If the sword belt is at all loose you'd want to get a hand on the scabbard while drawing the sword anyways. May as well loop a string over the top of the scabbard, when you grab the buckler handle you hold the scabbard down too. Having drawn the sword the bucker is now free and in the hand. Makes the most sense to me.

One carry method not mentioned is if you have enough money and rank, you just get a small child to carry said buckler and an older servant to carry your sword. Then have them follow you everywhere like baby ducks. In the illustrations of this I have seen the buckler is of a larger type with pointed boss and the sword looks sideswordish. Not sure exactly what time period that would be. Anyways that's my 2 cents worth. Happy Holidays everyone!

One advantage to a loop and hook approach is that the sword and buckler can be drawn simultaneously.

Buckler suspended from the fittings seems so much better than directly attached or suspended from the pommel, just for sword drawing efficiency.

Thank you Nick for your insights into this subject. I am always curious as to how people wore there kit in history. Love this stuff great content thanks again. Cheers!

Hanging it over the hilt will also dis balance the set. Hanging it with a string over the top of the scabbard hangs better. I think the nationaal militair museum in Soesterberg has one in the collection with a hook on the inside top, would have too look it up.

One method that I've found to be superior to anything but a belt hook is to tie a cord to ends of buckler handle, making it run parallel to said handle. Then, you draw your sword, use the cord to hang the buckler from mouth of the scabbard and put your sword back in. Since your buckler is not hanging from the sowrd, you can draw it well, and since handle of buckler is not obstructed by being used to hang it, you can get your left hand on buckler handle really well. Drawing from this position also puts you pretty much directly into prima position from I.33, and while the buckler hangs from it, it's pretty stable, non-swingy (if your cord is appropriately short) and exactly where most artwork puts it. Since all you're using is string, there will be no material evidence left behind after a few centuries. Moreover, if that string breaks - most likely by getting worn through - you'll have to hang the buckler from yuour sword hilt as a temporary measure, which I suspect is why people in most artwork do it, because drawing both sword and buckler from that position is impractical. The cords attached to just one end of handle can work, however, in my experience, they tend to go kind of narrow and make the buckler somewhat harder to draw when compared to the above method. We do have some leather strap remnants on a Royal Armories buckler that suggest it was done regardless. For belt hooks, I'd not discount them so quickly. Thing is, we have period artwork of dagger sheats being worn between other items on your belt, like here: manuscriptminiatures.com/4288/9544 Putting a belt hook in the vicinity of your scabbard could very well get you the same effect we see in artwork.

F'ing amazing illustrations of bucklers! I have some additional ones that you might want to see.😁 I'm thinking hard about ordering one of the smaller-size ones by Poker Armoury. I don't need it, but my arming sword needs it as a companion!😀

That's exaclty how I carry them, in a thin rope knotted in the buckler, hanging from the scabbard!

Yay, this question has been driving me nuts in regards to basket-hilt and buckler. With the back method, could the cord be linked to the scabbardf or belt rather than the sword to reduce entangling?

What about a frog system? Where a loop goes through the buckler handle and then loops over a big button?

I really needed ti know this because I use a Buckler in larping, and I was Just questioning how ti carry It easely

I was wondering how they were stored when marching and before battle

It would be cool if you had your background as a pc wallpaper. I had been wondering about buckler. For renfaire I just used a leather shoelace with a cantilever hooked around the grip so you couldn't see it and then over the rondel or my sword depending.

Can you make a video on the Flemish spear club?

Is there an advantage to hanging the buckler opposite the sword?

