Does anybody know if there are examples of scabbards that do not have a leather covering? I think I read a thread discussing this before but cannot find it now, I don't think it was very common. For this question I am mostly interested in the "viking age" time period through till about 1250.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

There are wooden scabbards which only have a linen cover, the most well known 'Viking' one being the one from Balnakeil in Scotland. That was covered in linen and wrapped with a linen tape.

Well, there are definitely uncovered wooden scabbards from *before* that era, which unfortunately won't help you much. There's a lovely decorated one from one of the Danish bogs, probably Nydam, c. 4th century. And a couple Bronze Age ones from the Danish oak coffin burials as well.

All that Viking stuff is like Star Wars to me, sorry...

Matthew