Code: EU11
The Scottish were a proud group of warriors; proud of their heritage, proud of their clans, and proud of their weaponry. While the two-handed claymore and the baskethilt were two of the preferred battle weapons, the Scottish dirk (known as the Biodag in gaelic) was the weapon for everything else. Displayed proudly, unlike the much more subtle and always hidden Sgian Dubh (now worn only for ceremony), the dirk was both a warning and a means of identification. The craftsmanship that went into these weapons was astounding, if not necessarily surprising when considering the amount of pride the Scots take in their dress.
Long and cross-less (sometimes as long as 14 inches in length), these slim daggers were usually edged on only one side and could be wielded with great dexterity against opponents. These daggers in the hands of a skilled highlander were lethal. Worn on the right side of the body, dirks were considered part of the Scotsman’s honor and would never have been used for mundane tasks like gutting fish or skinning hunting prey.