Dolabra sheath

[Tiberius]

I received my dolabra from Cacaius yesterday. It is incredible! I want to make a sheath for the blade end. Does anyone have pictures of theirs? I know it's not the most complex thing I'll have ever made, but I want to see what others have done.

[M. Demetrius]

I wonder where you keep the sheath when the dolabra is in use, seeing as the general consensus is that Roman soldiers didn't carry a pouch.

Ideas?

[jvrjenivs]

Theo Andela has a beautifull one on his website.
[url:1rmk30wn]http://www.frisius-f.de[/url] (go to rekonstruktionen and scroll down)

[marsvigilia]

Pix?

[Tarbicus]

Pix?

http://www.frisius-f.de/images/Axtschneidenschoner.jpg

[M. Demetrius]

Pix?

No, no, Tony, PICKS, as in dolabrae. :lol: :lol: :roll:

[Matthew Amt]

Okay, just snapped a shot of my dolabra and hatchet with their sheaths.

http://www.larp.com/legioxx/dolabra2.jpg

The dolabra is an Albion, and the sheath that came with isn't bad. The little heart-shaped danglies aren't quite right, could be worse. And the 2 in the middle should not be on simple rings, but on U-shaped loops riveted or nailed through like the top and bottom ones.

The hatchet is a standard Revolutionary War tomahawk, hand forged, generally about 20 bucks. Practically identical to Roman ones. Made the sheath myself, never got around to adding danglies, though I was thinking of glass beads (which my lovely wife could make!). .032" brass.

When in use, the sheath can be tossed in the satchel, stuck in your belt, or just dropped in an open and obvious place on the ground where some archeologist will find it in a few centuries...

Valete,

Matthew

[M. Demetrius]

I have a very similar tomahawk, but it has a hammerlump on the back of the shaft, as some ancients did, too. Very useful for pounding tent pegs etc. Some things don't change much, I guess.

So on the sheath, I'm supposing that one or both of the inwardly turned pieces swivel on the dangling ornament? Else, how could it be removed? What holds it securely on when covering the blade?

[Tiberius]

Matt,
Thanks for the picture. With that, plus the artifact from www.roman-artifacts.com/Military%20Acce ... heath.htm# I now know what to do. One more question, however. I see how the terminals are suspended. What if I wanted to do beads? Would they simply dangle from the end? Matt, didn't Mike put beads on his dolabra sheath?

[LVCIVS VVLPES]

Jeff,

This are three different dolabra sheaths from Vindonissa

Cheers

Luc

[Tarbicus]

What holds it securely on when covering the blade?

Tied to the rear or handle isn't it, by a thong from the hooks, like in the red photo here?:
http://www.larp.com/legioxx/tools.html

And here: http://www.kultofathena.com/images%5CAH3936_3_l.jpg

[M. Demetrius]

Got it. My brain burped up the answer to my own question, not long after I'd asked it, but I left the question to maintain my reputation as Knucklehead of the Forum. Reputation intact. :roll: :wink:

[Matthew Amt]

You're welcome, Jeff! Just one of the many photos that I should have added to the site long ago.

Yeah, Mike used blue beads, you can just see them in that red photo on the Tools page. (That's as big as that photo comes, I'm afraid--it's very old.) I'd do it just like that photo you posted: make a sort of wire cotter pin that goes through the loop, then through the bead, and spread the ends to hold the bead in place.

Oh, yes, both end pieces can swivel, so the sheath is easy to get on and off. Since the blade is flared, tying the sheath on is simple. Just run the thong around the blade and through the loops, and tie it. It'll stay.

Heck, all those sheaths are really spiffy! Mine is too plain, grump, grump. (I know, there are plainer ones, too!) I also expect that many of these sheaths (the end pieces at least) were cast so that the loop is nice and thick, then the sides were hammered out thin (and ridged). The Romans seem to have done that sort of thing on all sorts of little doodads like apron terminals and such. Bugs the heck out of me.

Valete,

Matthew

[Tiberius]

Finally, here is my dolabra sheath. It fits a dolabra by Cacaius. Comes with genuine glass beads.

[jvrjenivs]

Very nice. Laudes added!