Over the shoulder meathod is feasible but I see a drawback well two one is if the thong is tied to the pommel and then to the buckler in an emergency like a street ambush you are fighting with your sword and buckler attached to each other that'd OK if you are only taking on one opponent at a time , but if one comes from your left as you are in a bined with another the thong mite not be long enough for you to use the buckler to block the second opponent. My thought is that the thong is not attached to the swords pommel but to the sheaths ties that suspend the scabberd to the belt , that way it does not get in the way of you grasping the hilt of your sword and with the thong being attached to the scabberd its is on your left side so will give you more freedom of movement . Also if you have no time to untie the pommel from the thong this means you will have to train with both the buckler and sword connected . This could lead to problems of the thong getting entangled with your belt buckel and other clothing like buttons or clothing buckels or pins or worse objects in the fight area like chars and tables or if in a street carts boxses and other objects that mite be used as cover

My brother used a leather thong tied to each side of the handle it was then placeod over the scaberds mouth so the thong was on the inside of the sheeth the sword was then placed into the scaberd to draw you placed your left hand through the handle so your hand fingers pointed upwards through the handle the thumb the0n wrapped around the back of the scabberd to hold it firmly draw the sword right handed when the sword clears the scabberd grip the bucklers handlle with a full grip lifting upwards so the thong clears the scabberds mouth the thoung then drops to the lower side of the handle .idealy the thong is just lose enough to drop below the hand grip but also leaves enough room to slip it over the scabberds mouth sko it does not bounce or swing around alot when walking

Not historical fictional new design idea* For a brief moment, I have imagined myself as a soldier from that era who has entered to the blacksmith or leather maker. I ordered a solution while bribing the guy that I will order for the whole army If I like the solution he comes up with, imagined I am a high-rank guy who doesn't like his buckler to swing around while carrying and making noises. And I still want to detach it easily when I need to defend myself. After sitting a while there the blacksmith came up with a solution that 2 ways belt system that belts the buckler to your side left leg with a band of leather and the place you attach it has a mouth for another leather piece that tightly holds buckler adheres to it like teeth holding each other and unless you want to detach it which is by pushing the buckler down and then grabbing the handle of it, it only detaches when you need it to. And also attaches back. It seems ahead of it's time belt structure though it is only some origamic trick pulled off. Which an experienced master leathersmith or a blacksmith might come up with. Also I need an original design idea for my work so I'll try my shot with this idea.

My bastard sword has a lip on the scabbard that can easily holed a buckler string ,it looks similar to what you see on the Swedish hunting knifes you can commonly buy .Now that I see bucklers I wonder if that is what is for my first thought was to create quick cuts ,by tying rope to it but hanging stuff seems to make sense .

Why were complex hilted swords still used with bucklers?

I carry my giant 40cm buckler-shield on a long leather strap that I swing over my right shoulder and carry it on my left side hip/back. It´s not historical for bucklers, but it works and it´s fine for larp.

5:29 but in a quickly escalating fight would I not want my buckler first? I mean my opponent may well already have the drop and I will defence first before mounting a counter attack?

My speculation is that some belt hook could be used, similar to those used for weighted chin ups. I have zero evidence though.

Were they used as throwing weapons?

method one feels a bit like the cowboy with his holsters; when the atmosphere, or the location, starts to get a bit stabby, the swordsman's left hand hovers over the buckler and by the time his right is there to draw the sword he already has the buckler in hand. method two feels a bit clumsy. the civilian cant be twirling his buckler about in anticipation, it needs to remain out of the way until go-time and this method looks slow to draw method three is obviously the ideal, but I can't get my shit together to carry a mask and I usually end up pulling my tshirt over my nose- there is no way medieval me is going to keep his buckler-thong handy!

In Persian sources Baldrics were also used

Were they first introduced in to Europe by the Central Asian nomads?

But, how WERE they worn?! You forgot to say they were swash-buckled. Alooft.

"Everybody was right-handed". How much is that true, though? In a recent video (kzfaq.info/get/bejne/itxhlLxi3LPRqaM.html), Roland Warzecha examined an original XII century arming sword that was clearly made to be used with the left hand. If I remember correctly, that's not the first leftie sword he showed on camera, but I don't remember whether he mentions somewhere how many of them in percentage he found during his museums visits. He didn't looked particularly surprised, anyway.

Even though some pictures showed them on sword hilts it could be that inexperienced or someone who carries but not fights too much might carry them this way. Just like the people carrying guns but not knowing how to use them to show that they are protecting themselves. This might be the uneducated midclass-like people who wants to intimidate the room. Or some peasant faking being a noble or soldier with stolen gears etc. The paintings make me think a bit deeper lol.

as hat