Hello,

I'm working on making a scabbard for my tinker viking (Along with a grip rewrap). I have the wood core done, no problem. Now for the strap bridge. Anyone know where one an be bought? I could probably make one out of wood...but my metal working skills are non-existent.

Also, how would one attach a scabbard bridge? Just leather straps around the scabbard to hold it in place? Twine? Rivets?


Thanks for your help,

Nick

Hi Nick, you can either buy one or make one from antler or wood.

If you want one in metal you can try Druids site, which has one in bronze:
http://www.re-enactment.co.uk/product_info.ph...5r1keue4j6

[ Linked Image ]

The VSF35 scabbard slider is nice, needs some minor cleaning and buffing to get perfect but not too much. He has others too but these are more suitable for mainly Roman Iron age.


I'm sure there are others making similar scabbard sliders/ belt bridges. I'll see if I can find some more with my Google super powers. ;)

It may not be particularly historical, but the thought occurs to me that if you found an appropriately sized dresser drawer handle, that might work fine. Maybe put short little screws in to hold it and put leather wrap over those to cover the heads up and make it look more historical.

You could also make the strap ridge from wood, as that also appears to be historically accurate. As for attachment, lash it to the scabbard with leather lacing or plant fibers like you suggested.

Here are some examples found on this site:

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=24467

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=24200

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=15001

Organic material is more usual for scabbard slides after the Vendel Period, or at least that's the assumption as they vary rarely turn up in the archaeological record.

Also, based on the evidence of 9th -11th century scabbard leathers and pictorial evidence, sliders of this period were fixed onto the wooden core underneath the leather, so any sort of decoration would be pointless.

Two of the best preserved Viking scabbard suspension systems were found on the Isle of Man. Both utulise the same style of baldric based system and neither have a slide.

Matthew, do you know where I can find pictures or sketches of the scabbard finds you reference? I am not having good luck.

Underneath the leather? hmmm...learn something new every day! I have yet to build one, and so am just beginning my fine tuning of my research. As Mr. Livermore asked, do you happen to have pics, or links to any information? I cannot seem to locate anything with my mediocre Google-fu.

The two Isle of Mann scabbards are from Cronk Moar and Ballateare. Here's a pic of one I made last year utilising the system common to these two Viking scabbards (the cord work decoration is a copy of that found on the Cronk Moar scabbard), and links to a couple more photos showing more detail in my photobucket account :-


http://i418.photobucket.com/albums/pp263/medi...010867.jpg
http://i418.photobucket.com/albums/pp263/medi...010866.jpg

I can post photos of the original finds as well if required?

Another viking scabbard which shows no sign of using a slide/bridge is the 'green and red diamond' scabbard found at Hedeby/Hathabu. There was no sign of a Cronk Moar style baldric system either so how this sort of scabbard was suspended remains a mystery. Possibly a baldric with a sliding loop.

For examples of Viking era scabbards with slits in the leather (indicating a sub-leather slider/bridge), take a look at Esther Cameron's book on the surviving scabbard leathers from Dublin; "Scabbards and Sheaths from Viking and Medieval Dublin".

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Colt suggested that,"It may not be particularly historical, but the thought occurs to me that if you found an appropriately sized dresser drawer handle, that might work fine."

Well, MAYBE Colt, most cabinet and furniture decorative hardware is neither brass, bronze or iron but what is called 'white metal" or "pot metal" and is not very strong at all. I suppose you could do as you suggested as long as you were sure the metal was actually brass, bronze or iron.

I have a corollary question. What materials are used to bind the bridge to the scabbard and does one adhere the bridge to the scabbard?

I actually found a brass cabinet handle that I used. Just a simple one, relatively straight and flat. That I mounted on it with strips of leather to hold it in place.

Its not perfect, but it will allow me to wear and use the sword until I manage to actually get around to making a new scabbard.

Its a tinker viking, so I just cut and ground down the metal loops from the scabbard and then mounted the bridge directly on the stock scabbard. It will pass until I get along to making a new one.

Will post pictures as soon as the glue dries.