@@danquaylesitsspeltpotatoe8307 his prop sword does actually have a slot and does go in and out like that. You can find images of the original prop online.
@@scholagladiatoria Not much of a scabbard when its 20% the length of the sword and back is missing for 80% so the sword can come out! I bet there was multiple different versions!
Is the wood that I used in these scabbard radically different than what would be used in an environment with a great deal of rain? If there isn't much difference is it because of using what is available and doesn't split, shrink, rot, or whatever? For the scabbard that is lined with sheepskin... how does it help to reduce moisture on the blade? In a moist environment where condensation always finds the cold metal, is it just that within the scabbard, (which is very restricting to air circulation if not air tight), the sheepskin wicks the moisture away from the blade? Or, is it something else that I haven't thought of? Thank you again for your very informative videos! I had always wondered how Morgan Freeman's scabbard was designed to allow him to draw his sword!! Btw... was the shape of his sword ever actually seen in history? I am thinking in one of the Indiana Jones movies there is someone who had a very similar sword.
too late we've all unsubscibed and chapenoob memes are in full production oh wait this isn't normal social media, as you were :D have an excellent christmas
This video made me curious about the scabbards of the other famous Turkish sword, the yataghan. It has a forward curve, would it have a slot on the front of the scabbard? What about the dacian falx (spelling?)?
As a Persian i must say there are different types of shamshir in Iran and your shamshir is for horsback use and there are types of shamshir that has les curve and for footsoldiers hope you get your hands on one 🙌
@@pavelp3442 les curved sword means more reach so it was more practical on foot and helped soldiers in combat. On the other hand more curved swords helped soldiers on horseback for landing clean cuts and more controlebele slashes.
@@pavelp3442 European heavy cavalry swords tend to have a very low curve, making it easier to use from a big horse and giving you an reach advantage against infantry and other cavalry. Light cavalry on the other hand (like the hussars) tended to have a heavier curve. Although these are just trends. But for comparison you can look at the british 1796 pattern swords (1796 saw a complete redesign of the british military swords. So there are 1796 infantry, light cavalry and heavy cavalry swords).
@@fiendishrabbit8259 looks like there are different opinions on this (different trends probably). In his old video on the 1796 heavy cavalry sword, Matt mentions infantry officers carrying light and very curved sabres. It'd be great to see a video on the different preferences for cavalry and foot swords
@@pavelp3442 You might want to carry a curved sword as an infantry officer since it allows for better draw cuts when you're really close up. But the official 1796 pattern infantry officers sword is straight as an arrow.
The curvature patterns of these swords is generally to have a substantially strait portion followed by a much more highly curved portion. This is a part of the geometry that contributes to their extremely draw cutting power. In this way, the portion of the sword doing the cutting is given a fantastically advantageous alignment relative to the target for a deep draw cut, while the strait portion gives you reach and velocity in the cut. A sword with a uniformly extreme curvature, at a similar weight and rigidity, will tend to have terrible reach and a tendency to deliver shallow cuts with a very weak penetration. Lots of curvature, concentrated towards the end of the sword, is what necessitates the scabbard design.
@@edward9674 I mean, tbh its not so much convergent evolution as it is that their common ancestor, the turko-mongol saber influenced basically all of these sword designs from years of nomadic warfare and trade. Whether the curved swords be from europe, the middle east and north africa, or east asia. Almost all swords of these types can claim descent from the nomadic raiding swords of old.
I've got a Chinese Dao sword with this type of slit on the back. It's one of those things I would never have thought of, but the first time I noticed the slit it just made perfect sense. It's cool to see other sword types using the same idea
With regards to the issue of water entering the scabbard, I have seen a few Persian manuscripts that show them worn "upside down" with the point of the blade pointing towards the ground. Though I'm not sure if this was specifically done to keep water out or if it was just a preference, and most images seem don't show them being worn that way so presumably most people weren't that worried about it.
This is a topic which @IpostSwords has looked into. Both historical manuscripts and late 19th century photographs show a range of possible ways to wear IndoPersian, Arabian, and Ottoman sabres. The very same sabre might be worn edge down, nearly vertically, as well as edge up, among a group of men wearing swords. It's not entirely clear if edge down is a more typical 'cavalry' style, making it easier to access while mounted, and edge up is a way to keep the sword more wrapped up and closer to the hip while walking around (similar to the difference in mounting position between the Japanese Tachi and Uchigatana). Perhaps IPS will release a video on the topic!
It would vary. Tokugawa Era Japan favored suspending the scabbard with the point curved towards the ground, both to preserve the edge and to support batto/iaijutsu, among other reasons. While I am strongly inclined to believe that the Persians had practical reasons for how they suspended them, I am skeptical that rain was an especially prominent factor.
Early 19th century pictures of Egyptian Mamluks (e.g. paintings and sketches by Carle Vernet) show them wearing their swords edge up. Since Egypt was part of the Ottoman Empire at that time I assume that this was an Ottoman fashion.
The hardest swords I've tried to get out of scabbards are the Ethiopian shotel sword and Afar gile knife, both of which have a rather extreme curvature or bend. Also quite terrifying as both are sharp on both sides and the sheaths are just leather around two slats of wood so when the scabbard sticks it seems like an accident waiting to happen.
Then there's the objectively stupid design of the third blade shape that can be drawn from a scabbard with the same shape as the blade - a helix. I don't have any idea how you'd actually go about making one, and the mental image of someone frantically trying to unscrew the blade as they crank it up out of its scabbard still makes me giggle; its only use is as a topological exercise.
Same here. Given Matt’s breadth of experience I’m sure it would be a fantastic video. I love both of these sword types. The Kilij I’ve seen are a really extreme design. It looks like 90% of the effort is put into making it the perfect draw cutting blade. To that end, everything about the sword is extremized, from the geometry and rigidity of the strait portion of the blade, to the localized extreme curvature and the tendency towards spatulate tips.
Yeah, me too. Prime difference is probably the kilich having "Yalman" blade tip which also has a reverse sharpened back probably to use on oppenents' wrists & ankles with the swords' backsides. That might also cause some problems if you hold the opened slot of the sheath while unsheathing the blade like the video describes. If video happens i hope Scholagladiatoria looks at Ottoman's "Karabela" as it usually has pretty long Yalman part on back-tip(about 20-25cm). Btw "Karabela" in Turkish literally means kara=dark/black & bela=trouble. As "kılıç" literally means "sword" in Turkish; it has various designs like wider or slimmer blades; bigger or shorter yalmans (sometimes yalman can even be dissolved into the blade's backside), longer and/or bigger curve etc. all based on different preferences & eras (from 1100s to 1900s; even earlier kilich designs from Central Asia/Northern China/Mongolia where Turks were/are living) Curvature's main reason is that curved blades do not get stuck on meat as much as straight swords so no need to slash&pull movement to do a cut; which makes curved blades necessity on horseback. Pommel having curved shape downwards is also because of horseback fighting; pommel's curve lets rider to keep sword at hand better after slashing. Those are what i know about our Kılıçs, hope those infos might help a bit to the people who are curious about them.
