04-26-2011, 06:51 AM
Yurko,
That is one of the great things here on RAT, the ability to discuss and debate. In the end we all learn something that would otherwise not be possible through simple classroom instruction.
It's not protecting the sword per se but maybe the bands that go across the front and meet at the back might catch the mail become damaged or break off at the rivet heads. The rivets holding the decoration on these scabbards are not large and do not really go that deep and therefore can be loosened easily.
Maybe with cavalry it has something to do with the constant bouncing movement on the mount? Maybe the sword snags the armor in that position and the cloth stops this from occuring. With legionaries the movement is appreciably less since they are not mounted.
My two cents.....
That is one of the great things here on RAT, the ability to discuss and debate. In the end we all learn something that would otherwise not be possible through simple classroom instruction.
It's not protecting the sword per se but maybe the bands that go across the front and meet at the back might catch the mail become damaged or break off at the rivet heads. The rivets holding the decoration on these scabbards are not large and do not really go that deep and therefore can be loosened easily.
Maybe with cavalry it has something to do with the constant bouncing movement on the mount? Maybe the sword snags the armor in that position and the cloth stops this from occuring. With legionaries the movement is appreciably less since they are not mounted.
My two cents.....
"You have to laugh at life or else what are you going to laugh at?" (Joseph Rosen)
Paolo
Paolo