How To.. wear the Pugio and Gladius (belts, fasteners)

[Magnus]

I have to ask where people mention the xxth hand book, just which xxth are they refering to. For in my opinion there is no one who can lay down any hard and fast rules in the re-enactment game. There is one group a xxth who put forward the idea many years ago of the Baldric Strap, that has been blindly followed by most groups and is a load of nonsence. Where the devil did anyone ever get the idea that a waistbelt goes thro' a baldric strap, with the sword fixed rigid low down on the hip like a Texas gunslinger. I think it stems from the idea that no one is truely aware why a scabbard has four rings on it, and that was the easy way to figure it out without even thinking.

Matt Amt's Legio XX of course...it's the only one to my knowledge that has a Legionary Handbook. My post specifically stated that the 20th's handbook in conjunction with RAT would give a person an accurate answer to whatever it is they are looking for.

Also, the "idea" of the baldric strap as Jim posted is quite suitable for soldiers wearing ONE belt. I've also yet to see anyone wearing it low...it just doesn't work. Especially with a segmentata. My pommel is always bumping my upper bicep.

As an aside, pugiones always have 4 rings, but ALL the evidence shows the top two being used....

The sword pommel should be in the region of the armpit Jim, that's why I say that it appears no one has ever truely considered the baldric. I had a picture that I now cannot put my hand on, this showed a set of beltplates that were found at Chichester where one plate has a ring on it. This is where my theory is that a balric only went from top ring to top ring, with a separate strap going from a bottom ring on the scabbard to such a ring on a beltplate. The ESG have for years now shown a stupid system of the waistbelt going thro' the badric that puts the sword low on the hip that can't be correct.

If the sword is that high, then the rings are going to way above the belt...so what do you attach it to? Do you have a picture of your theory? Even if only the top rings are used....I dunno, maybe I just wear my belt high on my seg.

Sorry, not to highjack the thread...I think Sean's post was pretty spot-on. A consensus with some variation is the best thing you can hope to accomplish...too many groups out there with their own ideas (which is good).