These two swords originate from Central Asia and are Turkish cavalry swords that came to the Middle East with the Seljuks. The Ottomans made the tip heavier to make it effective against European heavy armor.
I have a Shamshir at home and didn't know! Mine doesn't have the slot, but it still fits fairly snuggly. It has however another peculiarity: since the curve is the opposite of constant, the scabbard can't have the same curve or thickness as the blade. It must be a bit less curved and thicker in order to get the bend around the corner so to speak...
Yeah, there are other options to deal with the problem, and blades with a more regular and constant curve don't suffer the same degree of problem as blades that suddenly curved in one portion of the blade, as with most kilij/pala.
Probably already somewhere in the comments, but I have a little experience in cossack style saber fencing and when I was at events or festive meetings and wearing my battle ready saber we wear it katana-style-blade-up some time in an broad belt. So the European solution to rain could just be to wear them slot-down and turn if needed or use some alternative drawing techniques (there is one in cossack fencing sometimes).
Yes. Please do your comparison of the Kilij and Shamshir. My Kopis has a slit in the scabbard too. Properly positioned and rigged, the slit in the scabbard makes my Kopis the fastest and easiest sword to draw that I have. I actually practice quick draw with that one in preparation for the imminent Zombie Apocalypse. Thank you for all your great presentations.
It is also worth noticing that this kind of slit also allows for quick draw of sword. Surprisingly there are some indian swords moderately curve which have slit toward edge and such sword carried edge up in sash and again slit give the advantage of quick draw.
Well, quicker. The slot means there is less length to clear which means faster drawing; the difference is marginal, though (in a Tueller drill scenario, this would be the equivalent of a few more feet of starting distance). The angle likely matters at least as much, as it allows drawing from a steeper angle, meaning it comes out closer to you and thus less liable to be obstructed.
Tries to draw the sword. Oh crap, my hand is on the slot! It's ok, just gotta get used to it. Wait, it's a kilij with false edge at the end. What is my thumb doing on the ground?
Interesting topic. A comparison of the Kilij and Shamshir would be interesting and the influence of booth types on east European and Balkan sabres would be informative. Thanks for the topic !
Thank you! you just solved one of my long time questions about these kinda swords! as a persian I like how you dug up the meanings and the story of them!
in regards to more info on kilij swords (but this concerns any sword designs discussed on the channel) it would be awesome if in addition to an examination of their history and development, there is also a collaboration with modern martial experts similar to your recent collaboration with one of the leaders of hama
I'd really like a video examining the differences between the shamshir and kilij! I only have a passing understanding of them, so a deeper dive would be super valuable
Once I was thinking about the technical problem of the famous drawing of swords from the scabbard on the back or easily pulling out, for example, a long rapier from the scabbard, and similar solutions were on my mind :) Due to the rain that Matt talks about, I saw this solution a bit differently.
@@GetterRay The zweihänder is rather difficult to wear at hip level, and if you wear it on your shoulder, like a banner, it is exposed to the rain. And we still have the problem of long rapiers. Even if you have them at hip level, you waste a lot of time getting them out, it's difficult in a narrow space, etc.
I didn't even know about the slots until, funny enough, I played Zelda: Breath of the Wild and noticed that all the curved Gerudo sword sheaths have them, which is an interesting detail considering (probably to avoid working the graphics team to death) most of Link's swords just clip out of the sheath when he draws them anyway.
09:42 to be fair when raining you can cover it with your cloak, actually many paintings of rebels and mercenaries from the Balkans depicting them doing so 😉 Not to mention that soldiers in modern day they do the same thing with their rifles and raincoats / ponchos
Sheath design for odd shaped blades has been on my mind all weekend after re-watching the first Hobbit film and watching Richard Armitage damn near take his fingers off drawing Orcrist for the first time.
Intrigued by your mentioning the swords that are wider at the tip, as they are pretty popular in video games, but I've always thought they would be impossible to sheath. Hope to see you covering that topic at some point!
i remember being told as a kid that the swordsman had to cut their thumb so it would slide in smoothly - never sure if that was a common myth or maybe conflating other myths about not sheathing without drawing blood
That certainly sounds like a myth. In the days before tetanus vaccinations and before antibiotics any cut could prove deadly. You would not want to be cutting yourself all the time. This may come from thefact that witg many swords like the katana you feel the blade into the scabbard. Thus allows you to continue to survey the battlefield or the room without looking at your scabbard (a distraction), while you are sheathing your blade. Of course, the backs of Katanas are not sharp so you can let them glide over your finger to determine the oosition of the blade relative to the opening of the scabbard, when you are sheathing the blade. In this manner you "guide" the blade into the sheath, but what you are really doing is determining where it is. You'd never want to do this with the edge as you would likely cut yourself. The goal is to cut the other guy. I have had many older Americans tell me, "You can never sheath this sword with out first drawing blood." I have heard that statement applied to the Gurka Kukri, the Japanese katana and a whole host of other usually "foreign" weapons. I am note sure where it comes from, but I suspect it was originally someone telling an American overseas that they never drew their blades unless they were going to use them. You know kind of like you caution people against brandishing a fiream. "Don't draw it unless you are goibg to use it." The idea here was to avoid conflict and only use your weapon, when you absolutely had to. Don't be a show off in other words. Unfortunately it was often miscobstrued to show how bloodthirsty the enemy was, carryibg the connotation "Everytime they draw that thing someobe has to die! How barbaric they are!" 😂
A very dispersed myth. Blood is not only an awful lubricant, it would damage the steel in the long run, and make your grip slippery. Other than some romantic notion of swords being magically thirsty there's no practical reason, nor any registered history of this I've heard of in any culture ( Not to mention the risk of infection)
I feel like this is a prank they’d pull on a n00b like a fetch the keys to the hummer or blinker fluid or whatever. Albeit meaner because it would ruin the sword, but same idea
Thank you for solving a puzzle that I have occasionally wondered about when I’ve seen swords with inconsistent curves (radii?) or coins were wider further along the blade, over the several decades I’ve been interested in medieval/fantasy weapons. 😄 Were European swords like the more exaggerated falchions similarly stored in scabbards with slots, or did did Europeans come up with different solutions. And yes, I’d love to see a video in more depth regarding the shamshirs vs kilij and other similar swords.
My father happens to have a couple of chinese swords and there are two broad sabres that have the same kind of slot on the scabbard, and it's quite a smart way to deal with sheathing something too broad for a common sheath. Also, I've seen some images of ottomans and simmilar cultures wearing their curved swords with the edge upwards, so maybe that's how they dealt with rain if they had to? It would be interesting to know, since as you said on India the monzoon would have surely been a problem for these swords and they were used nontheless, so there must be a way to deal with rain.
The Japanese carry their swords with edge upwards too, so it makes sense. They do it to preserve the edge, so other people may do it for a variety of reasons, including protecting from rain.
I've seen on some illustrations a special case or cover on the tsuka of the katana of traveling samurais as protection from elements. Maybe there were something like this, but for scabbards, in Osman Empire and India.
