Scott Roush "The Gift Of The Ghillie Dhu" Damascus Sword, Wood Scabbard

Scott Roush specializes in unique hand-forged blades and tools utilizing unique, antique and sometimes ancient materials.  Scott's goal is to create a "personal mythology" for each piece that invokes a sense of how it may have been used in it's lifetime, and then weld that idea to the psyche of the person who will own it.  I want the blade to have a story of it's own, written in it's form, function and materials, and then have that story live on with it's owner

This Damascus Sword is Scott's, "The Gift Of The Ghillie Dhu".  In Scottish folklore the Ghillie Dhu was a solitary male fairy.  He was kindly and reticent yet sometimes wild in character but had a gentle devotion to children.  Dark-haired and clothed in leaves and moss, he lived in a birch wood within the Gairloch and Loch a Druing area of the north-west highlands of Scotland.  Ghillie Dhu is the eponym for the ghillie suit.  Below is Scott's poem about the Ghillie Dhu, as transcribed onto the Birchwood Parchment included with the sword...

The Gift of the Ghillie Dhu

Wrought from star-dolven iron,

Quenched in sap of the Beithe,

Was Tiodhlac: Gift of the Ghillie Dhu

Young Duncan took care of the old birch wood,

Kept poachers and axmen at bay,

Gaining the love of the beithe-bound Ghillie Dhu.

When Young Duncan, his love-sworn abducted,

For the jealousy of wicked Black Donald,

Sorrow and pity was the old Ghillie Dhu.

For Poor Young Duncan, No sword to his name

And the might of Black Donald, No earthly man dare

Had need of the dwimmer-crafty, the clever Ghillie Dhu.

Ancient Hammer blows thundering in the hoar

Echoing in leafy halls,

Came forth the fae-deadly blade of the Ghillie Dhu

Cold black iron, Heaven-born

Shimmering veins star-silver bright,

Bold was the hilt,

Tiodhlac: Gift of the Ghillie Dhu

Scott completed The Gift Of The Ghillie Dhu in 2013.  His progress making the sword was documented and discussed on bladesmithsforum.com.  The blade was forged from wrought iron sourced from a 19th century wagon and Lake Superior ship wreck (steam boat), pure nickel and 1095 steel.  The cross guard was made from ship wreck wrought iron, and the leaf shaped part of the guard was made from copper.  There are Birch bark spacers, and the handle is made from "black oak".  Scott describes the black oak as "old growth stuff harvested from Lake Superior by divers".  The pommel is wrought iron sourced from a Wisconsin grain elevator.  Check out the beautiful patina that has developed on the copper components.  I am uncertain what type of wood used for the scabbard.  Whatever the wood type, I am sure it was locally sourced.  Scott's been known to use Cherry wood, but considering the use of Birch wood in other parts of the sword, it could very well be Birch.  The sword was previously owned, and in excellent condition.  It has never been used, carried or sharpened.

The sword and scabbard will ship in a hard, clamshell rifle case.  The case will be boxed for shipping.  Based on the oversized dimensions and weight, shipping will be $100.  This will be added at checkout.  The rifle case alone is worth more than $100.  Shipping will be by UPS Ground, fully insured with signature confirmation required.  No P.O. Boxes.

All photography done by Mitchell Cohen at Prairie Digital Photography in Northbrook, Illinois.

Condition: Previously owned. Excellent.

                   Never used, carried or sharpened