How to carry a claymore?

[Tod]

How would a claymore be carried? It's too long for a baldrick and a back scabbard seems a bit Hollywood.
Any one know? Descriptions or pics would be good.

[Dave B]

Just paint your *rse blue and hold it up over your head whilst running at the enemy and screaming. I've seen it on telly.

[Wim-Jaap]

I don't know for sure, cause I haven't checked for reference after I was told the following:

the blade was rolled into a skin and strapped on the back for traveling.
for battle it was held bij the handle sometimes trailing along until ya got close to the enemy and then it was raised.

as I said, it was told to me and haven't checked it yet!

greenthings Wim-Jaap

[Lindsay]

The one picture I've seen of one being carried it is in a fringed scabbard and tucked into the armpit. The illustration is French from around 1562, I'll see if I can find it online somewhere (my scanner is broken at the moment!)

[Chris T]

As a relativly high status weapon in the society it was used, it is probable that when not in use it would be carried by your servent......problem solved as far as you were concerned!

[steve stanley]

the blade was rolled into a skin

Heard of flexible steel,but that's ridiculous!
Steve

[Phil the Grips]

They weren't carried day to day so don't need a scabbard or carry rig, so likely would be wrapped and transported until needed.

Alfieri's treatise shows greatswords being carried at "slope arms" (pommel in hand, point over shoulder, quillons under armpit)for walking around when between engagements.

[Tod]

That's good, it's for show any way.
"This is a claymore, that is a basket hilted broad sword".

[auldMotherBegg]

Carefully?

[alex lee]

http://www.powayusd.com/teachers/dsykes ... 201521.jpg
check out this link, irish kerns didnt have any scabbards but carried them, i presume this would be the same for other people using a claymore.
[quote="Phil the Grips"]They weren't carried day to day so don't need a scabbard or carry rig, so likely would be wrapped and transported until needed.
phil has the right idea with being wrapprd until used

[zauberdachs]

I think the chap on the left in the same, but complete, image from above is holding it in the manner Phil is talking about.

[Neil Johnston]

Hi Tod

That's good, it's for show any way.

"This is a claymore, that is a basket hilted broad sword".

Remember that in general 18thC Gaelic the use of claymore or "claidheamh mor" did signify a basket hilt sword as well as an "actual" claymore if you know what I mean, it just means a big sword of any type.
The word claymore was also used in an exclamatory fashion, as an order, the equivalent of charge...........basically draw your swords.

Irrelevant to carrying it I know
Cheers
Neil

[Marcus Woodhouse]

The ones I carried had front towards enemy on them if that is any help.

[Andy R]

The ones I carried had front towards enemy on them if that is any help.

(boom-boom)

16th century pictures do show them slung under the arm - it seems a very irish thing that was carried on in Scotland.

Also seen "naked" bladed swords carried over the shoulder by holding the grip or the quilons

[darrelltemplar]

hmm bit of a guess here but claymores were atleast owned in general by at least a landowner as the exspense of such an item, presumably it was wrapped and placed on the horse as a rich landowner, knight sort of person would undoubtedly have a horse

then obviously in battle it was rested off the hip, trailed rested off the shoulder, any means of lestening the weight before the fight i would assume

[EwanDoc]

Since two handed swords wouldn't be carried about day-to-day, I would go with the 'wrapped and transported' theory, most likely transported in the baggage. As they were status items, I would imagine that the owner would have more practical weapons for use on the march, perhaps a shorter sword that could more effectively deal with an ambush situation or the like. At the battle I imagine them being wielded, and when thing became to close on the battlefield, discarded in favour of something shorter.

Though I have heard a report of English archers being issued with two handers, they would stick in the ground quite happily until needed by the archer! Can't imagine an archer bothering with one when on the march if they could flog it onto the baggage cards!

[muscles1977]

The Scottish claymore was too long to carry like a regular sword so it was carried on the back. Unlike other scabbards the claymore scabbard had a slit on the side of the scabbard so that you could easily retrieve it as compared to pulling it up and possibly hurting yourself in the process.

[John Waller]

The Scottish claymore was too long to carry like a regular sword so it was carried on the back. Unlike other scabbards the claymore scabbard had a slit on the side of the scabbard so that you could easily retrieve it as compared to pulling it up and possibly hurting yourself in the process.

Interesting. Do you have any evidence to support this?

[guthrie]

I don't think I've ever come across someone trying to justify the carrying on the back thing before.

[Mark Griffin]

A metal ring in your belt....preferably the leather has to have lots of knotwork on it...?

Goes and hides behind a sofa...

[KeithFarrell]

The term claymore always seems to refer to the basket-hilted broadsword in the literature from the 17th and 18th century - it seems to be only in the 19th century that people started using the term to refer to the twa-handit sword. I would be fascinated to see any evidence to the contrary if anyone is able to provide it.