Baldric Sword Belt

 

"Fortunately, I know how to counter it; the man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping a drink; the man who was sleeping drinks it while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking." ~ Captain Jack Sparrow

Baldric Sword Belt - Made to carry a sword and scabbard, Jack wears this belt over his waistcoat or Frock Coat. A traditional baldric is made up of two key elements: the adjustable belt worn across the chest and the "frog" which is the part that holds the sword. Jack's baldric has had two different looks from COTBP to DMC and AWE and also has had two distinctive buckles. [seen below]. The original baldric was a plain black leather with stitched edges and the later baldric was made of a dark brown tooled leather with french binding. This same pattern can be found on purses made by RELIC.

Fabrication

Dressing Tips

  • Dried barge glue or industrial strength double stick tape on the underside of the baldric shoulder and can help keep the leather from sliding during role play.

  • Make sure the baldric is resting on your shoulder and not in the crook of your neck. Look at where the belt cuts his body and where the buckle rests off to the right.

Commandeering

 

 

Baldric Sword Belt Tutorial

A baldric is a belt worn over one shoulder that is typically used to carry a weapon; typically a sword, it has also been known to carry flintlocks, trumpets or drums. Baldrics have been used since ancient times, typically as part of military dress. The baldric belt design offers more support for weight than a standard waist belt, without restricting movement of the arms, and allowing easy access to the object that is being carried.

The following is a costume baldric tutorial created by Indy Magnoli (used with permission).

Parts list:

  • Belt Buckle

  • Conchos

  • Paisley Vinyl

  • Leather backing

  • Glue

  • Hole punches and leather working tools

First, start with the long strip of embossed vinyl and two pieces of genuine leather (thin enough to sew easily and fold, but thick enough to give some body to the vinyl, which is really thin):

Facing the vinyl and leather together, sew a strip along one edge:

Repeating the process on the other side results in this:

After folding the leather around each side and gluing it down (and left to dry under a weight):

This shot shows the cross section well so you can see how the french binding works:

A few holes for the buckle and voila! One belt done:

With the buckle attached:

The longer belt is the same process except it has a finished, curved tip. So, for this, instead two straight pieces of leather, cut a single, long "U" shaped piece that was sewn all at once:

Other side:

The tricky part with doing the tip is that you've got to cut a bunch of pieces out of the leather so that the french braiding can wrap around properly:

Other side:

For the frog, use a paper pattern, and then cut the vinyl to match, then trace it onto the leather to get the french binding part:

The outside was stitched in much the same way as the belt with the tip:

The inside part was a bit more tricky to make all one piece and so that there would be no seam at the inner point.

Cut a bunch of triangle shapes out of the leather to get the french roll to work properly.

This is what it looks like once it has all been folded over and glued down:

OPTIONAL: add another piece of leather to the back to give it extra body and a more finished appearance:

You will also want to fabricate a belt loop for the baldric tongue. This is a smaller piece created much the same way the first belt was made.

Next, size the baldric to your body and scabbard, line up the holes and punch them, and then assemble the whole thing together:

THE BALDRICK TUTORIAL CONTENT ON THIS PAGE IS THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF INDY MAGNOLI AND MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT HIS EXPRESS PERMISSION.

 

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