I got the Hanwei/Paul Chen German Side Sword a month or two ago. I love it!
Anyway.
I was curious. I can't seem to find any historical reference for this: How were they normally carried on the belt? Yeah. I know. My question sounds odd. But most period painting and pics are rapiers and typical rapier carriers. Most pics of military arms of the period are usually much different swords and it's difficult to see how most of those scabbards were attatched to the belts. Finding medieval belt/scabbard reference and rapier reference is easy. In between? Not so much.
I have the wider rapier belt from Ravenwood Leather that I've been using for my Torino Rapier, and while it works very well for the Side Sword, I can't help but wonder what the historical standard for this was.
Any ideas/info?
I guess I should also add, not just the German Side Sword (or Reitschwert or "Saxon Hilt" or whatever), but also the spada de lato and early, transition-period rapiers too, since they're comparible in length, width, weight, etc.
somewhat earlier, but it will probably still be some variation off of this:
(http://www.albion-swords.com/images/swords/albion/nextGen/tyrolean/german-landesknecht.jpg)
That's what I was wondering... would it be the same sort of carry as the much shorter Katzbalger? I suppose it could be.
I was searching through some more images last night and I did run across a few that were certainly cut-and-thrust swords and early rapiers that were actually being worn on the standard rapier belts. Who knows?
I am pretty sure it has been brought up before, but it may have been on the old boards.
In general, whatever works for you, using relatively period materials, is usually fine. As long as it works with the locals.
For instance, historically, the great swords that the Scots and Irish were documented as carrying, often didn't have baldrics or scabbards or anything. Similar to the Nodachi of the Japanese. If they were going to fight with them, they left the scabbards at home and either carried them bare or wrapped in straw or whatever was handy. Once they had reached the battle, they would drop the temporary cover and go fight. But you aren't allowed to walk around with bare steel at most festivals, so scabbards are required.
It is not a stretch that the later Germans would continue to use the same variants on holding their swords, just modified for the fashion/clothing restrictions of the time.
Katzbalger's were tied on with a sash around the waist, without a scabbard parrell to the hip. You would basically end up cutting the sash when it was drawn, at least according to the research of the people in charge of the German guild at the Saint Louis Ren Faire, but ask Mythrin.. she is the German costume diva, and is also on this forum.