Character: A few months back I made a wooden rapier scabbard for myself Johann Schmitt saw it, liked it and asked if I would make one to fit his rapier. This scabbard is the result. It is made from Scots pine and Atlas cedar. The two colors and types of wood were used to give the scabbard its banded took. The layers of wood were bonded together with hide glue, leaving a slot for the blade to slip into. The lower portions of the pine were not glued in place, but are allowed to Rex and better hold the blade. When the glue had dried the outside of the scabbard was shaped by carving and sanding. Once a pleasing shape had been reached, leather bands were added to help bind the wood and to add decoration. They were tacked in place with hide glue, then the ends were stitched together. The hide used was from my scrap bin, left over from other projects. Its origins are uncertain. The thread is a heavy Flemish linen, purchased from House Giovanni. Finally the wood was given a protective coating of varnish. The scabbard is intended for daily use so it is not highly decorated, nor is it strong enough for a war scabbard. it should do a fine job of protecting the rapier blade during normal use and storage. As Johann will be leaving us soon, the scabbard is my parting gift to him.

History: Because a good sword blade was a valuable and cherished item, owners have always made a special effort to protect their swords. This has most often taken the form of a leather, wood or metal scabbard. Often combinations of materials are used to add protection and decoration, however the essentials remain the same. The blade edge must be protected from damage that will dull it and the blade must be protected from corrosion. While a poorer owner might have only one scabbard, wealthier owners would have several? a plain but sturdy scabbard for daily use, a lightly built but elaborately decorated scabbard for formal occasions, a heavy metal reinforced scabbard for combat (in dire straights it could serve as a club) and a storage scabbard or sword box.

Substitutions: The wood used in making the scabbard is not European but American in origin. Thus Southern pine substitutes for the Scots pine and native cedar for the Atlas cedar. These woods are similar in appearance and properties and make very credible substitutes. Rather than doing all of the shaping solely by hand, some power tools were used to cut the initial strips of wood, however fitting and finishing were done by hand, much in the manner of a medieval craftsman. Ehner's carpenters glue was used in place of the hide glue?if for no other reason than it smells much better. The scraps of leather were probably purchased from Tandy Leather some years ago. The thread is not linen, but a heavy cotton. While I could have used varnish, this scabbard will be worn exposed to the weather at fairs so I used a polyurethane coating that would withstand hard use better than varnish. Despite the substitutions, the final look of the scabbard is virtually identical to the appearance of a scabbard made using all medieval methods and materials.

Sources:
1. The Complete Encyclopedia ofArms and Weapons, Edited by Leonid Tarassuk, Simon and Schuster, New York
2. The Encyclopedia of Wood, Edited by Aidan Walker, Facts on File, Oxford, New York
3. World Woods in Color, William A. Lincoln, Macmillan Publishing Co., New York
4. Coloring, Finishing and Painting Wood, Adnah Clifton Newell, Chas. A. Bennett Co., Peoria, Illinois
5. Home Tanning, Kathy Kellogg, Williamson Publishing Co., 1984