It's also worth mentioning that as soon as you draw your sword, the scabbard is actually prone to being damaged by bending/breaking, especially if you say accidentally step or fall on it, which can happen easily in a fight. So, in scenarios like a duel or a tournament, it's very much possible people would prefer to not keep the scabbards permanently on their belts.

Reminds me of the 1-point-sling; 2-point-sling: 3-point-sling; rhodesian-sling; etc. discussion that we have today: the vast mayority of people propably used the cheapest/most simple option aviable (2-point-sling in todays scenario). And the rest were specialized sollutions that some people would go for.

Thank you for the video. This’ll be useful when I’m sent to another world.

Actually this is very useful. I have bought replica swords before with no idea how to connect the (beltless) scabbards to a belt.

There seems to be a shift in sword belts around 1310-1330. Prior to this, from say 1100-1300 swords seem to be interlaced with a belt. There are a lot of depictions of belts around the surcoat, and a separate sword belt. When the sword is removed, the sword belt is wrapped around the scabbard. (Ex: Heinrich von Hessen's memorial c1298) However, around 1320-1330 the scabbards appear to be tied to the belt in a way that the ties can quickly be removed, or they are clasped to the belt with brass or other fittings. The Fitzralph, de Creke, and de Bacon brasses are notable for showing this transition. Then they transition into the placque belts, before finally being superseded by the more simple belts like you've shown in your video - around 1410-1420. (ex: Sir John Erpingham brass) I refer only to brasses though, and there are no brasses of common soldier kits so, this is only a slice of a larger pie for what I described.

I've made Baldrics for all my swords, well all four of them. I find that is a easy way to carry them, plus easy to remove when sitting down.

My latest longsword came with a beautiful black leather wrapped, wood cored scabbard but no belt. I tried to fit it in a weapon frog but it was too thin for the buckles, so I ended up using belts like that too, risers would make it a lot more secure though, future reference 🙂

First!...? I had a scabbard made for my Albion "Burgundian" by the Idaho-based maker Christian Fletcher. It may not be period-correct for a late 15th century sword, but I just decided to keep things simple, and had him make it with a baldric.😁

Matt. Your armor is just beautiful. I really wish I had a set like that. I have full maille in crusader’s style but it’s just the basics with maille leggings and gauntlets and coif. I have not progressed to the metal plate in any form yet so it’s next on my list. I have been researching the styles through the years but yours has my eye like a teenage boy looking at a super car

One thing about earlier periods like the Roman and early medieval swords being mounted on a shoulder strap with the hilt around nipple height and the scabbard vertical and held in against the side by the belt. And how that changes the drawing of it

Awesome way Zac! Thank you Matt for bringing this up and sharing with us.

Great video guys. Will be trialling your belt knot at tewkesbury. Simple can be so effective. Keep up the good work.

It's something I've thought about before, but I think that reenactment/HEMA/living history unintentionally selects people who have more disposable income than would be typical for the lifestyle that we are trying to recreate. I think it would be really interesting to see someone assemble historical kit on an approximation of a period budget and explore what that would actually end up looking like.

I bought and modified a 2-handed Xiphos (made it lighter so that I can wield it one handed) that came with a cheap sheath so I hand crafted a wooden scabbard for it. This video really helped me a lot to figure out how to add a belt to it and saved me a lot of money trying to add a bunch of unnecessary things to hold it in place.

Good information! I had no clue about scabards and belts untill now lol

Simplicity has a beauty of it's own.

Thank you, my Windlass Wakefield Hanger now has a Medieval Belt from Poland attached.

That is fascinating. Thank you.

The real question is how to wear a buckler? I've driven myself up the wall looking for the best solution in contemporary art.

Thank you for this video.

Tod also has a very good video on how to knot sword belts, including simple knots for one handed swords kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mK58m5aHtq3WeH0.html

Same goes for japanese Swords. Tuck them into the Sash while in Armour is annoying and uncomfortable so the way to do it is to take the Sageo (Sword Band) form two loops over the Saya with a bit of space and then tie it to your hips. The space between the loops decides how it will hang. And of course there are also more complex helpers to achieve the same but thats one way to do it.

I'm partial to using a cat's paw knot on my katzbalger to get it hanging horizontally on account of that big beefy figure-8 guard. It also just feels very appropriate given the names

About dozens of different belt knots for attaching a scabbard - nowadays we have dozens of different necktie / cravat knots. I eagerly wait for the video showing different belt knots. I do wonder how Polish saber was attached to the wide kontush belt (kontush sash)... though this is from a later period.

