Middle Earth Ranger Forum

theowl wrote:With that setup do you have much leeway with the back strap to make the scabbard tilt more or less?

Yes, the back can be moved a bit. The important bit, I felt, was that one of the anchor points was static so that the one wouldn't gradually follow the other when moved around. Still, there's little adjusting to do...even at a steady trot the steep angle shown here was great. An experienced sword-carrying taurandir would expect to occasionally lift the chape with a quick push down on the pommel when stepping over logs or other higher obstacles, but that comes with just about any sword in any configuration, even one as short as this one.

I've thought about the pipe! A few other gadgets, if they had a small s-hook, could conceivably be stowed there in camp as well, but I don't think I'd use it for much stowage on the move...not too keen on lots of dangly stuff.

Yes remarkable!

Nice work I like the statick loop idea (might use that for my quiver which always slides round the back) what kind of leather is it made from?

The straps are all standard vegetable tanned belt material...the sewn loop is brain tanned deer hide.

Interesting!

... it looks exactly what I'd expect a woods-tromping ranger to improvise on the fly. Nice bit of life to it!


I think you're selling yourself short on it not being a historical solution though: medieval belts are known to sometimes have hanging loops mounted to them. Some reproductions at Lorifactor:

http://lorifactor.com/k26,pouches-purse ... ories.html

Greg wrote:The straps are all standard vegetable tanned belt material...the sewn loop is brain tanned deer hide.

Nice, thank you

Interesting, Elleth!

My comment was based solely on assumption...it had a very mil-surp feel to me when I was stitching it up, and I didn't want to claim "Well, if they'd needed it they'd have made it this way too!" Not too fond of that argument when things aren't present in archaeological record, but there you are setting me straight. Thanks!

I think the context of those reproductions specifically is a fad of somewhat ostentatious alms-giving in the high medieval period, but they may have been earlier or more generically used than that- I simply don't know. Regardless as Ursus says, extra hooks and such for longsword carriages exist towards the end of the period, so I'm inclined to think the concept still something we can "legitimately" explore.

Now I'm curious if there's any antecedants to those purse hangers in Norse or Anglo-Saxon contexts: I simply haven't looked into it. There's certainly some ostentatious belt hardware from those peoples, so it's not out of possibility.

I think in MIddle-earth they're certainly plausible: I wonder though if extra belt hardware for attatching things would signal something to the astute observer in the Breelands, or if it would be common enough to pass without notice?

If one were trying to blend in with society and chose to leave a sword at home, it wouldn't take much to make this loop appear mundane. We were just discussing sticking a pipe through it...a bollocks dagger, a hammer, a drawknife...all sorts of trades-based tools could easily be slipped in there as a career-indicating placeholder.

I looked through those bits at Lorifactor and, for just an instant, thought "I oughta replace this loop with something metal at some point." Moments later, I dismissed it. Specialized metal hardware in certain places has value, like a number of the pieces we've begun using from shapeways, but I think getting over-zealous with metal might give the wrong impression. The Dunedain were nobles, royals even, but I wonder how far their wealth stretched through the generations. Well-equipped by necessity, certainly, but not flashy or fancy as a rule...just a few things, like blades, scabbards, and select trinkets perhaps, should really show that lineage. I guess what I’m trying to say is that more often than not, perhaps simpler is better for my impression, so I oughta take the opportunity to keep something simple. Maybe for this Medieval-Fantasy crossover, the leather loop is the ticket (for me).

Whilst ToT’ing with the kiddos this evening, I solved our “Make it good for more than a sword” issue on a whim, and I daresay I’m sticking with it. The loop makes a great hanger for the already present ‘Lasdhir’ mini market wallet. Through-the-belt is admittedly more secure, but every time I take the belt off the little pouch has nowhere to go for the night and falls off, gets tossed around, etc. That’s no way to treat what’s got my precious few pennies in it. Here, through the loop, it still has a place to stay when I unbelt to sleep, and the pouch keeps purpose in the loop when the sword isn’t present for nosy Breelanders (no offense, Ned...)

Voila!

Multi-purpose and with it right next to your sword, it would to deter any potential thieves.