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Wearing the Sword [This is a very condensed extract from our not-yet-release d book - ""The Textbook of Stage Violence". All rights reserved]Ancient - bronze/iron-aged cultures – Assyrian, Greek, Roman, Celtic
> Military - No hard rules about how to wear them, but it seems they usually hung straight down from a waist belt on the left side of the body. One big exception: Roman armies wore the sword on the right side. Why? They were trained to use a series of weapons as they approached the enemy – initially 2 spears thrown at the enemy during a charge, then a shorter stabbing spear up close, and then finally the short sword once the spear is damaged or lost. At this distance the left side of the soldier might be pressed against his own shield, and drawing a sword on the left side would be difficult. As the right side of the body is slightly away from the battle, and the sword blade is short, drawing with the right hand can be thus be accomplished without encumbrance. (Attention to detail is how the Romans built an empire.)> Civilian - The sword is apparently not worn off of the battlefield.Medieval Europe
> Military – The heaviness of the sword means that it’s only going to hang straight down no matter what you do, usually from a waist belt and sometimes from a double waist belt so as to distribute the weight on both hips. (Theatre note: the double belt works great when you are on horseback, but walking around on a stage it lowers the sword to an uncomfortable height with the tip literally dragging on the floor. Let it ride high on the waist for fewer complaints from the actors.) The larger two-handed swords were sometimes worn on the back, but only to take them to the battle. Once there, the soldier would take off the sash, unsheathe the sword, and dump the sheath and sash before running into the fray. (Theatre note: you cannot draw a sword which is longer than your own arm when the scabbard is worn on the back.)> Civilian – Again the sword is not worn away from the battlefield.Renaissance and Cavalier Europe Manufacturing improvements reduce the cost of steel while improving its quality. 
> Civilian – At last a sword is designed so that it can be worn on a daily basis. The rapier is a purely civilian weapon, and is always worn at an angle. The preferred leatherwork is a shoulder sash combined with a waist belt so as to keep the sword and scabbard tightly secure to the body, but as this is a fashion statement as well as a practical weapon, a wide variety of hanging options are seen. The sword is affordable enough so that not only nobles but also the expanded middle class can wear this sword for all occasions.Restoration/Rococo Europe > Military – It took a long time, but finally armourers learned from the Muslim armies that a curved sword is stronger than a straight sword at the same weight. The curved sabre quickly replaces the broadsword for almost all armies worldwide. The straight sabre is also used, but usually intended for impaling rather than slashing, so is a thin bladed weapon compared to the curved sabre.
Wearing the sabre depends on the intended use. Infantry (ground fighting) units need the sword to ride rather high from a sash for unencumbered marching and running, while cavalry (horse backed) units have the sword hanging down at nearly knee level. (Theatre note: since most of your actors will not in fact be on horseback when on stage, don’t force them to wear the actual contraption.) Left-handed swords were discouraged in previous times, but
starting around 1660, left-handed swords are no longer allowed for
military use. The soldiers stand so close together that it is impossible to have
one person draw the sword differently than the others (sometimes actors
request a left handed sabre and scabbard. IT DOESN’T EXIST). All swords are
worn on the left side and must be drawn with the > Civilian – For the only time in history, a sword is designed primarily as a social statement, all practical considerations being secondary. The ultra thin, light and fast smallsword cannot be used against a sabre (it would disintegrate so no battlefield use) is mastered only after years of training (takes a lot of money so you have to be rich) and demands that your opponent use a similar weapon (so you will fight only those of your same social class). Even wearing the sword is subject to style. The waist belt completely disappears and the sash becomes lighter, requiring special training from a dance master to even walk with grace. Wearing a sword moves back to being for the upper class only.The 1800’s and Beyond > Military - As firearms become practical and dependable and capable of repeat fire, the use of the sword is reduced with each passing war. It slowly devolves in practicality; retained first as a weapon of last resort, then as only a badge of rank, then finally as a sentimental relic.> Civilian – Replaced by the pistol, the civilian sword disappears and never returns.Wearing the Sword on Stage The main difficulty in putting a sword on an actor is that they can’t think of anything else when it’s on. Never comfortable with their hands, actors allow their left to become fixed onto the hilt as though glued on. The only remedy is practice: walking, turning, sitting, going up and down stairs, even running if possible, all without using the hand to hold the sword in place. This will take time and patience, so start at the earliest rehearsal possible. The second problem comes when actors have to fight with the sword. Stepping backwards while fighting is tough enough, and sometimes tripping over the scabbard is all but inevitable. One way around this is to use the sash but not the scabbard. In its stead, an open pocket of leather (called a "frog") holds the sword in place. The blade is exposed while worn, but once they draw there is nothing to trip over. Consider it at least. Richard Pallaziol |
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Most of the
usable swords were only about two feet long, since bronze or iron swords have to
be thick as the metal is relatively soft. A very few were 3 feet, but were not
practical for fighting.
> Military
right hand.