@@scholagladiatoria Might be cool to have a comparison video with the lk chen and maybe some other models of antique you have from this area i.e. mameluke swords, tulwars etc and their differences?
YES !!! CURVED SWORDS - and their respective scabbards ‼️ Let’s have more of that! ☺️ Also; content on how they were worn, and why, throughout history, please. 🤞🏻🙏🏻 I’d very much like to see good replicas of Ottoman kilij (and pala). The few available examples of modern reproductions are (usually) neither visually appealing, well made, nor historically accurate… 😐 EDIT: As a bonus; here’s an excerpt from my (unpublished!) novel: "[…] His sword felt rather stiff as it slid into the broad, fat, thick base slot." 🖋️😁
Regarding the rain issue with the slit, one thing that could be done is to wrap some protective cloth around said slit (whilst still making it quickly removable in order to draw. That or you can use situational awareness to decide when it's safe to wrap it around or remove it when you feel there's danger).
Yeah, i've been scared once or twice by this open slots before. As you point out Matt there should be little to no worry if you bump into the ricasso when the sword is coming out, but it's obviously not a great habit. And of course some sabres have yelman with various degrees of sharpness so better keep that hand away ;-)
On the point of rain getting into the scabbard I would think to mitigate the problem you could put a hollow metal endcap (unsure what you would call it) on the bottom of the scabbard to let water drain out while maintaining the integrity of the scabbard. It's far from perfect but surely better than just letting water sit in with the blade.
Thank you very much for covering this. As a writer of fantasy RPGs I had been thinking of having elves carry curved blades, but this indicated I should give it a bit more thought as "it's magic" should never be the main solution to things
Not only were there European copies of Mameluke swords, and those captured during conflict with the Muslim world, but there were a substantial contingent of Egyptian Mamelukes who served for many years in Napoleon I's army in Europe and likely would've carried those types of swords on those campaigns in colder, wetter European climates.
"Dusman geldi tabur tabur dizildi "Enemy came and take position batalion by batalion Alnimiza kara yazi yazildi Dark destiny written on our forehead Tufeng icad oldu, mertlik bozuldu Rifle invented honour broken Egri kilic kininda paslanmalidir" Curved blade shall rust in its scabard" Koroglu That rusted sword reminded me an old heroic poet from a Turkish Robin Hood hope you restore it
The nagamaki-naoshi (or whichever model came first) has a wider blade toward their tips that required their sheaths to have the same slot. It's exceptionally rare to see a surviving blade like that because after a period they had to change the shapes per shogunate mandate, or something.
Working with swords in a museum collection, I was taught to hold the sword stationary then 'pinch' the scabbard and draw it off the sword; thus protecting the fingers and ensuring good point control regardless of skill level. I'd definitely say that 'never choke the scabbard when drawing an edged weapon unless you're personally familiar with it" is a good rule.
Could you make a video on how the ayyubids/Turks/Mamelukes etc.,fought more heavily armored Crusader opponents with their swords, be they curved or straight?
I'm reminded of Chinese oxtail swords. Those make the scabbard over-wide at the top instead of having a slot, but there's the same idea of the guard interlocking with the top part of the scabbard to eliminate rattle.
The quickest draw (unless the scabbard is made how magicians burn things; THAT is the quickest and coolest draw) is done with a very tiny scabbard covering only the tip, no matter if the sword is completely rusted except the tip. This works perfecty if the sword is made for stabbing but can be done in sabres as well. Like the highlander movie sword.
I have a sword I picked up in Northern Iraq in 2006 (and probably overpaid for) that doesn't have that slot. While it is a more severe curve than a western saber, it's not quite so severe as the examples here in the video. This has peaked my curiosity- could it be a more local design? It does rain in the northern areas of Iraq, Syria and Iran in the winter time, and that slot would be a problem during that rainy season.
There is a ton of variation in curvature of blades even in a given location. Beyond that, the need for a slot in the scabbard is due to the changing curvature. If the curve is consistent enough, you don't need a slot as it will consistently move down the scabbard (it could make it easier but it wouldn't be necessary). If you look closely, these both have a fairly straight section out from the grip before curving severely and that is what makes a slot absolutely necessary. My assumption is that the more severe the curve the more of a straight section you need for it to work right, so a less curved blade can support a more consistent curve and not need a slot. And I suspect this would also make sense in any swords made for sale as show pieces.
@88porpoise yeah I'm nor exactly sure what the provenance of my sword is- the handle looks more modern, with a pearl-ish colored plastic or bakelite and a cheap metal composition. The blade is Damascus style and the tang is only an inch or two, which makes very little sense to me. It's older though- definitely not made recently- and appears to have been patched or repaired a few times. The sheath is some type of steel with extensive acid etched designs up and down both sides.
Excellent video! I would add one "best practice" tip for grasping scabbards, especially new/unknown ones; rather than wrapping the hand around the scabbard, grip the back (the "spine" side), below any slot. This is safer, in the event that the front of the scabbard splits or opens. Most scabbards (European-style examples anyway, as well as many others) have a wooden core glued along the edges (or not...), and can split open under stress. Best not to have the hand in the path of the moving blade. Cheers, I'm NOT Matt Easton and presumably will continue to be so
Matt has done several videos on kukri and actually addressed this issue with antiques so I guess the same idea carries over. In fact I'm surprised he didn't raise it here; great point!
@@Tommiart it's one of those safety practices that quickly becomes ingrained habit-like keeping one's finger on the frame of a handgun, out of the triggerguard-and you just CAN'T do it wrong anymore
The thing about that Turk sword is, the rings make the slot hang on the bottom side.. it won't fill with rain because it's worn like a katana with the edge/curve up. (Shashka are worn the same way as well.. god I want one but it'd have to be custom forged as my hands are a lot bigger than the average sword handle.. like the one my father sent home from Saudi Arabia.)
Quite a few Ottoman kilij scabbards have a thin spring loaded metal strip integrated into the locket which covers the slot, but they are often lost on antiques because they are so flimsy. Not a thing with Persian shamshir scabbards though, because these very rarely have lockets at all. That does not rule out covers made from perishable materials of course.
A slotted scabbard is not technically nessasary for a heavily curved sword as long as the curvature is even the full length of the blade. So it isn't the amount of curvature of the blade but the unevenness of the curvature that makes the slot required. Or simply a much wider tip then base of the blade.
One thing that I don't know I've ever heard addressed is Islamic world sword-culture. We discuss quite a bit how much swords were carried in Europe, what kinds of swords, who was allowed to carry them, in what contexts, and for what purposes, and how all that changed over time. But what the laws and social customs were around the wearing and use of swords in the Islamic world, I have no idea. A future video topic maybe? I would certainly be interested.
I imagine a small leather wrap to cover the top of your sword would be an easy piece of kit if you know you're going to be moving about in inclement weather. Even if you don't have a slot in your scabbard, it would still be a good idea to cover the entire grip, crossguard and scabbard opening. Obviously this is not something you'd want particularly tight or difficult to remove. I can see just a simple square of leather folded over top and secured with a single thong, easily loosed and removed should the sword be required.
