I'm not sure if this is the best section to post this question, but since it relates to the equipment of a knight, here goes.I have been approached by my group, the Wellington Medieval Guild, to do a Masterwork in my profession, swordsmithing. I have decided to make a knight's sword of the period 1360-1370 along with its scabbard, belt, and companion dagger and belt.
Why you may ask? It seems the logical choice as I am a combatant and jouster, and belong to a jousting group that concentrates on the latter 14th century. All my equipment that I am currently making is based around representing an English household knight of 1360-1370. The hip belt made of metal plates appeared about 1360, gives itself to lavish decoration, and is a distinctly knightly/noble accessory.
My problem is that my initial research through my library (and it is not a small one) has turned up many funeral brasses and effigies, and a single picture of a couple of plates attached together, but little in-depth detail.
My questions for you, my esteemed collegues, are:
- has anyone done in-depth study of the elaborate belts of the period, to the point of knowing just how they were constructed (I have sources saying they linked to each other, others say to a leather belt)
- are there many surviving belts or plates (I know of only one so far)
- the materials (gold, silver, stones etc)
- details of different ways the sword and dagger scabbards were suspended and constructed (I have details of many surviving sword scabbards, but none from the 14th century - do I just lack the references, or is there some reason few or none survive from the 14th century) and the degrees of decoration on them
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posted 04-08-2002 05:04 PM
