Question for Medieval buffs, regarding knight's sword scabbards (1 Viewer)

[bearybones]

Hello fellow Medieval enthusiasts. I have been wondering about something and perhaps someone on this forum knows the answer. I have noticed that some of the crusader figures I receive have sword scabbards/holders (for lack of a better term) that come to me bent. In particular, I just received Sir Roger De Tolkinghorn and his scabbard seems to be intentionally following the contour of his robes. It appears that the scabbard was meant to bow along the contours. In the past, I have been staraightening out the scabbards, particularly on the men at arms, because I thought they were solid, hard metal, with no give or ability to bend. Does anyone know if the sword scabbards of the Crusades era were flexible, or were they hard metal, which means they would be staright. Were some scabbards hard and unbendable and others flexible? Thanks very much to anyone who takes the time to respond to this question.

George AKA: Bearybones

 

[theBaron]

As far as I know, a scabbard was typically made of wood, covered in leather, or of layers of stiff leather, and either way, with bindings or fittings of metal of some kind. If any were made of metal, I expect that they still had a lining made of leather, to protect what edge they carried.

And it should follow the contours of the sword, so, a straight blade should have a straight scabbard. I don't know enough to say whether European knights carried anything other than straight blades, but I've never seen any representation of any other kind.

What do the rest think, too?

Prost!
Brad

 

[mestell]

Hi George - I believe the bent scabbards is perhaps a packing occurrence and I always gently strighten mine. I would also tend to agree with the Baron's observations. I have close to 40 books on the various crusades and the pictures seem to support this. I quckly took a glance throught the 11 Osprey books I have on the subject and all the pictures of Medieval tapestries, stained glass, stone reliefs, etc show the edged weapon scabbards straight. Even the modern lithographs depict them straight. It's also logical that the more "noble" or wealthy the knight/crusader the better made his sword and scabbard would be thus making it very rigid. I would imagine that the lowly man-at-arms or peasant "cannon fodder" would have simple scabbards made of inferior leather that would bend when the blade was not sheathed. Like I said, I straighten mine when they come to me bent. JMHO - Mike

 

[bearybones]

Brad and Mike, thank you for your answers. Very informative, Mike. I'll straighten out the sword scabbard of Sir Roger.

George

 

[bearybones]

Brad,

Thank you for your very informative and detailed explanation on how sword scabberds were made.

George

 

[JPB]

Always fun to read and learn...

JPB