I can't find the answer to this question anywhere.

Historically speaking, people had sheathes for their knives and swords, but what did they do with their axes and other weapons when they weren't using them? Put them on the ground? Hand them to a friend? Shove the handles through their belts? Suspend them from something?

Thanks in advance to anyone who has an answer. Hopefully someone can enlighten the rest of us...

Well Eijse that depends, if you were an infantryman then you would tuck it into your belt, whereas a cavalryman could hang it from his saddle or leave it with one of his attendants.

The most practical way is to shove the weapon under the belt on your back, and turn it so that it hangs horisontaly. In this fashion, it does not interfere with your legs and stays put (for a while) even when running. Javelins or arrows where also carried in this fashion.

If you carry a kite or heater shield (medevial shields with handstraps) you can also hold the weapon in your left hand behind the shield.

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Long hafted viking axe, back crossdraw

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Jon R wears his short club front crossdraw. Me behind, mace barely visible.

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My long hafted mace, Back crossdraw

Some maces and such had hooks attached which enabled them to be hung on any strap/belt.

I'd point something like:

[ Linked Image ]

if the heavy part of the axe/hammer is someway near the hips, it won't dangle around your knees as if kept upside down

I would have to echo Matt's comment on the so-called axe-ring, no basis for this in any grave finds to the best of my knowledge, but certainly a cheap money-maker for sellers to the gullible!

Some forty years ago a crafty Renaissance Faire merchant said "Hey, why not make a belt that just has a ring instead of a buckle?" Thus the ring belt was invented.

Some time later, another sly merchant said "People don't like wearing things in their ring belts, so why not make a ring holder to go on your belt with a ring to hold your thing?" And so it was, and that rather ridiculous contraption came into our good world of reenactors.

I can see it now, and I even know some people who could have been a part of such conspiracies, if they had a bit more of their marbles about them, in any case...

By the American Revolution the bayonet and/or sword were carried in a leather "frog" on a waistbelt or shoulder strap. Some were specifically made with two loops/tubes, one for the bayonet and one for a sword, and it appears that some of these were adopted by infantry who lacked a sword but stuck a tomahawk through that loop instead. This gets way overdone by reenactors, of course! In general I agree that there isn't any medieval equivalent for axes and such. Naturally I made one myself when I was new at the game, but I have long since ditched it!

Matthew