Those Damascene Kilij swords were very much used in South-Central Europe even among adversaries of Ottomans and are often mentioned in heroic epics. To protect themselves from rain, I suppose soldiers had to use some waterproof cape which would cover armor and sword and could be quickly removed for battle.
If I knew about the side slot I didn't remember prior to this video however even though I do have an affinity for swords I don't think I have a particularly super strong interest in middle eastern swords and thats probably why I missed or didn't recall that particular detail but either way the side slot feature of the scabbard is interest.
Right, so this has a lot to do with how constant the curve is. Swords like the Japanese katan tend to have noticeable but very even curves, so the entirety of the blade can follow the same curved path through the scabbard. These kinds of solutions where you need extra wide scabbards and slotted scabbards is for when the curve or width of the blade is more extreme towards the end of the blade. I remember watching The Hobbit movies, and noticing that the sword orcrist as depicted there has an slit opening on the front of the scabbard, so that the wide front of the blade can come out. It even made me kind of anxious seeing how close Elrond's fingers were to the edge of the blade as he drew it out. Did any historical scabbards have that particular design, and would it be practical? Maybe it would be practical if we assume elven metal is more or less immune to corrosion.
you could use this sort of method if you wanted to store a sword on your back because the the slit would allow you to pull out to sside rather than jsut up whitch allows yout o have back mounted scabbards. :D
there is a solution matt, that you forget or maybe dont aware yet, but i have seen it in many antiques kilij or shamshir, there is a cap! that can close that gap on the scabbard, like a long bar which only open when you are expecting to use the sword, please make this become topic in your next video
im in love with this one, LK keeps on going, (some is a definite miss for me but i really like LK, i have some, they are great and their customer service is good)… maybe this will be my next acquisition i’m not sure
I think it still works for back scabbards for the simple reason that if I’m going out in the rain, I’m going to cover my sword whether its in a split scabbard or not.
In a well fitted scabbard sand penetration is going to be limited while the sword is sheathed and the exposed potion is not sharpened so it is not a big issue. It would allow for some additional sand penetration when the scabbard is empty but I am guessing not a huge deal compared to the open top and the benefits of such a sword design.
It seems like a leather flap across the slot would protect the sword from rain and still allow the sheathing and unsheathing of the sword. It could even have a fastener to make it secure for long term storage.
Good idea. These swords were often from desert environments tho, so it was probably not the same kind of issue as for a knight trolloping around rainy England
I wanted to see the blade on that kilij! I love those swords. I would like to see a video on how these swords were carried. How the rings were used and such.
One solution to the problem of water ingress to the scabbard, is that you occasionally see a hinged strip of metal covering the gap. I can't be sure from the video, but it looks like your kilij scabbard has the remnants of such a hinged cover.
Very informative video Matt! Would have never thought that there would be a slit in the scabbard. I'm a huge fan of Indian and Persian weapons - would you (or anyone else here in the comments) happen to know where I could get my hands on a good quality, functional Talwar or Shamshir?
Hi Matt, just a little thought: When you see paintings of men with shamshir in the Napoleonic era, you usually see them worn with the edge facing rearwards. I wonder if this could be to keep rain out? I have admittedly not given this much thought, so I may be way off.
Whoa, ok so this make's perfect sense. I always assume "back mounted" swords were a similar system (tho more like layered sheets of leather/metals that allow for a side-loaded sheathing system)
On an irrelevent subject - Please please please can you explain how light lances worked? I can't see you wouldn't lose the lance at best during an interaction - or at worst hurt the lancer at point of contact, potentially getting jammed in and pulling the horsemen off.
Y'know, I was thinking not too long ago how someone might develop a scabbard for sheathing an excessively large sword to make it capable of being worn on the hip instead of carried in the arms, and wouldn't you know it, the simplest solution I could come up with was a slot near the throat(?) of the scabbard. Had no idea that there are surviving examples of exactly that.
Curved swords firstly used by Turks. After them, other civilazations who fought aganist them tried to make similar weapons, because they saw they are got beaten by them. But Turks managed always being #1 at swords in the world.
i always find the assertion that kilij type swords and shamshir type swords can be geographically defined odd since both designs are pretty common for ottoman era swords in the european portion of the empire. like ive seen both of these kinds of swords in museums in Greece and in paintings of various Greek and Albanian historical figures. also on rain i think ive seen some of these kinds of sabers in paintings worn with the edge up and across the butt and wondered with it was to keep the slot down so water doesnt collect in there.
Visit sterlingpacific.com/LONGSWORD and use code 'LONGSWORD' for $300 off!
Trouble is morgans sword is 2.5-3 times as wide as the opening of the scabbard! Wont go in or out! The slot has to be 80% of the scabbards length! LOL
@@danquaylesitsspeltpotatoe8307 his prop sword does actually have a slot and does go in and out like that. You can find images of the original prop online.
@@scholagladiatoria Not much of a scabbard when its 20% the length of the sword and back is missing for 80% so the sword can come out! I bet there was multiple different versions!
Извините, мои возможности сильно ограничены военными действиями, линия фронта менее чем100 км ещё раз извините если нарушил ваши правила.
Please note that I said chape several times when I meant locket... The chape is at the bottom of the scabbard, the locket is at the top.
Is the wood that I used in these scabbard radically different than what would be used in an environment with a great deal of rain? If there isn't much difference is it because of using what is available and doesn't split, shrink, rot, or whatever?
For the scabbard that is lined with sheepskin... how does it help to reduce moisture on the blade? In a moist environment where condensation always finds the cold metal, is it just that within the scabbard, (which is very restricting to air circulation if not air tight), the sheepskin wicks the moisture away from the blade? Or, is it something else that I haven't thought of?
Thank you again for your very informative videos! I had always wondered how Morgan Freeman's scabbard was designed to allow him to draw his sword!! Btw... was the shape of his sword ever actually seen in history? I am thinking in one of the Indiana Jones movies there is someone who had a very similar sword.
Nerd.
@@pepepepito623NPC
too late we've all unsubscibed and chapenoob memes are in full production
oh wait this isn't normal social media, as you were :D
have an excellent christmas
This video made me curious about the scabbards of the other famous Turkish sword, the yataghan. It has a forward curve, would it have a slot on the front of the scabbard? What about the dacian falx (spelling?)?
As a Persian i must say there are different types of shamshir in Iran and your shamshir is for horsback use and there are types of shamshir that has les curve and for footsoldiers hope you get your hands on one 🙌
I thought it was the opposite? More curved for foot combat, and less curved for cavalry? European cavalry sabres seem to be slightly curved
@@pavelp3442 les curved sword means more reach so it was more practical on foot and helped soldiers in combat. On the other hand more curved swords helped soldiers on horseback for landing clean cuts and more controlebele slashes.
@@pavelp3442 European heavy cavalry swords tend to have a very low curve, making it easier to use from a big horse and giving you an reach advantage against infantry and other cavalry. Light cavalry on the other hand (like the hussars) tended to have a heavier curve. Although these are just trends. But for comparison you can look at the british 1796 pattern swords (1796 saw a complete redesign of the british military swords. So there are 1796 infantry, light cavalry and heavy cavalry swords).
