Weapon chain?

[CalebChow]

http://www.dorlingkindersley-uk.co.uk/static/spreads/all/7/2/9780751364927L_028.jpg

Not the best picture, but you can see on the far right a group of knights with the guy on the right wielding a sword with a chain attached to it. I think the guy on the top left has one too. If you look closely you can see the chain links.

Is this the only known incident where someone would use a weapon chain? If it's not a weapon chain, what is it?

The Eyewitness book says the knights depicted are from the 14th century.

[Stacy Clifford]

Kind of looks like one doesn't it? I think something like that may have been mentioned on here once before, a long time ago; might be worth a search. Might be useful if your sword comes out of your hand in a tight crowd to avoid losing it underfoot, but it seems like it would hinder your fighting somehow.

[Sal Bertucci]

From the drawing it looks like they're all mounted. Maybe it chains to the horse. In those mounted combat videos there seemed to be a lot of very fast disarming techniques. This would be helpful in those instances.

Any other ideas?

[Roger Norling]

Just as mentioned earlier, I think that these were used by mounted soldiers, and maybe more commonly during the 14th century, with early plate armour, like wisby-style brigandines. I have put up what I could find quickly here, including some modern replicas of wisby brigandines.

http://www.hroarr.com/temp/index2.html

You can also see an original (and another "reconstruction") here: http://www.mesa-online.de/41294.html

I would also agree that the purpose was to avoid losing your weapons in intense combat, where it would be difficult to quickly pick up your lost weapon. However, chaining it to your horse would seem unwise.

[Sal Bertucci]

That's interesting! Thanks for posting that!

[CalebChow]

Kind of looks like one doesn't it? I think something like that may have been mentioned on here once before, a long time ago; might be worth a search. Might be useful if your sword comes out of your hand in a tight crowd to avoid losing it underfoot, but it seems like it would hinder your fighting somehow.

Think I might try an experiment one of these days...

[Adam Bodorics]

I'll post a picture from my other computer tomorrow. That's 15th century, showing quite flashy stuff, and shows at least two harnesses with weapon chains fixed to the Medusa heads in the centre of the breastplate. That's the only one I know from the 15th.
And all my other pictures show their use mounted.

[CalebChow]

I'll post a picture from my other computer tomorrow. That's 15th century, showing quite flashy stuff, and shows at least two harnesses with weapon chains fixed to the Medusa heads in the centre of the breastplate. That's the only one I know from the 15th.
And all my other pictures show their use mounted.

If you could, that would be great! Thanks so much!

[William Savage]

I've always been amazed at the disconnect between armor buffs and sword buffs, As a mostly armour guy I can tell you that its no big mystery.

In the 1300s it was vary common for knights to have three chains running from their coat-of-plates, one attached to their dagger, one to their great helm, and one to their sword. Later on it was "realized" that you could just tie a loop at the bottom of whatever weapon you were handling and it would be much handier if dropped. I don't thing it was ever vary popular with longswords or other weapons used on foot. But I can certainly see the appeal it would have to a horseman, especially when squires are becoming more and more like men-at-arms and less and less like servants.

Hope this helps.

[Stacy Clifford]

I've always been amazed at the disconnect between armor buffs and sword buffs, As a mostly armour guy I can tell you that its no big mystery.

Hey, we focus on the stuff we can afford to play with. Thanks for answering that one, good to have you armor buffs around.

[William Savage]

Its been a long time to come but it feels good to finally have an answer instead of a question.

Edit:

Tada

http://s155.photobucket.com/albums/s294 ... derer-.jpg

The armors half gone but hopefully that helps a little at least

[CalebChow]

Its been a long time to come but it feels good to finally have an answer instead of a question.

Edit:

Tada

http://s155.photobucket.com/albums/s294 ... derer-.jpg

The armors half gone but hopefully that helps a little at least

Great pics! thanks.

[Roger Norling]

And the same in a bit of context:
http://www.mesa-online.de/41294.html

[Adam Bodorics]

Oooooops, seems like I managed to forget posting that picture. Here it goes...
http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=6855&g2_serialNumber=3
Only the guy in the lower left corner has a clearly visible chain connected to his sword, diagonally right-and-upwards there's another with merely a few links visible (the guy in the helmet with big rondels).

[Jason Romandell]

You see these chains on some armors during the transitional period. They didnt last all that long. My bet is that they where far more of an inconvinience to use than the loss of a weapon.

The chain could get all up in your buisness whilst weilding it. Not to mention, its a great thing for someone to graband drag you around with.