(no subject)

[erastes]

Help! My googling is no help. And there's no-one I can ping to ask...

1816 London

Did gentlemen wear swords with their uniforms in a social environment? If they were standing down on half pay?

During the day? Evening? I'm guessing NOT, but I don't know.

Comments

[tammylee.livejournal.com]

Only on alternate Thursdays!
=p

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

Have you checked out the Sharpetorium?
http://www.sharpetorium.com/index.html

There are links and fanfic resources--the site's been up for years and is pretty comprehensive.

I'm guessing that swords wouldn't be required if it's something like a cotillion--however snappy they look, having the scabbard whacking dancers in the legs would be a nuisance. But for something like a wedding, where brother officers make the 'triumphal arch' with their blades... If you can't find a specific reference, you can probably make it work either way.

Do you think the British Museum, or the history departments of Oxford et al, might have anything accessible online?

[erastes.livejournal.com]

WOW! thank you - that's a resource I hadn't seen before! What a GREAT site!

They are visiting and he's about to propose, so perhaps he iwll have a sword on during the day - in this instance.

And yes, there will be snoggage. Why do you ask! About bloody time too, I say! *kicks him*

[leatherdykeuk.livejournal.com]

You could query Leeds Armouries http://www.royalarmouries.org/extsite/view.jsp?sectionId=2222

or else I'll query my sword professor for you if you like.

We are looking at small swords in this period so it's probable that they would be worn with uniform.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thank you! That would be lovely! I'm guessing that he'd wear it around town and for visiting, but for evening - specially dancing and dining, he wouldn't... but if you can get a surer fact than that, I'd be grateful in the extreme

*loves *

[leatherdykeuk.livejournal.com]

I've passed the question to those who would know.

[leatherdykeuk.livejournal.com]

The reply from my learned friend:

No way! A sword was not worn by a Gentleman unless he was on duty and even then not in the mess.

I would trust this chap implicitly. He's been studying swordsmanship for 25 years, and is a General in the Napoleonic Reenactment society.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Oh brilliant! Thank you - and thank your friend too please!

[leatherdykeuk.livejournal.com]

Glad to help :)

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

Thanks! There are so few people who know these vital bits of info. I would've just fudged by not mentioning the sword at all...

[leatherdykeuk.livejournal.com]

It was my pleasure to assist.