Types of Scabbard
Scabbards were generally made in three layers. A pair of wooden laths were shaped and placed together to make a solid housing for the sword, which was lined with sheepskin and the outside covered with leather or linen. You can also make a scabbard using only the sheepskin lining and a leather outer, as this is not only easier but will also not bruise your leg if it gets thwacked by your opponent's sword. The photos below show three types of scabbard (click on the thumbnails to enlarge). On the left is Felix's Paul Binns scabbard (sheepskin + wood + linen). It is decorated with tooled leather and metal crosses. The close-up second from left shows the leather topmount and strapping arrangement. The central picture shows Cai's scabbard in construction, with the laths and stitchwork visible. The two photos on the right show Freya's scabbard, which doesn't have laths but does have a cast bronze chape. Note the different strapping arrangement from Felix's scabbard - this is simply a way of making the scabbard detachable from the sword belt.
Making a scabbard with no wooden laths
These instructions are for making a sheepskin-lined leather scabbard with no wooden laths. They assume you know the things covered in Leather work.
What you need
- Curved awl (sharpened)
- Stitch marker
- Craft knife
- Linen thread (4-5 times the length of your sword blade)
- Two leather needles
- Sheepskin
- Leather (approx. 3mm is tough but workable).
- Metal scabbard fittings if you want them.
- 2 or 3 thongs or lengths of string
- Beeswax
Directions
1) First make a sheepskin lining for your scabbard. Cut out a single piece that will cover your sword by folding over one edge of the blade. Trim the fluff down to approx. 5mm or less in length. Sew up the open side of the sheepkin to make a nicely-fitted 'sock' for your sword. Then sew up the bottom. Trim the seams. For the lining, you can use single-needle hand stitching or machine stitch.
2) Now, put your sword in its new sheepy sock and lay it on the flesh side of your leather. Use the craft knife to cut out a piece of leather that will wrap around your sword with the edges of the leather butting together up the centre of the blade. To aid in measuring, tie two or three thongs around the leather with the sword inside and trim any excesss. n.b. Make sure your scabbard isn't so tight that it prevents you drawing the sword easily! The tip of the sword should be covered, and the top end will need to be shaped to fit nicely under your lower guard.
3) Before you do anything else, check again that your leather is the correct size and shape. These directions assume that you will not be trimming the leather again from this point.
4) Mark stitches approx. 4 mm from the long edges of the leather, on the grain side, making sure that both sides match up squarely when the edges meet. Use the awl to make grain-edge holes.
5) Using the thongs to keep the leather rolled into a tube, join the edges using tunnel stitch. Wax each length of thread and the needles before starting to sew.
6) You can now add your scabbard fittings (or just sew up the bottom end).
