at the "waist," which is more toward the middle of the handle. In the classic point down position, the ring finger most comfortably fits in it, but in point-forward or sword grip, the middle finger is most comfortable in the groove of the waist. The thumb naturally seems to rest on the shoulder of the haunch, the better to direct thrusts with the point. I have to say the handle seems to be designed more with the sword grip in mind. The haunches and pommel cap are steel, blued to a black hue and discreetly polished - not garish. There were no scratches on any of the steel pieces on either of the dirks I received.The black, leather scabbard is nicely finished with steel throat and chape that are also blued to a deep black. The stitching of the scabbard is well done. The dirk frog is sewn to a metal bar brazed to the back of the throat. I have a Scottish made frog that has a snap so that it can be removed. The whole appearance of the sheathed dirk is very nice, black, dark rosewood, very serious. I should add that the shape of the haunches is reminiscent of early period dirks (late 1600s) with a curved baseline that is matched by the curved scabbard throat. In the 1600s, scabbards weren't often trimmed with metal, but hey, this is 2011!The old scabbards were carried in such a way that the edge of the blade faced outward and could be automatically quick-drawn in the preferred fashion. After 1785 dirks were carried as they are now, dangling from a kilt belt, usually on the right side, with the edge to the back, not the front. During the 19th and 20th centuries, dirks were often more costume jewelry than useable weapons, with tangs that were just wedged into handles. Pommels were often large, garish, faceted cairngorms. The Cold Steel dirk has a tang that goes through the handle and is threaded into the pommel. It is quite a stout piece of work and fully functional. I liked it enough to order a second one for my son-in-law for Christmas as well. This weapon is well-crafted in India of 1055 carbon steel. If you wear it to a Highland event you can hold your head high. If anyone questions the authenticity of this dirk, just tell them that it's a real, modern, dirk, not a toy. This dirks is an amalgam of characteristics spanning the history of the dirk. Dirks evolved over the centuries and continue to evolve. Hopefully we will too. The dirk and scabbard come separately wrapped. The dirk blade is coated with a cosmolene type grease to prevent rusting in storage and transit. It's easy to clean off with a cloth or paper towels. There is no need to use solvents. Be careful not to cut yourself when doing this. This isn't a toy for kids. All in all, this is a very nice weapon, if not 100% authentic. The maker doesn't pretend that it's a replica. I give it 4 stars only because is isn't an accurate replica. As a well-made functional piece I'd give it 5 stars.
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful.
By J. Cameron McClain
To be honest, I don't think this dirk is for everyone. If you are simply looking for a ceremonial weapon to wear at formal Scottish events, there are a number of less expensive items available.If, however you want an authentic blade (in the sense of useable and well-crafted), I think you should consider purchasing this blade. Cold Steel manufactures "battle ready" weaponry, and are known for high quality products. So if you want to wear something that's not only well-made and elegant, but also eminently functional, I recommend you get yourself one of these.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful.
By thom
A quality product even the scabbard(which is something I have found companies to skimp on)is of quality.The dirk arrived earlier than originally expected (two days after the order was placed).It was coated in a clean grease and wrapped in plastic to prevent rusting. Upon inspecting the dirk I found it to be of good quality and the details on it are slightly imperfect but I think gives it a character of its own(almost as if it were hand made).for the amount I paid I think it is a very good value for my hard earned money.
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