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Market Square => Arms and Armor => Topic started by: Gauwyn of Bracknell on April 29, 2009, 05:55:07 AM

Title: Carrying a crossbow
Post by: Gauwyn of Bracknell on April 29, 2009, 05:55:07 AM
I did a search and did not find an answer. 

I am considering adding a crossbow and curious as to how these would have been carried - lashed to the shoulder in some fashion?
Title: Re: Carrying a crossbow
Post by: tcindie on April 29, 2009, 06:54:40 AM
I would imagine it could be slung over the back on a baldric, much the way a large two handed sword might be
Title: Re: Carrying a crossbow
Post by: Gauwyn of Bracknell on April 29, 2009, 09:26:50 AM
Thank you for this info, it has given me a path to follow and I think it is where I need to go.
Title: Re: Carrying a crossbow
Post by: tcindie on April 29, 2009, 01:37:24 PM
Not sure if that's the authentic method of carry or not, but it does seem to make sense (in my head anyway).. hard to say, every picture I've ever seen the person has it in their hands. :)
Title: Re: Carrying a crossbow
Post by: Gauwyn of Bracknell on April 29, 2009, 02:15:46 PM
A whole day of carrying may get old (might interfere with my holding of the mug  :)
I am one that is not overly concerned about correctness ( I know BAN me now !!)
Title: Re: Carrying a crossbow
Post by: I. Stewart on April 29, 2009, 05:10:31 PM
Quote from: Gauwyn of Brocknall on April 29, 2009, 02:15:46 PM
A whole day of carrying may get old (might interfere with my holding of the mug  :)
I am one that is not overly concerned about correctness ( I know BAN me now !!)

Here here!!

I would just tell you to carry it.  Or don't bring it.  A crossbow is the type of weapon you don't dangle by a rope.  You carry it in your hands so you don't break it.
Title: Re: Carrying a crossbow
Post by: Gauwyn of Bracknell on April 30, 2009, 05:49:12 AM
You have made a good point here - if I carry a crossbow, I will CARRY it -
Title: Re: Carrying a crossbow
Post by: escherblacksmith on April 30, 2009, 09:32:13 AM
Yeah, it looks like they carried it over their shoulder, like a musket or pike.
Title: Re: Carrying a crossbow
Post by: Oldarcher on April 30, 2009, 07:12:38 PM
Carry it at a fest? NO string!!! Let the gatewench figure it out for entrance.
Title: Re: Carrying a crossbow
Post by: Pirateleach on September 20, 2009, 07:10:37 PM
well if someone finds a solution can the please post some pics...im quite curious
Title: Re: Carrying a crossbow
Post by: madmanpsu on September 29, 2009, 07:49:45 PM
Crossbows would have been carried over the left shoulder, just as a musket was carried.  Pikes were almost universally carried over the right shoulder.  I do not know why, but almost every period illustration I have seen depicts it thus.  This is also how you can tell what a person is, Most soldiers in the later part of the rennaissance wore the cavalier style hat, if the fold is on the left side, they were most likely a musketeer, if the folded up side is on the right, they were most likely pike and a gentleman since that was the proper profession for a gentleman to be as a soldier.

Matt aka Mail'n M'Crack
Title: Re: Carrying a crossbow
Post by: groomporter on September 29, 2009, 09:04:29 PM
An insight into being a musketeer, if the right side was down it could help protect your face from powder burns from the flash of the priming powder just a few inches away.
Title: Re: Carrying a crossbow
Post by: madmanpsu on September 30, 2009, 03:58:09 PM
Quote from: groomporter on September 29, 2009, 09:04:29 PM
An insight into being a musketeer, if the right side was down it could help protect your face from powder burns from the flash of the priming powder just a few inches away.

True, and also another reason why the upfolded side of the musketeers hat was ussually the left side.  My personal experience from firing matchlocks though is the protection of the hat brim is minimal. 

Matt aks Mail'n M'Crack
Title: Re: Carrying a crossbow
Post by: Pirateleach on September 30, 2009, 05:45:35 PM
QuoteI did a search and did not find an answer.

I am considering adding a crossbow and curious as to how these would have been carried - lashed to the shoulder in some fashion?


would this be a full size crossbow or a hand crossbow?

Title: Re: Carrying a crossbow
Post by: Gauwyn of Bracknell on September 30, 2009, 07:06:08 PM
hand
Title: Re: Carrying a crossbow
Post by: Pirateleach on September 30, 2009, 08:16:29 PM
yeah... I'm trying to figure that one out too........my sister wants one for her garb..we found the crossbow...but Cant figure a way to carry it ...its not collapsible     grr