Greg
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Post by Greg on Mar 6, 2011 2:59:40 GMT
So, almost all of the scabbards I see rapiers in these days, are made of the layered cardboard. Where the historic rapier scabbards made in a similar fashion, or were they just like the rest of the scabbards out there, and made of wood?
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Post by Dave Kelly on Mar 6, 2011 5:15:59 GMT
Don't know of any survey data for pre-modern scabbards, but I think the number of scabbards made purely of bridle leather, without the wood core, probably was significantly greater. Vlad Cervenka provided me with a leather scabbard on his production that is just about as stiff and thick as a woodcored one.
Seen a lot of early 19th Century leather scabbards that have brass fittings over leather, without a core. Most of them are damaged.
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Greg
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Post by Greg on Mar 6, 2011 5:30:19 GMT
Just the man I was hoping to see respond!
Hrm... I suppose the geometry of a wooden scabbard for a rapier would lend itself to breaking. Hrm...
But thanks for the info!
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Sean (Shadowhowler)
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Mar 6, 2011 7:09:19 GMT
Dave is right... the vast majority of historical rapier scabbards I have seen were made of leather without a wood core. Sometimes decorated with metal adornments like chape and locket but normally without the wood core. This is because a rapier is very long and flexible... and if the scabbard is flexible as well you can maneuver about without getting your sword jammed into something... Wooden scabbards being stiff would break and cause all sorts of trouble.
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Post by Dave Kelly on Mar 6, 2011 15:48:17 GMT
Another consideration. You draw your sword to fight and your woodcore scabbard now becomes a 40 inch stiffie trailing in your wake, jamming into things, and liable to trip you up. :lol:
Cavalrymen don't like fighting dismounted because all their paraphenalia is made for the convenience of riding into battle ( like, what the hell do you do with a sabertache??? :lol: )
A practical delimiter an the reasonable length of blade is also how long a leg you have. Sure you can manipulate a 40 inch blade in hand. But what to do with the carrier.
I would suggest that in real foot combat the enscabbard sword was plucked from the carrier and the scabbard was dropped to the ground.
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Post by Elheru Aran on Mar 6, 2011 20:44:45 GMT
So that explains why in all the fencing movies I see, the rapier scabbards are always flopping around the place. Always thought that was kind of curious. Granted, they aren't using the proper long-$emprini rapiers, they use the short fencing-style ones for the most part, but still.
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Post by Bogus on Mar 6, 2011 22:21:29 GMT
Hm, interesting...and very timely. I need to see about coming up with a more rugged scabbard for mine, was gonna try to build a wood-core but it sounds like stiff leather's a better bet.
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