Preferred Sword Belts?

[Leatherleaf]

I'm currently on a reread of Winters Heart, and I noticed that Lan was wearing his sword at his hip, while I had thought he wore it on his back in earlier books. I'm probably mistaken, but did Lan used to wear his sword on his back?

 

For that matter, where do people of different lands prefer to wear their swords?

[Durinax]

Saldaeans tend to wear swords on their backs, Seanchan (i believe) wear them on their hip, Cairhein on the hip. . .

come to think of it I think borderlands wear swords on the back (probably to due with heavier blades to fight trollocs) and southlands wear them on the hip

[Thera500]

I remember something similar,in the original EoTW cover he's wearing it on his back.

 

Seems quite silly to me though, to wear a sword on your back,looks much cooler but im sure it would be much harder to draw.Not that i have any experience in these matters.

 

*goes of to find a sword....this can only end badly*

[Majsju]

It could be as simple as Lan normally wearing it on his hip, but moving it to his back when he is riding.

[acerbus80]

I do remember in TEOTW and I believe in New Spring Lan wearing his sword(s) on his back.

 

From my limited knowledge of swordsmanship, it seems common for people on horseback to mount their swords on their back, for comforts sake and functionality.  The exception being during a heightened state of awareness, in which they would sacrifice comfort for the sake of easier access.

 

When walking it makes better sense to sheath a sword on one's hip; easier access, and in the instance that one wants to sit in a chair it's probably much more comfortable.

 

Also, the type of sword can alter the position in which it's sheathed.  Larger, longer swords, such as those used by medievel knights, were too bulky and long to normally wear at the hip, and were commonly worn on the back.  The more slender rapier like swords common to Randland are more adept to be worn on the hip.

 

Back on topic, I seem to remember but can't recall where, at least one time in which Lan had not only a sword sheathed at his hip, but one on his back as well.  Or possibly two on his back, but this may all be a figment of my imagination.

[Eht Slat Meit]

Seems to me that the choice of belt, as suggested, would be totally dependent on the situation called for. Much like deciding what kind of functional clothes you're going to wear on a certain day... divided riding skirts for a day on horseback, heavy gloves for workmanship, etc.

[ErikTheBald]

Lan wears it either way.  When one of the boys is separated, from the group, he describes Lan as "a fighting man, maybe wearing his sword on his back.  Been a while since I read EotW but I'm pretty sure that's where it was.  The original cover art shows Lan with two swords slanted from his left hip to his right shoulder.  But since they one is a two handed sword and the other is a bastard (hand and a half), that's a little silly.  Made for a good cover though.

 

It's been mentioned that "size matters" when determining where to strap on a sword and to a certain extent that's true but it more has to do with the height and arm length of the person wearing the sword.  A longer blade is actually much more difficult to draw when it's on your back unless you have arms like an orangutan.  But then again, you don't want to wear it on your hip, dangling on a frog to your knee and leaving a furrow behind you either.

 

The best way, or course, is to just carry the damn thing and drop the scabbard once you've drawn your blade. 

 

Wearing it is mostly for show.  I've got a sword and it's thiiiiiiis big so watch the hell out. 

 

 

[Leatherleaf]

Alright, thanks for clearing this up. It makes sense to have different belts for different situations, especially horse riding vs. city striding.

[Leatherleaf]

Lan wears it either way.  When one of the boys is separated, from the group, he describes Lan as "a fighting man, maybe wearing his sword on his back.  Been a while since I read EotW but I'm pretty sure that's where it was.  The original cover art shows Lan with two swords slanted from his left hip to his right shoulder.  But since they one is a two handed sword and the other is a bastard (hand and a half), that's a little silly.  Made for a good cover though.

 

Found the quote. It's in The Great Hunt, I think the chapter is "The Nine Rings" (a good name for an Inn!) and it is when Rand, with Hurin, Loial, and Selene leave the alternate world via the stone near Cairhien, they go to the Nine Rings Inn, and Rand asks the innkeeper if she has seen a woman (Moiraine) with a fighting man who sometimes wears his sword on his back. That's as close a quote as I'll give, I'm audiobooking it and don't feel like rewinding...  ::)

[Mardragon]

Saldaeans tend to wear swords on their backs,

 

I thought they carried them on their hip. I know Shienarans wear them on their backs (at least he big swords. They often carry multiple...)

 

I've noticed Saldaean swords are often described as 'serpentine'. I wonder how that looks? I tend to imagine it as slightly wavery. I.e. slightly curved but not the single curve of a katana like Land and Rand's swords. Kind of a subtle 's' shape...

[Shadow Rider]

I'm no expert on the matter but Durinax noted that Borderlanders wear their swords on their backs possibly for bigger, heavier blades ... this could be true, I know in our history Broadswords were worn on the back because of the length of the sword .... but for swords like the Borderlanders use I would hazard a guess that a sword drawn from the back would be a first strike from the sheath coming strait down on a foe ... very effective ...

Lighter swords would be hung from the hip, like the Heron mark blades which are not as robust as swords such as Lan's.

[ravenfier]

but rember that Lan's sword and Rand's sword are identical save for one differance, one has the herron and one does not. we get this when Lan is telling rand the history of both swords.

[Durinax]

but rember that Lan's sword and Rand's sword are identical save for one differance, one has the herron and one does not. we get this when Lan is telling rand the history of both swords.

yes they are identical, it was explicitely stated in the Great Hunt when they are on the roof I believe.

 

Lan likely just moves it to his back for comfort while riding, but I think rand does not do this.

 

The non borderlands seem to all wear their swords at the hip, whereas the borderlanders wear their swords on their back (the reason I believe this is so as I stated before is because they have to cut through thick trolloc armour, thus requiring heavier blades)

[Shadow Rider]

but rember that Lan's sword and Rand's sword are identical save for one differance, one has the herron and one does not. we get this when Lan is telling rand the history of both swords.

 

It could be a trend of the Borderlanders to wear it on the back or could be preference of the man himself.

I had always thought that drawing a sword would be harder from the back but apparently it doesn't matter. Could be just preference.

[b24shawn]

I currently have 29 different swords of various types, mostly replica. Most of the ones I have are made to draw from the hip although a few are able to fo either way. For me personally I'm 5'9 with shortish arms and I find it easier to draw from by back with most of the swords I have. I will say that the longer the sword the harder it is for me to draw over the shoulder, for instance I can't draw any of my rapiers from the shoulder.