@@fiendishrabbit8259 looks like there are different opinions on this (different trends probably). In his old video on the 1796 heavy cavalry sword, Matt mentions infantry officers carrying light and very curved sabres. It'd be great to see a video on the different preferences for cavalry and foot swords
@@pavelp3442 You might want to carry a curved sword as an infantry officer since it allows for better draw cuts when you're really close up. But the official 1796 pattern infantry officers sword is straight as an arrow.
The curvature patterns of these swords is generally to have a substantially strait portion followed by a much more highly curved portion. This is a part of the geometry that contributes to their extremely draw cutting power. In this way, the portion of the sword doing the cutting is given a fantastically advantageous alignment relative to the target for a deep draw cut, while the strait portion gives you reach and velocity in the cut. A sword with a uniformly extreme curvature, at a similar weight and rigidity, will tend to have terrible reach and a tendency to deliver shallow cuts with a very weak penetration.
Lots of curvature, concentrated towards the end of the sword, is what necessitates the scabbard design.
Seems like many peoples across the world discovered that, convergent evolution in design.
@@edward9674 I mean, tbh its not so much convergent evolution as it is that their common ancestor, the turko-mongol saber influenced basically all of these sword designs from years of nomadic warfare and trade. Whether the curved swords be from europe, the middle east and north africa, or east asia. Almost all swords of these types can claim descent from the nomadic raiding swords of old.
@@winsunwong5648yippee!
I've got a Chinese Dao sword with this type of slit on the back. It's one of those things I would never have thought of, but the first time I noticed the slit it just made perfect sense. It's cool to see other sword types using the same idea
Which dao was it? To my knowledge, I've never seen any dao use that style of scabbard.
@@imstupid880 It was just a $50 stainless steal one I found on Amazon, I'm looking for the link, but not sure which one it was now
With regards to the issue of water entering the scabbard, I have seen a few Persian manuscripts that show them worn "upside down" with the point of the blade pointing towards the ground. Though I'm not sure if this was specifically done to keep water out or if it was just a preference, and most images seem don't show them being worn that way so presumably most people weren't that worried about it.
This is a topic which @IpostSwords has looked into. Both historical manuscripts and late 19th century photographs show a range of possible ways to wear IndoPersian, Arabian, and Ottoman sabres. The very same sabre might be worn edge down, nearly vertically, as well as edge up, among a group of men wearing swords. It's not entirely clear if edge down is a more typical 'cavalry' style, making it easier to access while mounted, and edge up is a way to keep the sword more wrapped up and closer to the hip while walking around (similar to the difference in mounting position between the Japanese Tachi and Uchigatana). Perhaps IPS will release a video on the topic!
It would vary. Tokugawa Era Japan favored suspending the scabbard with the point curved towards the ground, both to preserve the edge and to support batto/iaijutsu, among other reasons. While I am strongly inclined to believe that the Persians had practical reasons for how they suspended them, I am skeptical that rain was an especially prominent factor.
Вода непроникнет, замок на рукояти надвигается поверх устья ножен.
Early 19th century pictures of Egyptian Mamluks (e.g. paintings and sketches by Carle Vernet) show them wearing their swords edge up. Since Egypt was part of the Ottoman Empire at that time I assume that this was an Ottoman fashion.
@@Shadow-of-Mampangя живу в регионе где пользовались именно таким оружием несуществующее теперь крымское ханство, дождя иногда пол года не бывает.
The lock system of curved swords is so interesting! Yes, we need a video taking about the kilij.
another great video. Glad you're delving more into the Middle-Eastern and Ottoman weapons. Very interesting stuff for sure.
The hardest swords I've tried to get out of scabbards are the Ethiopian shotel sword and Afar gile knife, both of which have a rather extreme curvature or bend. Also quite terrifying as both are sharp on both sides and the sheaths are just leather around two slats of wood so when the scabbard sticks it seems like an accident waiting to happen.
Then there's the objectively stupid design of the third blade shape that can be drawn from a scabbard with the same shape as the blade - a helix. I don't have any idea how you'd actually go about making one, and the mental image of someone frantically trying to unscrew the blade as they crank it up out of its scabbard still makes me giggle; its only use is as a topological exercise.
As usual, a great video. I would be interested in the differences between killich and shamshir
Same here. Given Matt’s breadth of experience I’m sure it would be a fantastic video. I love both of these sword types. The Kilij I’ve seen are a really extreme design. It looks like 90% of the effort is put into making it the perfect draw cutting blade. To that end, everything about the sword is extremized, from the geometry and rigidity of the strait portion of the blade, to the localized extreme curvature and the tendency towards spatulate tips.
Yeah, me too. Prime difference is probably the kilich having "Yalman" blade tip which also has a reverse sharpened back probably to use on oppenents' wrists & ankles with the swords' backsides. That might also cause some problems if you hold the opened slot of the sheath while unsheathing the blade like the video describes. If video happens i hope Scholagladiatoria looks at Ottoman's "Karabela" as it usually has pretty long Yalman part on back-tip(about 20-25cm). Btw "Karabela" in Turkish literally means kara=dark/black & bela=trouble. As "kılıç" literally means "sword" in Turkish; it has various designs like wider or slimmer blades; bigger or shorter yalmans (sometimes yalman can even be dissolved into the blade's backside), longer and/or bigger curve etc. all based on different preferences & eras (from 1100s to 1900s; even earlier kilich designs from Central Asia/Northern China/Mongolia where Turks were/are living)
Curvature's main reason is that curved blades do not get stuck on meat as much as straight swords so no need to slash&pull movement to do a cut; which makes curved blades necessity on horseback. Pommel having curved shape downwards is also because of horseback fighting; pommel's curve lets rider to keep sword at hand better after slashing. Those are what i know about our Kılıçs, hope those infos might help a bit to the people who are curious about them.
I'd love if you talked more about the difference between the shamshir and the kilij!
These two swords originate from Central Asia and are Turkish cavalry swords that came to the Middle East with the Seljuks. The Ottomans made the tip heavier to make it effective against European heavy armor.
I have a Shamshir at home and didn't know!
Mine doesn't have the slot, but it still fits fairly snuggly. It has however another peculiarity: since the curve is the opposite of constant, the scabbard can't have the same curve or thickness as the blade. It must be a bit less curved and thicker in order to get the bend around the corner so to speak...
Yeah, there are other options to deal with the problem, and blades with a more regular and constant curve don't suffer the same degree of problem as blades that suddenly curved in one portion of the blade, as with most kilij/pala.
Probably already somewhere in the comments, but I have a little experience in cossack style saber fencing and when I was at events or festive meetings and wearing my battle ready saber we wear it katana-style-blade-up some time in an broad belt. So the European solution to rain could just be to wear them slot-down and turn if needed or use some alternative drawing techniques (there is one in cossack fencing sometimes).
Not a topic I'd really thought that much about but am still glad to have answered. And yes please I'd love a more detailed Kilij/Pala video.
