myArmoury.com - A&A Edward III: Diary of a Scabbard Build

I recently saw an article with a museum sword expert stating that although sword reproductions were much better nowadys compared to 20 or even 10 years ago, makers were only just starting to do scabbards right with respect to finishing/decoration and no one was yet doing belts properly. It appears that with this complete scabbard and belt set up you are elevating the market so hopefully we see more of this. When viewed as a whole it is clear that such a sword, scabbard and belt complement each other to their fullest and now i see such a thing it just looks right, just like holding a well made sword feels right. To simply say it "looks right" may appear to be understating the excellence of the pieces considered individually and combined, but this really is a truly exceptional setup. The sword itself had never interested me as it was too elaborate in appearance for my taste but now I see this I would want this entire setup very much. Congratulations to you for creating this and congratulations also to it's new owner.

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Brian K.

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Posts: 727 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

Wed 27 Dec, 2017 2:54 pm

Paul Watson wrote:

I recently saw an article with a museum sword expert stating that although sword reproductions were much better nowadys compared to 20 or even 10 years ago, makers were only just starting to do scabbards right with respect to finishing/decoration and no one was yet doing belts properly. It appears that with this complete scabbard and belt set up you are elevating the market so hopefully we see more of this. When viewed as a whole it is clear that such a sword, scabbard and belt complement each other to their fullest and now i see such a thing it just looks right, just like holding a well made sword feels right. To simply say it "looks right" may appear to be understating the excellence of the pieces considered individually and combined, but this really is a truly exceptional setup. The sword itself had never interested me as it was too elaborate in appearance for my taste but now I see this I would want this entire setup very much. Congratulations to you for creating this and congratulations also to it's new owner.

Thank you Paul. I am both honored & flattered that you would say such complimentary things about my work. This was truly a journey and an eye opener to just how much work goes into such a scabbard.

In regards to the remark "finishing/decoration" the problem for most is cost. It's been debated over the years about scabbard pricing in relation to the cost of the sword and some have noted that historically the scabbard cost as much or more than said sword. It's a difficult balance trying to output a scabbard that historically would fit right in within the period you're aiming for, and staying within the customer's budget. Another thing that has strongly affected my own business is dealing with a customer's modern taste, perceptions of medieval taste, and again staying within budget.

Needless to say, this scabbard by far out cost the price of the sword and then some. Many would probably scoff at the price comparison but the reality is to produce such a scabbard it takes a lot of time, and time is money. As this started out a personal build there are many untracked hours in research & design just getting the details right. Truth be told about DBK's current standing in scabbard pricing I get a bunch of people wanting quotes that once I get back to them they either don't respond or politely walk away, yet I still have over two years in wait until my next opening from those willing to pay and patiently wait.

I've also produced many pieces that aren't historically accurate but catch a lot of 'eyes' and brought in many orders based on non-historical builds. Though I would love to output historical 'period' pieces again and again, my business is driven by building what the customer wants and within their proposed budget.

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Paul Watson

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Posts: 395 Location: Upper Hutt, New Zealand

Thu 28 Dec, 2017 12:24 am

I understand what you mean about costs. If all goes well I am having a custom sword, scabbard and belt done in the upcoming months and will probably have to double my budget after deciding to get this all done instead of just the sword.

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Justin H Nunez

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Posts: 18 Location: Hyde Park, UT

Fri 26 Jan, 2018 3:18 pm

Brian,
That is stunning! I still need to stop by one day as I am not too far north of you in Cache Valley.
I appreciate the pictures of the whoel system hanging and in use. Awesome amazing work!

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Brian K.

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Posts: 727 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

Fri 26 Jan, 2018 3:48 pm

Justin H Nunez wrote:

Brian,
That is stunning! I still need to stop by one day as I am not too far north of you in Cache Valley.
I appreciate the pictures of the whoel system hanging and in use. Awesome amazing work!

Thank you Justin. Indeed you should, though this beauty is no longer around. In fact, most of my scabbard work finds a way to disappear :'0 though I always have something around if but a bunch of swords to look at ;')

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