I need to make a scabbard for an English baskethilt sword in the style of ca. 1550 (in the middle, below). I don't have any artwork or originals to guide me and I don't even know which methods and furniture are appropriate. Given the date, I assume this should have a wooden core. Locket? Chape? Stud?

I've seen the scabbard Vince Evans made for Nathan Robinson's sword of similar style, but that's a backsword and finer than I'm looking for. I'd really like to see a simple scabbard of the period for a tapered DE blade.

Should I take my cues from Continental field swords or would an English scabbard for this civilian weapon be significantly different. Any advice is welcome, especially accompanied by images.

Thanks!:D

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This is about all I have to work with at present: A German image of 1555 and English images of ca. 1580. I have some idea what I'm looking at, but I'm not sure how all this translates into details of scabbard construction.

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Sean,
Maybe these images have something you could use for inspiration:

http://www.lib.ed.ac.uk/about/bgallery/Galler...eland.html

The swords appear to be worn from a suspension rather than baldrics. This is not my area, but I think baldrics became more prevalent after 1600 and may not be correct for your 16th century sword.

Gordon Frye sent me a link to some nice scabbard and suspension images. I'll try to dig that link up when I get home. :)

Jonathan

Thanks! The Derrick images are excellent. In fact, the details I posted above are from those large Derrick jpgs. Please do pass along the link Gordon gave you.

Well, I guess the images are mainly focused on belts and suspensions, but here it is anyhow:

http://picasaweb.google.com/Patrick.Gaul/SwordHangers

And assuming that scabbard construction did not vary too much between rapiers and basket hilts, there is a nice image in this thread:

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...suspension

All the best,
Jonathan

Thanks, Johnathan! This image is actually very helpful--not for the suspension but for what it reveals about the scabbard construction. Looks like I could get away with just a chape. No locket, no stud, just a riser or swelling at the mouth. With such a big space for decoration I guess attention in this period shifted from the locket to the hanger. Since I want to make only the scabbard at this time, that makes life easier for me. I'm not much of a metalworker. :(

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Sean,

Not wanting to derail the thread, but is that the Erikson/Trim basket-hilt reviewed here?

Sean,

Thanks for satisfying my curiosity. Now here's we really get into danger of diversion....

I asked about the basket hilt, as I have made something in a similar style. Perhaps it was my welding, but it was found that when put through a couple of bouts, the part below the quillon that Blair refers to as the "forward guard" wasn't particularly robust.

I really like the look of this hilt, but I'm informed that particular style was only in use for a decade or so, perhaps due to the relative fragility of that guard. Any thoughts?

(Apologies if this needs to go into another thread)