For the Love of All Things Scottish
Interview with Garth Duncan, Master Artisan of Celtic Knotwork, Knives and Swords

Article and Photographs by Adrian Ko

This article has 4 sections. You are on Section 1.  Select: [ 1 ]  [ 2 ]  [ 3 ]  [ 4 ] 

"A beautiful sword gives my soul a kind of enthusiastically innocent strength - the symbol of an ancient covenant, that if I am vigilant, I and my children will be free." - Garth Duncan, October 1999.

Not far from Garth Duncan's home and shop here in Ben Lomond, California, is a great river. Decades ago, a reservoir was built near here. Local Scots had brought with them a flask containing the waters of Loch Lomond's majestic streams to the naming ceremony. These people had forged their way to America to make a new life for themselves, their children and grandchildren. Amid the lush green of the rolling hills, the flask was opened, and the many drops of Scottish waters joined with the sparkling American lake, and the settlers christianed the area, Loch Lomond.

There is an air of heritage and ancestry, here rich in culture and rememberance. Perhaps the Scots today feel it his ome away from home, as the famous song rang, "by yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie brae." And the sun truly shines here as in the land of their origin.

Owner and operator of Duncan House, Garth Duncan is a master artisan of celtic knotwork. The amount of time placed in each of his pieces - be they a simple clan crest, or item of jewelry, to a sgian dubh or Scottish dirk - might shock you. Yet woven into the intricate carvings is a tremendous heart of love for all things Scottish. In a time when so much Scottish memorabilia has become mass produced and imported from third world countries, Garth laments over the cheapening and merchandising of his roots. Yet his passion for history - passed down from his father, and his father before him - is in every nuance and detail chiseled into his artwork as a permanent monument of the spirit of Scotland - how the people of old eloquently lived their lives, loved their families, fought for their freedom, and wrote songs that till this day brings tears to the dryest eye.

Rediscovering His Heritage

Garth relates a story behind his personal sword (this month's featured Cover Sword). The blade was salvaged from a 250 year old sword which he had found in Scotland, likely to have been Italian in origin (one source from which Scotland imported their steel blades).

Photo: Left Sterling Silver Scottish Basket Hilted Sword. This one-of-a-kind piece is Garth Duncan's personal sword (the ancient blade is equally unique) and is not for sale. However, he does have plans for high-level signature baskets of sterling silver, at around late year 2000. A similar piece today would be more expensive and may run $5,000 for a purely one-of-a-kind work. (The signature baskets will run considerably lower; all the work will be done by Garth Duncan personally.) SFMO will keep you up to date on developments! Overall length: 39 inches Blade length: 33 inches approx Balance Point: Under 1 inch (2.5 cm) Overall weight: 4.1 lbs. 50 ounces of silver was used in the hilt and scabbard fittings.

"The inscription on this silver basket were taken from the Declaration of Albroth, which is the Scottish version of the American Declaration of Independence. The words were written in 1325. "It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honors that we are fighting but for freedom. For that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself." The entire basket was cast as one piece from an original hard-wax carving, then with rivets, crests and stones added by hand. The grip is a black leather with a wire wrap, following the traditional style of basket hilted swords.

Photo: Right "The crest borne upon the inside of the basket (i.e. side facing your body as you hold it in your right hand) belonged to Admiral Duncan. It was his personal crest which was actually given to him by an English court because he was in command of many ships in the English Navy, and he single-handedly routed the Dutch fleet at Camperdown in 1797." "Though it has been mistaken to be the Clan Duncan crest, I've put that on there just to celebrate one of the people in Scottish history." Note the painstaking detail of not only the inlaid crest but the knotwork which bespeaks tremendous dedication and concentration to complete so magnificent a task in shaping such a work of art.

Click HERE to see NEXT Page or
BACK to Fall '99 Index

[TOP]  [Back -1]  [About SFMO]  [Feedback to Editor]  [Discussion Forum]