WEBVTT 00:01.801 --> 00:07.340 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% GUEST: I have what I believe to be a Scottish dirk. I bought this about 00:07.340 --> 00:12.178 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% 30 years ago at an antique show. I like to collect 00:12.178 --> 00:15.215 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Scottish stuff. And it had thistles on it, and looks very Scottish to me. 00:15.215 --> 00:15.949 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% APPRAISER: (laughs) 00:15.949 --> 00:20.286 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% GUEST: And then I have some Scottish military badges, 00:20.286 --> 00:25.091 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% and, uh, one of 'em matches this. And I believe that's a Cameron Highlander badge. 00:25.091 --> 00:30.597 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: First of all, it's just a beautiful object. It's really well made, and it is a 00:30.597 --> 00:37.237 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Scottish dirk. It evolves from the medieval knife of Scotland. It becomes a ceremonial 00:37.237 --> 00:43.309 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% piece representing authority. Traditionally, a Scottish dirk or knife back in the day would have 00:43.309 --> 00:46.212 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% been used for everything you'd want to use a knife for, and, in a pinch, for self-defense, as well. 00:46.212 --> 00:48.014 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Mm. 00:48.014 --> 00:52.819 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: It's got this lovely engraved blade. The blade itself is actually made by a London 00:52.819 --> 00:58.224 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% manufacturer, Hawks. And it has this wonderful little dot with a six-pointed star around it. 00:58.224 --> 01:00.026 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% GUEST: What's that called? 01:00.026 --> 01:03.830 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: So that is a proof mark that meant that it held a certain 01:03.830 --> 01:09.736 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% standard to the manufacturer when it was passed. So the blade was steel, engraved, 01:09.736 --> 01:15.141 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% made in London. The mounts, like, likely, were Scottish. And the carved handles many 01:15.141 --> 01:18.044 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% times were made of a local wood, uh, a bogwood, which tends to get dark and aged over time... 01:18.044 --> 01:19.245 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Okay. 01:19.245 --> 01:22.749 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: ...or oak. Sometimes they imported ebony, but it was meant to be 01:22.749 --> 01:26.352 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% dark. And then these stones are just lovely. It's 01:26.352 --> 01:29.889 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% a kind of a citrine that is mined in Scotland in the Cairngorm mountains. 01:29.889 --> 01:32.058 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Okay. 01:32.058 --> 01:36.763 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: Lots of granite there. These granite deposits grow these big crystals. 01:36.763 --> 01:42.702 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And they would have done here is faceted it and then foil-backed it, so it gives it more 01:42.702 --> 01:47.440 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% of a reflection. As you said, the badge here represent the Cameron Highlanders. The Cameron 01:47.440 --> 01:54.814 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Highlanders were a unit that was raised in the late 18th century by Sir Alan Cameron. And this 01:54.814 --> 02:00.053 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% would date from the late 19th century. It probably belonged to an officer. It's an officer's quality 02:00.053 --> 02:05.291 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% dirk. And again, in the late 19th century, it would have served a role as a symbol of power, 02:05.291 --> 02:07.861 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% a symbol of authority, versus something that you would have necessarily used in battle. 02:07.861 --> 02:09.162 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Okay. 02:09.162 --> 02:11.431 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% APPRAISER: What's wonderful about this, the dirk, 02:11.431 --> 02:15.235 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% it has these companion utensils. You have a, a fork in the lower section. 02:15.235 --> 02:16.669 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Oh! 02:16.669 --> 02:21.774 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: And that's got a little spring mount that keeps it from falling out. And 02:21.774 --> 02:27.280 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% the upper utensil is a smaller knife, with a nice steel blade. 02:27.280 --> 02:28.581 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Oh, okay. 02:28.581 --> 02:32.485 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: But a lovely thing. You bought it at a show? Where did you buy it? 02:32.485 --> 02:34.754 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% GUEST: I bought it at a show here in Boise about 30 years ago, I... 02:34.754 --> 02:35.321 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% APPRAISER: Do you remember what you paid for it? 02:35.321 --> 02:37.991 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% GUEST: Yes, I paid $600 for it. 02:37.991 --> 02:40.793 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% APPRAISER: At auction, this is easily a $2,000 to $3,000 blade. 02:40.793 --> 02:43.429 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% GUEST: My goodness, yeah. I'll be darned.