Carrying a crossbow

[Gauwyn of Bracknell]

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?

[tcindie]

I would imagine it could be slung over the back on a baldric, much the way a large two handed sword might be

[Gauwyn of Bracknell]

Thank you for this info, it has given me a path to follow and I think it is where I need to go.

[tcindie]

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.

[Gauwyn of Bracknell]

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 !!)

[I. Stewart]

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.

[Gauwyn of Bracknell]

You have made a good point here - if I carry a crossbow, I will CARRY it -

[escherblacksmith]

Yeah, it looks like they carried it over their shoulder, like a musket or pike.

[Oldarcher]

Carry it at a fest? NO string!!! Let the gatewench figure it out for entrance.

[Pirateleach]

well if someone finds a solution can the please post some pics...im quite curious

[madmanpsu]

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

[groomporter]

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.

[madmanpsu]

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

[Pirateleach]

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?

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

[Gauwyn of Bracknell]

hand

[Pirateleach]

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