Yes. Please do your comparison of the Kilij and Shamshir. My Kopis has a slit in the scabbard too. Properly positioned and rigged, the slit in the scabbard makes my Kopis the fastest and easiest sword to draw that I have. I actually practice quick draw with that one in preparation for the imminent Zombie Apocalypse. Thank you for all your great presentations.
Imminent? What do you know that the rest of us don't?
@@tylerhobbs7653 I know how to open my eyes and look around. Cheers!
@@tylerhobbs7653i know what he just said, you should too
I can’t tell if homie is joking or is genuinely schizophrenic
@@hisoka6272 i om sure you are qualified to diagnose someone from one comment on Toooooob ... Dr dip**it
Yes please go into more detail on these examples, especially for all the future Mohamets in your home land
It is also worth noticing that this kind of slit also allows for quick draw of sword.
Surprisingly there are some indian swords moderately curve which have slit toward edge and such sword carried edge up in sash and again slit give the advantage of quick draw.
Well, quicker. The slot means there is less length to clear which means faster drawing; the difference is marginal, though (in a Tueller drill scenario, this would be the equivalent of a few more feet of starting distance). The angle likely matters at least as much, as it allows drawing from a steeper angle, meaning it comes out closer to you and thus less liable to be obstructed.
Tries to draw the sword.
Oh crap, my hand is on the slot!
It's ok, just gotta get used to it.
Wait, it's a kilij with false edge at the end.
What is my thumb doing on the ground?
Interesting topic.
A comparison of the Kilij and Shamshir would be interesting and the influence of booth types on east European and Balkan sabres would be informative.
Thanks for the topic !
Thank you! you just solved one of my long time questions about these kinda swords! as a persian I like how you dug up the meanings and the story of them!
More data on THAT Kilij? Yes, please.
in regards to more info on kilij swords (but this concerns any sword designs discussed on the channel) it would be awesome if in addition to an examination of their history and development, there is also a collaboration with modern martial experts similar to your recent collaboration with one of the leaders of hama
As a Persiaphile I appreciate this so much! Thank you, Matt! ♥
Would love to learn more about the differences between a shamshir and a kilij!
Yes we definetly need a video comparing the two!
I'd really like a video examining the differences between the shamshir and kilij! I only have a passing understanding of them, so a deeper dive would be super valuable
Always interested in catching up with new developments and reminders of past lessons learned about scimitars. They never get old.
Once I was thinking about the technical problem of the famous drawing of swords from the scabbard on the back or easily pulling out, for example, a long rapier from the scabbard, and similar solutions were on my mind :) Due to the rain that Matt talks about, I saw this solution a bit differently.
The solution is that you don't. You only carry swords on the back when travelling and draw them from the hip when fighting.
@@GetterRay The zweihänder is rather difficult to wear at hip level, and if you wear it on your shoulder, like a banner, it is exposed to the rain. And we still have the problem of long rapiers. Even if you have them at hip level, you waste a lot of time getting them out, it's difficult in a narrow space, etc.
You don't draw your Zweihander in the middle of battle, you bring it already drawn. The scabbard is just for travelling.@@Zbigniew_Nowak
I actually HAVE wondered about this. Thanks, Matt!
I didn't even know about the slots until, funny enough, I played Zelda: Breath of the Wild and noticed that all the curved Gerudo sword sheaths have them, which is an interesting detail considering (probably to avoid working the graphics team to death) most of Link's swords just clip out of the sheath when he draws them anyway.
09:42 to be fair when raining you can cover it with your cloak, actually many paintings of rebels and mercenaries from the Balkans depicting them doing so 😉
Not to mention that soldiers in modern day they do the same thing with their rifles and raincoats / ponchos
Thank you, I always wished you'd show this whenever you're doing videos with these types of weapons.
Sheath design for odd shaped blades has been on my mind all weekend after re-watching the first Hobbit film and watching Richard Armitage damn near take his fingers off drawing Orcrist for the first time.
Yes please do a video on the differences between the shamshir and the kilij! :)
Intrigued by your mentioning the swords that are wider at the tip, as they are pretty popular in video games, but I've always thought they would be impossible to sheath.
Hope to see you covering that topic at some point!
Love the videos thank you for all the hard work making them always learn so much from them.
the slot is a much better concept than buttons on modern wide ended machetes
Yeah I hate those lol
i remember being told as a kid that the swordsman had to cut their thumb so it would slide in smoothly - never sure if that was a common myth or maybe conflating other myths about not sheathing without drawing blood
That certainly sounds like a myth. In the days before tetanus vaccinations and before antibiotics any cut could prove deadly. You would not want to be cutting yourself all the time. This may come from thefact that witg many swords like the katana you feel the blade into the scabbard. Thus allows you to continue to survey the battlefield or the room without looking at your scabbard (a distraction), while you are sheathing your blade. Of course, the backs of Katanas are not sharp so you can let them glide over your finger to determine the oosition of the blade relative to the opening of the scabbard, when you are sheathing the blade. In this manner you "guide" the blade into the sheath, but what you are really doing is determining where it is. You'd never want to do this with the edge as you would likely cut yourself. The goal is to cut the other guy.
I have had many older Americans tell me, "You can never sheath this sword with out first drawing blood." I have heard that statement applied to the Gurka Kukri, the Japanese katana and a whole host of other usually "foreign" weapons. I am note sure where it comes from, but I suspect it was originally someone telling an American overseas that they never drew their blades unless they were going to use them. You know kind of like you caution people against brandishing a fiream. "Don't draw it unless you are goibg to use it." The idea here was to avoid conflict and only use your weapon, when you absolutely had to. Don't be a show off in other words. Unfortunately it was often miscobstrued to show how bloodthirsty the enemy was, carryibg the connotation "Everytime they draw that thing someobe has to die! How barbaric they are!" 😂
Only if your sword is haunted and craves blood /j
A very dispersed myth. Blood is not only an awful lubricant, it would damage the steel in the long run, and make your grip slippery. Other than some romantic notion of swords being magically thirsty there's no practical reason, nor any registered history of this I've heard of in any culture ( Not to mention the risk of infection)
I feel like this is a prank they’d pull on a n00b like a fetch the keys to the hummer or blinker fluid or whatever. Albeit meaner because it would ruin the sword, but same idea
@@connorjensen9699 Bring me the WLAN cable.
Thank you for solving a puzzle that I have occasionally wondered about when I’ve seen swords with inconsistent curves (radii?) or coins were wider further along the blade, over the several decades I’ve been interested in medieval/fantasy weapons. 😄
Were European swords like the more exaggerated falchions similarly stored in scabbards with slots, or did did Europeans come up with different solutions.
And yes, I’d love to see a video in more depth regarding the shamshirs vs kilij and other similar swords.
My father happens to have a couple of chinese swords and there are two broad sabres that have the same kind of slot on the scabbard, and it's quite a smart way to deal with sheathing something too broad for a common sheath.
Also, I've seen some images of ottomans and simmilar cultures wearing their curved swords with the edge upwards, so maybe that's how they dealt with rain if they had to? It would be interesting to know, since as you said on India the monzoon would have surely been a problem for these swords and they were used nontheless, so there must be a way to deal with rain.