Good video ⚔️

I use a clove hitch, sometimes a constrictor or very rarely a strangle knot for attaching my scabbard. Clove hitch gives a slight tilt and easier to remove. Constrictor holds vertically and tight. Strangle gives a more tilt and holds tight. All three knots are similar with just two turns around the scabbard or whatever you're attaching.

belts were also used to carry a lot of other things before pockets were invented

0:35 a wild Drachinifel appears.

imagine how will these belt attachment methods go along with modern clothing and lifestyle

The simplest knot for attaching a scabbard would be a clove hitch.

You didn't get back to the practice of cutting slits in the sheath's leather cover to pass a belt through. Seems to me that would kind of make that belt a dedicated sword belt given Tod Cutler's video on how to do it showing it to be somewhat tedious for an everyday activity, but it would be nice to have my suspicions verified. Otherwise excellent explanation of why it's okay to hang one's sword pretty much any way one wants, taking into account whether one is walking or riding etc. I expect you'll do more videos on which methods went in and out of fashion at different times and In different places? Please?

If you have a look in Ashley's book of knots you will find a clinch knot which is very effective but hard to get undone but it does not move or a simple clove hitch seems it would do the thing

About people carrying their swords on their hands, I found that with my katana I could just position it inside my belt and it would hang diagonally. So they wouldn't even need to make a knot, if they just needed the belt to hold it temporarily. This was with a wider belt, but I imagine it would work.

Well, that gives a new insight in the phrase : "how is it hanging?"

Honestly unless one is traveling, going to war or has another specific need to wear a sword carrying a sword in the hand has a lot of advantages. Not tripping or hitting others, ease of getting in doors or sitting down, the scabbard can be used for a parrying stick if needed and if in hand is ready to go. Etc This is especially true of longer swords.

+scholagladiatoria *Scabbards can be crafted to fit any sword, dagger, &c.* A belt to running-fit the hip should have enough slack for a leather-over-wood dagger scabbard in vertical waist carry.

Sabre for me anyway is better seated on a angle as the vertical hang gets in the way of the legs. 17thc Hungarian and Polish hussar but pre brass trimmed plate which is really late. The Palasz or konczerc / estoc is attached too the horse tac.

I'm knot convinced.

Hard to know about knights in full armour as they had their mount and attendants to carry most. Day to day, they, baliffs, sheriffs and such, would also have a purse, dagger and other items on a belt before pockets.

another great video; though just slightly surprised you didnt give Todd a quick shout out as a reference on the subject

What I find curious is that a lot of the artwork consistently shows sword belts hanging very low, and very loosely, but with no visible way of staying up. Any idea how people kept their extremely loose sword belt with 2-3lb of steel hanging off it from falling down around their ankles?

Reminds me of a clove hitch

I think Todd has done a video on types of knots/hitches...might be collab time again 😀

How was Jason’s belt attached to his sword in the short video he did on belts?

At last you have answered the age old question..."How's it hanging?"

How about the lazy method? Tug it into your belt or sash? I haven't seen any historical depictions of it in the West, but I'm sure that it must have been done at least occasionally with shorter blades, especially knives and daggers... Also, how often were swords taken on and off? For one, it can be quite inconvenient to carry a full-sized sword every day. It may be restricted carry in certain places (cities, inns, churches, royal courts, etc.) and then there's the dilemma of carrying additional clothing. I know it's not quite historical, but for simplicities sake: imagine that you attach your sword to your belt and then go out and notice you need a coat. This restricts your access to the items on your belt and if you close your coat it will be even more restricted to the point that you need to remove your belt and put it above the coat! That's certainly one thing where cloaks are superior, but then again, tunics, etc. have been worn and if you need to add or remove a layer, this can become quite a nuisance, especially if you're doing it often... Plus, the belt might also have the dagger, a knife, your purse, a fire kit, some other trinkets, perhaps a pistol (end of middle ages)... and you might also wear a water container in addition to your belt and later also a musket. All this gets in the way of removing a layer...

7:59 MY MANS IS CAKED UPPPP WTFFF

🎩Hi when I was doing re-enactment stuff many years ago I used to wear a baldrick for my sword. Which ment I could just throw the whole thing off if I needed to. Ie as in pike blocks.

My favorite D&D characters cobble together their best gear from different adventures over a prolonged period of time, which is a big part of the fun, so there is little incentive to buy a complete, pretty set to start. Get what you need as a bare minimum to begin, with the full expectation that you will upgrade individual pieces as you go along. The end result will look hodgepodge, but the overall kit will have sentimental value because you found it and chose those pieces yourself, rather than just forking over gold pieces for someone else to sell you what they chose to design and make available at the time.

I may try this with my 5th to 11th century swords.

I was knot amused.

Interesting thanks :) When did the simple note end as a way of wearing a sword? It would be interesting to see the evolution of belts and notes.

