Ave Crispus,<br>
<br>
Forgive the lack of response, but I've just got back<br>
from vacation. I'm afraid my Newstead is one of the<br>
older designs. But I've at least been waiting (copper<br>
rivets in hand) to modify it a bit. And just wanted<br>
to find out the true purpose for those hooks before<br>
attaching any.<br>
<br>
Actually, I'm here in the old province of Britannia<br>
(I think you're in the US?) and don't belong to a<br>
group, as the nearest ones are 2-3 hours away on<br>
the freeway (and that's going at 70). I just do solo<br>
displays; kids parties and bar mitzvahs a speciality.<br>
<br>
Mostly these days, I seem to be doing an impression<br>
of a guy who'stearing his hair out (but that's enough<br>
of my own problems).<br>
<br>
Coming back to the subject of girth-hooks for a<br>
moment (if it's not boring to anyone) I happen to<br>
know that the legionaries of the Leg II Augusta here<br>
in the UK have routinely been wearing detachable<br>
'z' hooks for years. They slip them over the second-<br>
lowest girth hoops, after bucking their loricas on,<br>
to hold up their balteus. Though, these are actually<br>
Corbridge models, as they're a 1st C unit. I've asked<br>
them if they were using any archaeological evidence<br>
for this, and they admit that there isn't (or wasn't!)<br>
and that they were just hedging their bets till the<br>
Stillfried conundrum was finally sorted out.<br>
<br>
Looking at the practical side, it is true that some<br>
groups have devised ways of threading their belts<br>
through the gladius baldric, so as to kill two birds<br>
with one stone. Firstly, this means that the baldric<br>
helps to hold the belt up. Secondly, it also means<br>
that the belt helps to hold the baldric down, so as<br>
to allow a quick draw for the gladius (just as in<br>
Westerns, gunslingers would tie their holsters down<br>
onto their thighs with a thong, so as to stop the<br>
holster sticking to the gun when drawn).<br>
<br>
However, I still think that it would be wise to have<br>
a pair of metal hooks to hold the belt up. If the<br>
segmentata hoops have been properly cleaned and<br>
rust-proofed (with whatever oil) they are going to<br>
be very slick as well as smooth. And because they<br>
overlap upwards with each other, there's really<br>
nothing to stop a stretchy leather belt from sliding<br>
down (on the left side, at least). Also, most guys<br>
are fairly cylindical in shape, and do not have the<br>
'hourglass' figure that women do. So there is no<br>
natural curvature to ensure that the belt will not<br>
slide off the girth-hoops.<br>
<br>
Also whilst a static or marching display might not<br>
dislodge it, that is not really testing the combination.<br>
It's only during two or three hours of genuine combat<br>
that you'll see what effect all that bending, lunging, stretching and running will do. I bet a few people<br>
would end up with their belts around their ankles<br>
after all that (without a permanent solution) and especially with any extra weight applied to the belt,<br>
such as pugios, danglers and purses. Even if it<br>
didn't slip any further than the upper thighs, it's<br>
going to seriously inhibit moblility.<br>
<br>
Salve, Ambrosius<br>
<br>
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