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Neil Melville
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 Posted: Wed 02 Sep, 2015 4:24 pm Post subject: 2-handed sword scabbards |
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Hi all, It seems that very few scabbards for 2-handed swords survive. I know of three in Scotland, some in Schloss Erbach in Germany and one in Solothurn, Switzerland. If you know of any others, and whether they were attached to a belt or not (if so how), please let me know.
Thanks, Neil
N Melville
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Shahril Dzulkifli
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| Posted: Wed 02 Sep, 2015 11:42 pm Post subject: 2-handed sword scabbards |
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I do not know where to find 2-handed sword scabbards these days. Maybe there are lots of them throughout Europe.
“You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength”
- Marcus Aurelius
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Philip Dyer
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| Posted: Thu 03 Sep, 2015 9:43 am Post subject: Re: 2-handed sword scabbards |
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| Neil Melville wrote: | Hi all, It seems that very few scabbards for 2-handed swords survive. I know of three in Scotland, some in Schloss Erbach in Germany and one in Solothurn, Switzerland. If you know of any others, and whether they were attached to a belt or not (if so how), please let me know.
Thanks, Neil |
The thing is, these swords were so big that most manuals on how to carry them treated them like polearms, not sidearms like shorter swords. So scabbards might have not been utilized for them as much.
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Neil Melville
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| Posted: Sat 05 Sep, 2015 3:51 am Post subject: |
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I appreciate your point, Philip, but there were lots of them originally. The inventories of several German and Swiss arsenals refer to them in considerable numbers and even complain about those which are missing, and these references do apply to the late 16th century- early 17th "beidenhander", as they were called at the time. There are also illustrations of 2-handers being carried scabbarded in the Swiss chronicles, these are 15th-early 16th century, though. Belts are mentioned as well though it is not clear how they were worn or how the scabbards were attached to them.
There may well be very few survivors but I would like to know of any that anyone does come across.
Cheers, Neil
N Melville
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Harry Marinakis
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| Posted: Sat 05 Sep, 2015 4:23 am Post subject: |
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Illuminated manuscripts that depict Great swords (XII-XIII subtypes) reveal that the scabbards were carried on the hip just like single handed-sword scabbards. The multi-strap suspension for later two-handers did not develop until later in the medieval period, not sure exactly when.
Many modern reproductions of 13th-14th C Great swords come with scabbards and suspensions that are more appropriate for 15th-16th C two-handed swords.
http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...highlight=
Here's a sword that looks like a XIIIa
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This is a standard topic