It's just like "fashion" (even when functional fashion) today and across cultures and times. One: whatever works, works, and people aren't always so "precious" as to care. While the more aristocratic and powerful are the type who *sometimes* want all the bells and whistles, not only are they sometimes the ones who don't--they're the very ones privileged enough... not to care. 😉 Which then, paradoxically, sometimes even ends up in swings of fashion where the elitist/upscale *is* the simple/minimalist, while the gauche/maximalist becomes the sign of the vulgar/common. 😜 "And the wheel goes round and round and round..."

How ever you attach it - don't put it on your back! P.S. Matt, would you review bar fight scene with swords (and swords themselves) from movie "The Krays" (1990)?

Reminds me of hanging a spirit rigged yard.

I must vehemently disagree that vertical carry is annoying in close formation. In fact quite the opposite. especially knee in knee (as opposed to stirrup to stirrup) you don't want anybody with a diagonal carry. the sword hanging down the leg is fine, or hanging stright down just behind the hip is also fine. also longswords are actually seen vertically quite a lot, look at the Wolfegger Hausbuch, where nearly everyone has a sword hanging straaight down. In Flemish and German art the shorter swords are more likely to be carried horizontal or diagonal, in particular very short messers.

Do you think this belt method is more effective than a sword frog? Curious on your professional opinion. Thank you. Wonder film. The Lord bless you.

Apologies way off topic, but curious to know if you've tried throwing spears with the North American Indigenous Peoples "Atl-Atl" spear launch device? It's quite ingenious; thought you might enjoy delving into it seeing as your other great videos offered discussions on the Indigenous Peoples use of the Tomahawk. Thanks, Eric.

If you keep it dangling that loosely, then you can also reallyy use it as a back scabbard.

Might be a stupid question because it does depend on an individual’s size, but how long or how much extra length do you want in a medieval say 15th century sword belt?

If this is anything like shoelaces, there will be a website with all kinds of stats about the knots. But it's probably not like shoelaces, most people have shoelaces, whereas not even most people who like swords do knots on their belts.

Swords are easy. How did they keep their socks up without elastic fabric

So for earlier scabbards, is it the angle of the dangle or the belt of the Celt?

Got a question: What kinda messer do you guys think would be ideal to carry/you would be able to carry it (in most places)? I'm thinking the ones that are kinda like fat Bowie knives.

Where is the Pinterest link to the sword belt images? Thank you!

Where did you two get your belts?

Where did you get those belts?

In the Shot at 0:35 is that Drach on Nicholas' right side?

in art, are belts attached easily because it's easy to draw easy knots?

How common were frogs?

Wait a minute....Did I see Drachfinel in your group of reenactors?

7:57 DONK

where can you buy these belts?

Is it acceptable at living history and reenactment events to ask "how's it hanging?"

5:20

You need quite a long belt for these knots. I don’t think I'd be using the same belt from my street clothes. 😉

how about with just an leather scabbard, no wood core/lining/stiffener ?

Great video, Matt. The knot reminded me a lot those shown in a video that Tod Cutler did a couple of years ago. Belts to make your scabbard wearable: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mK58m5aHtq3WeH0.html

I’m using a frog looks better and makes it less needed to have a super long belt

Even a slipknot would probably work with leather

Huh... So we were right all those years ago in the SCA. Just tying our live steel to our garb.

Only 15 minutes?!

The "black belt on black scabbard" part could have benefitted a lot from manually setting the exposure, so you're not depending on the camera deciding whether it wants to show the scabbard, or the relatively bright background.

Constrictor knot, half knot, Slipknot

You wouldn't want to bash people with the end of your thing, no. 😏

Matt the knot your friend did is an (enclosed backhand hitch)! It is the bases for a bunch of mooring, winching, climbing & tugging knots. Not authentic for try sitting doing most daily tasks with a fixed load not on a sheath/scabbard. You think every tom dick & harry used a sailing/climbing knot back then? Perhaps a few but not likely as why wouldthey use a securing knot! If you want to know why most of the art shows no knot visible it's because they often didn't use any for sword sheaths. What they did was rivet or sew a strip in the back of the sheath as a pass to feed any belt through. A sword belt is nonsense because most just used an everyday ordinary belt found in the Middle Ages! If knots were used on a belt, it was normally some decorative split or nonsplit wrap weave followed by a flat stopper or passing back long weave of some kind. Basically, lacing! You have very simple laces & you have 1's that are overly complex for aesthetics with it all being personal taste! You look at all these effigies, but you think a peasant or common levy even owned a leather belt? They just used a bit of cord & if you want a better idea of how sheaths are suspended from the waist look up cordage strung scabbards. will give a lot better idea!