As I was reading the forums, a question dawned on me: Is there any surviving examples of leather sheaths for swords? Were they used at all? How common were they if they were used? Advantages and disadvantages From what I've read sword scabbards were expensive and not everyone could afford them, did the common man-at-arms improvise and use leather? I should think that it would be lighter and more flexible to wear than a woodencore scabbard. Retaining water may be a problem if the leather gets wet and come to think of it how would it of been carried? Once you drew the sword the leather would go limp and drag on the ground and be in the way. I know that leather was used in making claymore sling like what Albion sells, but how common were they actually in history?


Thanks
Eric

I can't authoritatively address all of these questions, but I'll hit what I can... I'm sure leather scabbards were used, how prevalent, I don't know...

Eric Nower wrote:

From what I've read sword scabbards were expensive and not everyone could afford them...

There is a LOT of work that goes into making a high quality period-appropriate wood-cored scabbard. Same thing is very true today, too...

Eric Nower wrote:

I should think that it would be lighter and more flexible to wear than a woodencore scabbard. Once you drew the sword the leather would go limp and drag on the ground and be in the way.

The weight difference is not really significant, actually. I'd use a heavier weight leather in lieu of the wood - probably would be very close in weight. They do tend to be more floppy, of course, which may or may not be a good thing. I end up tripping over the damned thing as it flops down between my knees... I like wood cores better, but that's me. Makes sitting more difficult, though...

Eric Nower wrote:

Retaining water may be a problem if the leather gets wet and come to think of it how would it of been carried?

There are ways of treating leather that can keep the moisture issue in check with a wood-cored one. You can add a suspension to a leather scabbard just as you can with a wood-cored one - either through leather or metal fittings. It's not hard...

I've always assumed leather sheaths were the norm for munition swords, being created as needed for a given campaign. Oakeshott comments on this issue in Records(though I forget his conclusions) with examples of the Dordogne find of a bunch of swords in a chest and without scabbards or sheaths, presumably of English supply sunk in the river during the Hundred Years War, as well siting a scene in St. Olaf's Saga where the king opens a chest full swords on his boat to rearm his men whose blades have dulled, no sheaths or scabbards being mentioned. There are also very few scabbards or sheaths in Graz.
I figure that the swords were understood to require less maitenance in storage than scabbards, which would be likely to warp over time, or leather sheaths and so would be stored without until needed when sheaths might be produced in mass.

Well, I don't actually know about how the situation was in times of yore.
Today, I'd use a leather sheath only for a blunt sparring sword, for two reasons:
1) a sharp sword may cut through a plain leather sheath over the time,
2) sometimes when sparring or stage-fighting you simply do trip (with sword drawn), and then a leather sheath will just bend. When the same thing happens with a real scabbard, the wooden core may break and then you have a problem.

By the way, the most sophisticated scabbards I saw/read of have a leather cover over a thin wooden core, and are lined with fur (rabbit I think) so that the wood won't dull the edges. Plus, the fur is glued in so that the hairs point towards the tip, to the effect that the fur holds the blade snug in the scabbard and it's yet easy to draw.

I hazard that this is an authentic method, because it's an idea you just don't get out of thin air. Also I read about a special type of acid-free glue which had a very rustic-sounding name. ;)
Goes without saying that this stuff is damn expensive. In my experience it's a lot more than most people are willing to pay.

I have read, but don't know the truth of, that finer scabbards were lined with lambs wool. Wool actually contains a natural oil, and could prevent rust on the sword naturally. I currently have a couple of scabbards I am testing, although this takes time. Storing my sword (Albion Crecy Grete) in a cotton felt lined scabbard with gun oil does a good job of preserving. I cannot see a difference with wool (preserves as well.) Bare wood is prone to allow rust (seems to depend entirely on how it was cared for before inserting into the scabbard.)

Indeed. My comment was aimed more at the assumption that people could not afford scabards. Kind of like saying 21. cent people could not afford watches, because a Rolex is expensive...