The Japanese carry their swords with edge upwards too, so it makes sense. They do it to preserve the edge, so other people may do it for a variety of reasons, including protecting from rain.
I've seen on some illustrations a special case or cover on the tsuka of the katana of traveling samurais as protection from elements.
Maybe there were something like this, but for scabbards, in Osman Empire and India.
I had always wondered about those langets. Thanks.
Always thought they were just decorative.
Please do video on the antique kilic
Thanks, yes a video on kijij/pala is well overdue.
@@scholagladiatoria Might be cool to have a comparison video with the lk chen and maybe some other models of antique you have from this area i.e. mameluke swords, tulwars etc and their differences?
The way I was JUST watching someone cut a cake with a giant curved sword.....
YES !!! CURVED SWORDS - and their respective scabbards ‼️ Let’s have more of that! ☺️ Also; content on how they were worn, and why, throughout history, please. 🤞🏻🙏🏻
I’d very much like to see good replicas of Ottoman kilij (and pala). The few available examples of modern reproductions are (usually) neither visually appealing, well made, nor historically accurate… 😐
EDIT: As a bonus; here’s an excerpt from my (unpublished!) novel: "[…] His sword felt rather stiff as it slid into the broad, fat, thick base slot." 🖋️😁
How does it go in? Splendid thank you.
Regarding the rain issue with the slit, one thing that could be done is to wrap some protective cloth around said slit (whilst still making it quickly removable in order to draw. That or you can use situational awareness to decide when it's safe to wrap it around or remove it when you feel there's danger).
Yeah, i've been scared once or twice by this open slots before.
As you point out Matt there should be little to no worry if you bump into the ricasso when the sword is coming out, but it's obviously not a great habit. And of course some sabres have yelman with various degrees of sharpness so better keep that hand away ;-)
3:57 The Matts playing "Loose in the scabbard" with Diamoooonds
On the point of rain getting into the scabbard I would think to mitigate the problem you could put a hollow metal endcap (unsure what you would call it) on the bottom of the scabbard to let water drain out while maintaining the integrity of the scabbard.
It's far from perfect but surely better than just letting water sit in with the blade.
Thank you very much for covering this. As a writer of fantasy RPGs I had been thinking of having elves carry curved blades, but this indicated I should give it a bit more thought as "it's magic" should never be the main solution to things
Not only were there European copies of Mameluke swords, and those captured during conflict with the Muslim world, but there were a substantial contingent of Egyptian Mamelukes who served for many years in Napoleon I's army in Europe and likely would've carried those types of swords on those campaigns in colder, wetter European climates.
"Dusman geldi tabur tabur dizildi "Enemy came and take position batalion by batalion
Alnimiza kara yazi yazildi Dark destiny written on our forehead
Tufeng icad oldu, mertlik bozuldu Rifle invented honour broken
Egri kilic kininda paslanmalidir" Curved blade shall rust in its scabard" Koroglu
That rusted sword reminded me an old heroic poet from a Turkish Robin Hood hope you restore it
3:00 I for one would love a more in-depth look at Kilij vs Shamshir, throw in Pulwar while you're at it too
The nagamaki-naoshi (or whichever model came first) has a wider blade toward their tips that required their sheaths to have the same slot.
It's exceptionally rare to see a surviving blade like that because after a period they had to change the shapes per shogunate mandate, or something.
Working with swords in a museum collection, I was taught to hold the sword stationary then 'pinch' the scabbard and draw it off the sword; thus protecting the fingers and ensuring good point control regardless of skill level. I'd definitely say that 'never choke the scabbard when drawing an edged weapon unless you're personally familiar with it" is a good rule.
I made a scabbard for an antique talwar a while back and working with the curvature was a bit of a challenge for sure.
Could you make a video on how the ayyubids/Turks/Mamelukes etc.,fought more heavily armored Crusader opponents with their swords, be they curved or straight?
I'm reminded of Chinese oxtail swords. Those make the scabbard over-wide at the top instead of having a slot, but there's the same idea of the guard interlocking with the top part of the scabbard to eliminate rattle.
literally any video you post on the kılıç or other Ottoman weapons I will watch
Same me for shamshir😅
In need of a clean or not, I really feel you left us hanging there Matt by not completely drawing and showing off that nice broad pala blade. :oP
I wondered for years, so this journey is over
Thanks Matt
May your penetration always light the heart of your enemies with fear
The quickest draw (unless the scabbard is made how magicians burn things; THAT is the quickest and coolest draw) is done with a very tiny scabbard covering only the tip, no matter if the sword is completely rusted except the tip. This works perfecty if the sword is made for stabbing but can be done in sabres as well. Like the highlander movie sword.
I have a sword I picked up in Northern Iraq in 2006 (and probably overpaid for) that doesn't have that slot. While it is a more severe curve than a western saber, it's not quite so severe as the examples here in the video. This has peaked my curiosity- could it be a more local design? It does rain in the northern areas of Iraq, Syria and Iran in the winter time, and that slot would be a problem during that rainy season.
There is a ton of variation in curvature of blades even in a given location.
Beyond that, the need for a slot in the scabbard is due to the changing curvature. If the curve is consistent enough, you don't need a slot as it will consistently move down the scabbard (it could make it easier but it wouldn't be necessary). If you look closely, these both have a fairly straight section out from the grip before curving severely and that is what makes a slot absolutely necessary.
My assumption is that the more severe the curve the more of a straight section you need for it to work right, so a less curved blade can support a more consistent curve and not need a slot. And I suspect this would also make sense in any swords made for sale as show pieces.
@88porpoise yeah I'm nor exactly sure what the provenance of my sword is- the handle looks more modern, with a pearl-ish colored plastic or bakelite and a cheap metal composition. The blade is Damascus style and the tang is only an inch or two, which makes very little sense to me. It's older though- definitely not made recently- and appears to have been patched or repaired a few times. The sheath is some type of steel with extensive acid etched designs up and down both sides.
you got scammed@@tmmccormick86
Really amazing how much technology is involved in producing swords
Excellent video! I would add one "best practice" tip for grasping scabbards, especially new/unknown ones; rather than wrapping the hand around the scabbard, grip the back (the "spine" side), below any slot. This is safer, in the event that the front of the scabbard splits or opens.
Most scabbards (European-style examples anyway, as well as many others) have a wooden core glued along the edges (or not...), and can split open under stress. Best not to have the hand in the path of the moving blade. Cheers, I'm NOT Matt Easton and presumably will continue to be so
Matt has done several videos on kukri and actually addressed this issue with antiques so I guess the same idea carries over. In fact I'm surprised he didn't raise it here; great point!
@@Tommiart it's one of those safety practices that quickly becomes ingrained habit-like keeping one's finger on the frame of a handgun, out of the triggerguard-and you just CAN'T do it wrong anymore
The thing about that Turk sword is, the rings make the slot hang on the bottom side.. it won't fill with rain because it's worn like a katana with the edge/curve up. (Shashka are worn the same way as well.. god I want one but it'd have to be custom forged as my hands are a lot bigger than the average sword handle.. like the one my father sent home from Saudi Arabia.)
