Greetings, all. Time for a random question. :)

In movies, swords always seem to produce a distinctive metallic sound when they're drawn from or returned to their scabbards. I'm curious: Is this more or less accurate, or just Hollywood? I've always assumed that, given the different surfaces and frictions involved in the process, drawing a sword from a scabbard or putting it back in would create some sort of sound. However, as I've learned more about swords and scabbard construction (courtesy largely of the fine folks here), I've grown more curious about the nature of that sound.

I was hoping that those of you fortunate enough to possess swords and scabbards could try to enlighten an armchair enthusiast like myself. I realize that describing sounds via text isn't the ideal method, but if you could humor me, I'd appreciate it. ;)

I have a couple of pretty accurate scabbards. They don't make the "Hollywood sound". I even have one with a metal-bound throat and have had a few more like it over the years. They don't make that sound either. :)

I think to make that sound, you'd have to have significant metal-on-metal contact which would likely dull and or scratch things you don't want dulled and/or scratched. :)

The only swords I've had that made that sound were military sabres with metal scabbards. My celtic sword by PAtrick Barta has an iron scabbard and it doesn't sound like that. Chad's right, if you're hearing that metallic shriek when you draw the sword bad things are usually happening.

I have one SLO that makes such a sound, but as with the others being mentioned above, it is because they thought a metal throat that rubs against the blade on its way in or out was a good idea for some reason. I also have a dagger that makes a metal on metal noise when drawn for the same reasons, but it's muted and doesn't sound like the Hollywood version.

I was in a production of Romeo and Juliet where we rented inexpensive smallswords with musketeer blades ( Lots of breaking pot metal knuckleguards). We didn't have scabbards, but used special frogs with metal rings so that when you drew your sword, the audience heard that sound.

Thanks for the input. I'd pretty much arrived at the same conclusions, so it's nice to know that I was on target. :)

If I pull out my RavenWolf sword made by OlliN quickly and have the blade rub against the lip of the scabbard I get a bit of a tuning fork ringing that is like the movie sound effect in type but not as loud as the amplified and exaggerated version heard in films.

My OlliN made scabbard has no metal at the lip so any metallic sound is coming from the blade.

Note this sword has a nice ringing sound if taped lightly on the blade or even if drawn against a surface. ( Although I haven't done any real cutting with it yet ).

Does this mean anything good or bad about the blade ? I don't know, and it may not mean anything, but it's the sort of thing that in period the sword might be talked about as a " singing " sword or a magical sword. ;) :D

" The sword of the Raven and Wolf rang it's song of death unstoppable without mercy or care as the wielder as in a dream hastened the departure to eternity of all those in reach of his point or edge " Well, a bit of an attempt to imitate the style of a saga type story. ;) :D

The sound is made by the whettstones concealed inside the lip[ of the scabard, which sharpen the swords to a single atom along their edge. This is what lets them cut through tank cannon barrels and helmets/plate armour as if they were made from papier mache ;)

You don't get sarcasm , do you?

Herbert

I thought it was common knowledge that sound are added to movies in postproduction? They're a pretty important tool to communicate onscreen-actions to the audience after all.

Lol, none taken. It's a problem with internet forums that you can't really impart a "tone of voice" to postings, so when you get a smartarse (like me :blush: ) who tends to express themselves in sarcasm, it can be very easy to think they are saying the exact oposite to what they meant. And really, it's the fault of the poster, in this case at least.

What I really meant to say was that that "ringing" sound can probably be put into the same pile of hollywoodisms to do with swords such as "helm/tank cutting, 40 pound grateswords, 'molecular edges' etc"

I have two scabbard in the works, both of them are just at the wood core stage but I can say that the scabbard for the viking sword has the tuning fork effect that Jean had mentioned, of course the blade also sings when cutting with it so I don't know if the scabbard or the sword has a bigger impact. The sound is not super faint but not as loud as movies, also faster draw speeds make a bit more sound. The second scabbard is the sword that has a rain guard and there isn't much of a tune when the blade is drawn (I just checked).

Can't really explain why one produces a sound and the other doesn't, I have a feeling it may have to do with how I build my scabbards and where my pressure point is between the scabbard and the blade.

One of my Lutel arming swords has an all leather scabbard that it tightly fit, and it I pull the blade out quickly, it rings nicely, especially if I pull out at a slight angle and cause alittle blade flex.

Neither of my swords with scabbards make a ringing sound when drawn.
My cheap Paul Chin "practical" mostly just dully rattles, but if you put pressure with the flat of the blade while drawing, you can get a sort of scraping sound.
My Albion 1st gen Gaddhjalt makes a rather pleasant wood-on-metal sound when drawn.

I THOUGHT that the ringing sound when a sword was drawn was pure hollywood... none of my production blades make that sound. Recently I bought my first custom swords... and one of them has a beautiful wood scabbard that, when the sword is drawn from, produces an impressive ringing sound not QUITE as exaggerated as the holloywood sound, but close.

Color me surprised.