Hello all,

I think I may have mis-typed... Wooden core scabbards would have been more expensive than a simple leather sheath wouldn't they? Would they have been common place or not? Did any historical examples survive? You might run into a problem dragging or tripping on a leather sheath( if not reenforced with metal fittings...Thanks Aaron Hadn't thought of that)

Aaron Said "I personally would rather have a wood core, even if it isn't a particularly good quality one (but functional) over a moderate leather one. I'd take a good to exceptional wood core over an exceptional leather one. I'd take a leather one over a bare blade..."

I would as well, these thoughts just popped in my head while I was making a sheath for my brother one day.

I don't know much about historical scabbards, but I think a leather sheath would work well. Both of the 2 swords I own came with leather scabbards. In fact, they were very floppy. One of my swords is a longsword. This scabbard when the sword is unsheathed, is long and floppy- seems like it wants me to trip. Actually i've never had a problem when practicing with the scabbard on.

I use a leather diagonal suspension system for both my swords. Also I've seen a leather scabbard made out of really thick leather that is not floppy at all. It was almost like a wood core as it was thick and had weight. Thought it did have metal fittings.

I guess the tripping issue really depends on what kind of leather you use, whether it is reenforced with fittings, and the suspension system you use.

I recently tried to make a wood core scabbard and it was quite difficult, even though I'm an 'decently skilled' carpenter. :p

but the historical issue- I'm not sure about. I'd love to see some historic examples of leather scabbards.

In certain periods, leather sheaths were the norm. For example, from what I've read, many basket hilts had leather sheaths with metal mounts. Same for dirks of the period.

As for scabbards in general, some people think they were discarded before a pitched battle in order to be out of the way. Some conflicts were more spontaneous, in which case any scabbard, leather, wood, or metal, could get in the way.

Chad;

Getting rid of the scabbard before a fight makes a lot of sense if its for the primary weapon.

If the sword is the back-up to a Polearm or Twohander your stuck with it at least until you discard the primary weapon.

For a shorter short sword or long dagger the scabbard doesn't get in your way.

I would imagine that the design of the suspension system would be more important than the scabbard itself when it comes to keeping from it being a liability.

There is evidence of a ring attached to a belt where a sword could be put in lieu of a scabbard. This could help eliminate the issue of tripping and where to put this (possibly secondary) weapon. Wouldn't do for long-term storage of a prized weapon, but would work just wonderfully in the heat of battle...

Aaron;

Good point, but couldn't you get tangled up on the naked SHARP blade just as easily as if it was in a scabbard :eek: :lol:

Now, when you did draw the sword you would have the advantage of not having an empty scabbard bouncing around.

Just playing devils' advocate here

Aaron;

Yup, I'm buying maille underwear for sure. :eek: :p :lol:

The bottom line is that much of this discussion is speculative. :)

Here's what we know:

-wood-core scabbards existed
-leather scabbards existed
-For certain periods/locales/sword types each was more popular than the other
-period artwork shows fighting afoot and mounted with scabbards being worn. Does it always show scabbards being worn? I doubt it. But checking through the period art of the high Middle Ages shown in articles on our features page shows a lot of scabbards worn in combat (in the Bayeux tapestry and Maciejowksi Bible, for example).

We can speculate all we want, but a wood core seems to have been more popular for the knightly class in Medieval Europe, based on the few survivors we have. Of course, leather alone may not have survived the ravages of time. Period art shows fighting while wearing scabbards, so we can assume it was done.

Our forebears were practical people. If fighting while wearing a scabbard was too clumsy and awkward, it wouldn't have been done and we wouldn't see it with the frequency it appears in art. The modern mind may find it hard to believe this seemingly awkward situation of having a flopping-about scabbard occured, but it must have. To them, it must have been no big deal or they wouldn't have done it.

And many swords that have been found, at least in northern Europe, have had the scabbards mostly rotted away, but there is still evidence of hair attached to the blade, suggesting a wool lined scabbard.