Cross Belt: How, when and where to wear it?

[DamnthePants]

I love cross-belts. Even if they serve no function. I have been trying to find a cheap one, or make one. I also have some evil machinations towards a double cross belt with a large pauldron on one side. Since I dont have any now, suspenders, crossed infront with a nice buckle, really are all I can do.

Would some say its a costume? Yes
Would I care? Not really

You only get one go around the world, so I dont plan on saving any plans for the second go-around.

[Good Egg]

You only get one go around the world, so I dont plan on saving any plans for the second go-around.

Quite - life is not a dress rehearsal.

[highland mafia]

I love cross-belts. Even if they serve no function. I have been trying to find a cheap one, .

How tall are you and how much do you wanna spend?? I got old one..

[artificer]

I was perusing the welcome threads and saw this picture posted by Robert (Ancienne Alliance):

Yeah, but that's Robert! I don't know of many other individuals with his poise, grace and general style.

I say wear it in good health. Life's too short to quibble about details, but heavy weaponry is a P.I.T.A, if you can't finish off an opponent with a sgian or a nut to the face, your chances with a sword are minimal at best

[cavscout]

Another configuration option, do as MOR suggests below and get a long, thin, black, leather dog collar, buckle it, cut it in half on the opposite side of the circle you just created, get two snap hooks from the hardware store and rivet one on each of the cut ends. Run one trigger snap through the frog and clip the trigger snaps to each of the rings.

[O'Callaghan]

When you run out of other places to carry your ammunition, LOL!

[Scotcop]

I like it, and I say wear it full formal with a sherrifmuir doublet and fly plaid, like they are doing.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

OPTIONS

1. soak the loop of the baldric in warm water, then slowly force the scabbard into the opening. You may have to remove the rings to do this.

2. remove the shanks that the rings pass through and braze a stud onto the scabbard. If doing this you will have to disassemble the scabbard to make sure that the sides aren't lined with thin strips of balsa wood (or plastic!) to prevent the blade rattling as these may ignite or melt during the brazing process.

3. cut open the back of the loop, leaving enough leather at the top to fit two or three snaps. Add a piece of leather to the bottom of the cut, wide enough to accommodate the top half of the snaps, and adjust to give you a snug fit around the scabbard.

When I was at Wilkinson Sword some of the scabbards for broadswords were fitted with a leather wrap between the sling loops that had a nickle-plated stud attached to it. This stud "buttoned" though a small hole with a vertical slit in the frog (ie: the loop) of the baldric and prevented the sword from sliding out. We also occasionally supplied scabbards without loops and with the stud brazed directly on to the scabbard.

Without wishing to sound critical, I suspect that the cost of modifying your sword's scabbard could possibly exceed the cost of the sword. That being the case, if you want to wear your sword, you might try this:

Go to your local pet store and get the longest, thinnest, black pet collar available. After sliding your scabbard into the frog pass the end of the collar through the bottom ring on the scabbard, then slide it through the frog and pass it through the top ring (this puts the buckle away from the mouth of the scabbard). Now buckle the collar and you are in business.

Of all the options provided my myself and others, I would recommend #3 as being probably the least difficult (and most satisfactory) option as it involves no modifications to your scabbard, and leaves the baldric looking as it should.

[davidlpope]

At the risk of sounding critical, is there any real purpose in you having to work so hard to wear a sword/ baldric? While on duty as a Marine officer I rated a sword, but wore it only twice, once as adjutant for the Marine Corps Birthday Ball and once for a Marine wedding. In those settings there was a logical reason to be "under arms". Even then, the sword tends to clank around, get in the way, get scratched up, etc. and I put it back in its protective case as soon as I was done using it.

Unless one in fullest uniform as a Pipe Major, piper, etc. I really can't see any purpose in wearing around a Scottish basket-hilted broadsword, particularly one that resembles the officer's pattern of the Highland regiments. My $.02, so please don't take offense, but it smacks of brigadoonery and playing "dress up".

Cordially,

David

[Tobus]

One thought I've been kicking around for day wear is to make a leather satchel with a wide shoulder strap giving the appearance of a cross-belt. You might look at mounting a wide satchel bag to the cross-belt in lieu of the scabbard. That would at least make it more practical and functional and that can tend to help accessories "work" better with an outfit when they have a purpose.

That would be kind of cool. I'd like to see pics if you ever follow through on that idea. The satchel would be very handy for toting around items that won't fit in the sporran, and making it a functional modern use of the cross-belt idea sounds grand!