Sword Belt/Scabbard Rigs

[mcapanelli]

Mike, did your Strider belt come from Blades by Brown?

Why yes it did! I ended up selling the rig because I just didn't connect with the Borderwatch but man do I wish I could score that belt again. I should have kept the belt and kick myself for not doing just that.

Mike was that a Crecy bladed Boarderwatch? Cause I know how you feel. I could never really get to like mine either. My Bresciawatch however is a whole different story.


Mike

It is a Crecy bladed one. I just always felt the balance was off. It just favored the cut too much which was a surprise to me because I've always felt the next gen crecy was vary well balanced. After the first pass from a high to low ward it just felt dead. I didn't think a change in mountings would effect handling that drastically.

[Eledhwen]

I have been thinking on sword belts and suspension of late, mainly because the scabbard for my Môrcrist (the Del Tin Glamdring renamed 'Darkness Cleaver') is about up for completion.

I know most favor the medieval European methods but I have been strongly considering an alternative..also European, just earlier. I am thinking of the Celtic sword belt..often they were chain belts but I am considering working one up as entirely leather. Since my sword is not the hand and a half many of you so delight in, I could in fact hang it on the right. I will not know until I do some experiments with temporary rigs. The sword on the same side as my sword arm with the Hunting Knife ('Celegûr' aka 'Agile Death') horizontally hung at the small of my back and grip to the left allows a double draw that seems suitable to me.

I won't know until I mock it up and tinker with it a bit; the design will probably wind up be modified (what isn't?) but eh, there it is. Still European, just not medieval. Simpler in a lot of ways.

Just thinkin'.

Eledhwen

[Jonathan B.]

Sounds interesting.

[Ringulf]

This is the one I have http://sewing.patternreview.com/Patterns/43274

I have these patterns too! I think it could be wise as it was designed as more of a rapier's frog, to beef up the main attachment to the belt other than that it looks interesting and I was making mine for Brandi's Cavalier.

BTW I am making a modified version of the scale arm pieces, I will post them after I finnish.

(My Norse combat archer in the sca needs to be protected and I am trying to give him a Rangery flair, while trying to stay in period. Since he is a returned Varangian I have some interesting options to play with.)

[R.D.Metcalf]

. Since my sword is not the hand and a half many of you so delight in.I could in fact hang it on the right.

You aint gonna let the hand and a half thing go are you? While I fundamentally disagree with your disdain of longswords. I do like the double draw Idea....alot. But more for a convenient 'Missouri reload'* than actually fighting double.

*Missouri reload= drawing a second weapon

[Eledhwen]

I do not disdain them; they simply do not work for me. I think many of them are quite lovely and they are without doubt very effective weapons; history is clear on that.

All I have said is that they are not for me personally. I could not care less if anyone else wishes to use them; more power to 'em says I.

Ditto the stories. If a person wants to see them as knightly hand and a half swords (and Elves were taller than Men mind), or as single hand swords, or what have you, there is nothing definitive about their size in the writing; it is interpretive.

Around here, mileage varies. For me, they do not work. For you they do.

Florentine, or two weapon, is not something I like with equal length weapons. Tomahawk and long knife, aye, that I can do with grace and violence, as a dance. But with a sword..no, give me a shield with that sword, especially one like Boromirs', and I will show you grace and violence blended in rapturous measure. Hehehehehe

Eledhwen

[R.D.Metcalf]

I do not disdain them; they simply do not work for me. I think many of them are quite lovely and they are without doubt very effective weapons; history is clear on that.

All I have said is that they are not for me personally. I could not care less if anyone else wishes to use them; more power to 'em says I.

Ditto the stories. If a person wants to see them as knightly hand and a half swords (and Elves were taller than Men mind), or as single hand swords, or what have you, there is nothing definitive about their size in the writing; it is interpretive.

Around here, mileage varies. For me, they do not work. For you they do.

Florentine, or two weapon, is not something I like with equal length weapons. Tomahawk and long knife, aye, that I can do with grace and violence, as a dance. But with a sword..no, give me a shield with that sword, especially one like Boromirs', and I will show you grace and violence blended in rapturous measure. Hehehehehe

Eledhwen

I knew where you were coming from, I just wanted to josh you a bit, Hence the smiley. . Once upon a time I enjoyed double drills with two swords, like yourself I dont like equal length weapons I preferred a sword with about a 30" blade in my left and a 34" blade in my right with live sharps these were the Albion Reeve and Albion Gaddhjalt. flow drills with these weapons felt fantastic but I dropped the practice in favor of solely studying the longsword and single sword, mainly because this is what the commonly available study material focuses on....But single handers will always have a place in my heart. And I still train sword and axe drills.

Speaking of grace and violence your posts on your preferred length and usage of the sword have inspired my next commission.

[Greg]

Speaking of grace and violence your posts on your preferred length and usage of the sword have inspired my next commission.

Don't tease me like that. Details, man!

[Eledhwen]

Probably a single hand or short sword.

Sword & shield, especially short sword and round shield, has been described as an almost perfect blend of grace and violence..but only in those who stick to it through the rather steep and quite painful learning curve. Mostly in evidence in Scadian fighting in the form of limps and outrageously deep bruises to the legs...the round shield is only 24" in diameter.

It is lovely to watch, screamingly aggressive and fast, and very much a blend of grace and violence. It has been my preferred combination for over 35 years.

Anyway, I suspect he's after commissioning a single hand or shortsword if our banter was the inspiration.

Be interesting to see what he has in mind though, single hand or otherwise.

Eledhwen

[Ringulf]

I have been starting up my Shire's fighting practice and am qualifying again down here in Trimaris. I plan on being a combat archer primarily but am going through the whole works to be able to fight in tournament if I want to.

I came home the other day with some butt bruises that looked as though I was beaten like a rented mule!

The Knight Martial said to me,

"Ringulf! Do you know what those bruises mean?"

"Yeah," I said "it means I didn't cover my ass!"

"No sir!" he yelled back, "It means you learned how to defend your head!"

Well it was of small consolation when I went to sit down.

I have fought sword and shield and axe and shield (both using Norse style weapons) Flourentine axe (lots of bruising, much pain) which is very offensive and violent, but requires a good deal of experience to keep from getting scored on less than the head cheerleader.
Two handed sword and axe though the axe has only been in melee.
I am focussing now on good old sword and board and of all things the great axe because of the time it takes to drop my bow and draw my secondary without a shield. (Recomended by a knight in the group, we will see how that goes)
Not tremendously historic from what I can figure, though Dane axes could come after a few vollies of arrows in a battle, but it makes lots of sense for a Beijabar/Rohirim Ranger!