I just recived the sword belt and frog I ordered off E-bay to go with my new ******* sword. The thing is, Ive no idea how the damn thing works. Ive looked through various websites and they either have bugger all info on sword frogs and belts or they don't have this type. The belts over 6'' long, and is supposed to wrap around the waist twice to spread the weight of the sword over both hips, but even with my stick thin waist it woun't go round twice and still allow enough belt to buckle it up. I think im just doing it wrong to be honest : I hope you guys can help. Thanks in advance!
To be honest, I didn't understand much of you post (I'm Norwegian, and can't help it). I can give you some links to sword-attachings, though; perhaps that can help you. In general (weastern) people used two ways to carry their swords, either using a baldric or a belt. Scabbards have usually been made of wood, wool and skin, glued together. Scabbards were stiff, and a medieval manual shows a fighting -technique where you use your scabbard to parry. Baldrics usually came in two split sections, bucle in one end and a loop to go around a pin on the scabbard in the other end, like seen on this picture: http://www.illerup.dk/images/fotoserier/0091.jpg and this: http://www.romancoins.info/balteus-Lyonburial-3rd-mcb.gif Many scabbards have been attached to either a baldric or a belt using additional rings and straps to make the sword hang with an angle from the side, like on this picture: http://www.legionsix.org/Gil's Gladius.jpg Solutions like this one is totally silly, and only relevant for Conan LARPers: http://www.iloveswords.com/images/renaissance/reenactment/REN_baldric2_md.jpg Perhaps your "kit" is meant to go like this one? (I have never seen any sources on this solution from history, but I haven't seen all historical sources either, and for all I know, you don't bother with historical accurasy in the first place ) http://www.schmitthenner.com/images/sch0011.jpg For some reason, I've been linking to roman/migration pereod swords on this post, but this is coincidental, I only linked to the first relevant pictures for my post. Baldrics and belts with the second solution was most common in renissanse/late medieval times, whereas baldriks using the first solution is most common up until 1200.
Thanks for the infomation, my friend. I pretty certain this is meant to hang from the waist and not the back. Essentially its a normal belt, but with the strange addition pictured. I just can't figure out how a swords mean to attach onto it. Those pictures were cool though. But even slung across my shoulder it dosn't fit or work.
The little piece; I see it have a loop at one end, does it have any other loops? If so, I guess one loop is for stitching/riveting to the scabbard of your sword (or just to put the sword straight into the loop, which in that case is completely not historical); and the other loop for threading onto the belt. If there's only one loop, I guess you're meant to stitch the add-on-dimp (the one you call a frog?) at the angle you prefere Stitching leather isn't that difficult, but you must invest in a leather-needle, and use something solid to press the needle through. You should use linnen thread if you want to be historically correct... You should go for the same stitching-dimentions as on the belt itself (even if the stitches seems a little rough to begin with...) I cannot see any buckles; you're going to need/pewter/steel buckles for beeing able to put it onto you. Those can be ordered on net-shops delivering stash to re-enactors; here's a link to a german(?) site with fine stash: http://www.reenactors-shop.de/index.php?cat=c51_High-Medieval.html
