myArmoury.com - Question about saber scabbards

Posts: 1,435 Location: California, Maryland, USA

Wed 07 Oct, 2009 1:35 am

Question about saber scabbards

I noticed some scabbards for sabres have a strange "spatula" like attachment at the tip, where a chape should be.

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Is it for anything? I figured it had something to do with how the scabbard is formed, but right now I figure it's just decoration.

M.

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Paul Hansen

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Posts: 845 Location: The Netherlands

Wed 07 Oct, 2009 11:20 am

Just a guess, but I think it's to reinforce the scabbard's tip.

Keep in mind that the scabbard is just a thin sheet metal tube, and the tip of the scabbard does occassionally bump into things.

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J.T. Aliaga

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Posts: 52 Location: SATX

Wed 07 Oct, 2009 11:49 am

I believe that bit is named the "drag" , perhaps that implies something :D

Joking aside, I think it's designed to reinforce the chape. Despite the decorative aspect (besides the spatula, i've seen many ball shaped draga), it seems to be a mostly functional addition to the scabbard

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Jonathan Hopkins

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Posts: 1,377

Wed 07 Oct, 2009 11:53 am

As far as I know it serves a protective and decorative function. It is called a chape, shoe, or drag (as it does drag on the ground quite fashionably :) ). Some flashy scabbards even have little wheels on the drag!

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Timo Nieminen

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Posts: 1,504 Location: Brisbane, Australia

Wed 07 Oct, 2009 1:41 pm

Jonathan Hopkins wrote:

As far as I know it serves a protective and decorative function. It is called a chape, shoe, or drag (as it does drag on the ground quite fashionably :) ). Some flashy scabbards even have little wheels on the drag!

That would be worth a picture!

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Jonathan Hopkins

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Posts: 1,377

Wed 07 Oct, 2009 7:17 pm

Timo Nieminen wrote:

Jonathan Hopkins wrote:

As far as I know it serves a protective and decorative function. It is called a chape, shoe, or drag (as it does drag on the ground quite fashionably :) ). Some flashy scabbards even have little wheels on the drag!

That would be worth a picture!

:D

http://www.michaeldlong.com/kolistB/1/0/111685.htm

A nice--but sadly shortened--HEIC officer's sword with wheeled drag. I would guess this is c. 1845-55.

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Timo Nieminen

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Posts: 1,504 Location: Brisbane, Australia

Thu 08 Oct, 2009 2:37 am

Jonathan Hopkins wrote:

Timo Nieminen wrote:

Jonathan Hopkins wrote:

As far as I know it serves a protective and decorative function. It is called a chape, shoe, or drag (as it does drag on the ground quite fashionably :) ). Some flashy scabbards even have little wheels on the drag!

That would be worth a picture!

:D

http://www.michaeldlong.com/kolistB/1/0/111685.htm

A nice--but sadly shortened--HEIC officer's sword with wheeled drag. I would guess this is c. 1845-55.

Very cute!

But can this really be called a drag? Surely roll or similar would be more accurate.

Still, it could be useful - for drag racing if nothing else.

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Lafayette C Curtis

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Posts: 2,698 Location: Indonesia

Tue 27 Oct, 2009 9:41 am

Aren't those caps supposed to jangle against the cavalryman's spur when the sword is slung in the lower position (the one used for riding as opposed to dismounted locomotion)?

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