
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~096r~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


round plane, also mounted with two handles, then with a
small narrow plane, one hollows & scrapes it half a
foot towards the end of the
talan, and the shorter the better.
Without this scraping, the sword would always cut the scabbard.



The opening of the scabbard is called the mouth & on top is the
shape of the blade.



The stop, which is a leather rim set on the edge of the blade
shape is made to stop the hangers.



When the estelles are well levelled, one lays the sword on top
& with a black stone one marks the width of the
blade, & the length, & then with a chisel one cuts the
excess. And one passes a joiners’ plane to even it
well, according to the mark.



Next, one glues the two estelles edge to edge and all
around only as far as the shape of the blade extends & not
elsewhere. And this is to make the leather or velvet of
the scabbard hold.



Then one puts the sword into the estelles. And precisely thus
they set it in the scabbard which is all sewn, and rub what is
glued along the shape of the blade
with tallow to make it run into the scabbard.



The scabbard is made of calf or sheep leather,
the calf ones are all in one piece, but not the sheep
ones. But, when the swords are long, one makes them in pieces which are
sewn between leather & flesh, & then they rub the
stitching thoroughly with a piece of boxwood to
cover & even it. From a good calf skin, viii or 9 or
x scabbards can be taken. A
workman can easily make vi a day. If they
are too thick, one thins them a little with a plane. If the
skin is hard, one wets it in lightly lukewarm water, and
one does not leave it there for long. Next, the same
worker who made the woodpiece has to adjust the
scabbard to be well made. It is true that for common people,
one may well get ones which are ready made, but they are never carried
as well. When the scabbard is made & sewed with black thread,
one rubs it with a piece of boxwood or with a
cloth, having daubed it a little in oil. The scabbard of
a good cow is better than any and also costs more, except the
velvet kind. Under the velvet one commonly puts plain
canvas or a sheep scabbard or a parchment cover. But
the best scabbard of all is a waxed scabbard, of either
velvet or calf. It is because one covers the wood
with thin canvas, which one next waxes, then one covers it
in velvet or calf. A waxed scabbard is worth at
least xxx sols, a cow one xx
sols.

From a sheep skin, v or vi.