A flap (like on a holster) could provide weatherproofing with only slightly more hassle sheathing the sword?
Quite a few Ottoman kilij scabbards have a thin spring loaded metal strip integrated into the locket which covers the slot, but they are often lost on antiques because they are so flimsy. Not a thing with Persian shamshir scabbards though, because these very rarely have lockets at all. That does not rule out covers made from perishable materials of course.
“When you re-sheathe, put your tip into the slot”
Matt Easton 2023
A slotted scabbard is not technically nessasary for a heavily curved sword as long as the curvature is even the full length of the blade. So it isn't the amount of curvature of the blade but the unevenness of the curvature that makes the slot required. Or simply a much wider tip then base of the blade.
One thing that I don't know I've ever heard addressed is Islamic world sword-culture. We discuss quite a bit how much swords were carried in Europe, what kinds of swords, who was allowed to carry them, in what contexts, and for what purposes, and how all that changed over time. But what the laws and social customs were around the wearing and use of swords in the Islamic world, I have no idea. A future video topic maybe? I would certainly be interested.
I imagine a small leather wrap to cover the top of your sword would be an easy piece of kit if you know you're going to be moving about in inclement weather. Even if you don't have a slot in your scabbard, it would still be a good idea to cover the entire grip, crossguard and scabbard opening. Obviously this is not something you'd want particularly tight or difficult to remove. I can see just a simple square of leather folded over top and secured with a single thong, easily loosed and removed should the sword be required.
Those Damascene Kilij swords were very much used in South-Central Europe even among adversaries of Ottomans and are often mentioned in heroic epics. To protect themselves from rain, I suppose soldiers had to use some waterproof cape which would cover armor and sword and could be quickly removed for battle.
It also makes it easy for dust and fine sand to get in.
Let’s do the killij video. Side question Matt if you keep the blade straight up or the side without the slot won’t it keep the rain out ?
If I knew about the side slot I didn't remember prior to this video however even though I do have an affinity for swords I don't think I have a particularly super strong interest in middle eastern swords and thats probably why I missed or didn't recall that particular detail but either way the side slot feature of the scabbard is interest.
You see those warriors from Hammerfell? They’ve got curved swords. Curved Swords!
Charlemagne
The Lord of the Rings
My favourite bit was at the end when Dumbledore came to the rescue in the stealth F-14.
10:00 Cloaks do ofc mitigate the problem, especially a side opening one.
I adopted the same solution when I made a sheath for my Elwell 4789 slasher.
Right, so this has a lot to do with how constant the curve is. Swords like the Japanese katan tend to have noticeable but very even curves, so the entirety of the blade can follow the same curved path through the scabbard. These kinds of solutions where you need extra wide scabbards and slotted scabbards is for when the curve or width of the blade is more extreme towards the end of the blade.
I remember watching The Hobbit movies, and noticing that the sword orcrist as depicted there has an slit opening on the front of the scabbard, so that the wide front of the blade can come out. It even made me kind of anxious seeing how close Elrond's fingers were to the edge of the blade as he drew it out. Did any historical scabbards have that particular design, and would it be practical? Maybe it would be practical if we assume elven metal is more or less immune to corrosion.
you could use this sort of method if you wanted to store a sword on your back because the the slit would allow you to pull out to sside rather than jsut up whitch allows yout o have back mounted scabbards. :D
there is a solution matt, that you forget or maybe dont aware yet, but i have seen it in many antiques kilij or shamshir, there is a cap! that can close that gap on the scabbard, like a long bar which only open when you are expecting to use the sword, please make this become topic in your next video
im in love with this one, LK keeps on going, (some is a definite miss for me but i really like LK, i have some, they are great and their customer service is good)… maybe this will be my next acquisition i’m not sure
The question of whether we want more on the kilij and shamshir is always a yes!
I would really like a video describing the differences between the Persian and Turkish swords.
I think it still works for back scabbards for the simple reason that if I’m going out in the rain, I’m going to cover my sword whether its in a split scabbard or not.
Single edged double entendre?
Very appropriate for this channel.
Carrying in a dry area, I'm more concerned with sand and dust than rain most of the year. That might be part of the problem with that wide blade.
Exactly. Same problem with quivers. Just cover the gap while traveling.
Polishing the blade as you draw...
In a well fitted scabbard sand penetration is going to be limited while the sword is sheathed and the exposed potion is not sharpened so it is not a big issue. It would allow for some additional sand penetration when the scabbard is empty but I am guessing not a huge deal compared to the open top and the benefits of such a sword design.
It seems like a leather flap across the slot would protect the sword from rain and still allow the sheathing and unsheathing of the sword. It could even have a fastener to make it secure for long term storage.
Good idea. These swords were often from desert environments tho, so it was probably not the same kind of issue as for a knight trolloping around rainy England
@@KF1 After having lived in the desert for a year, keeping sand out of things is as important as keeping water out. Sand gets everywhere.
I wanted to see the blade on that kilij! I love those swords. I would like to see a video on how these swords were carried. How the rings were used and such.
One solution to the problem of water ingress to the scabbard, is that you occasionally see a hinged strip of metal covering the gap. I can't be sure from the video, but it looks like your kilij scabbard has the remnants of such a hinged cover.
Very informative video Matt! Would have never thought that there would be a slit in the scabbard. I'm a huge fan of Indian and Persian weapons - would you (or anyone else here in the comments) happen to know where I could get my hands on a good quality, functional Talwar or Shamshir?
Hi Matt, just a little thought:
When you see paintings of men with shamshir in the Napoleonic era, you usually see them worn with the edge facing rearwards. I wonder if this could be to keep rain out?
I have admittedly not given this much thought, so I may be way off.
Whoa, ok so this make's perfect sense. I always assume "back mounted" swords were a similar system (tho more like layered sheets of leather/metals that allow for a side-loaded sheathing system)
Do falchions have something similar, or do they just have wider sections at the crossguard that fit snuggly into the scabbard opening?
On an irrelevent subject - Please please please can you explain how light lances worked?
I can't see you wouldn't lose the lance at best during an interaction - or at worst hurt the lancer at point of contact, potentially getting jammed in and pulling the horsemen off.
Y'know, I was thinking not too long ago how someone might develop a scabbard for sheathing an excessively large sword to make it capable of being worn on the hip instead of carried in the arms, and wouldn't you know it, the simplest solution I could come up with was a slot near the throat(?) of the scabbard. Had no idea that there are surviving examples of exactly that.
I diden't know but honnestly makes a lot of sense.
Curved swords firstly used by Turks. After them, other civilazations who fought aganist them tried to make similar weapons, because they saw they are got beaten by them. But Turks managed always being #1 at swords in the world.
i always find the assertion that kilij type swords and shamshir type swords can be geographically defined odd since both designs are pretty common for ottoman era swords in the european portion of the empire. like ive seen both of these kinds of swords in museums in Greece and in paintings of various Greek and Albanian historical figures.
also on rain i think ive seen some of these kinds of sabers in paintings worn with the edge up and across the butt and wondered with it was to keep the slot down so water doesnt collect in there.