Posted under General
Reason: There are some cases of both appearing together and I wondered if that was redundant.
Actually, I also hoped to figure out whether there should be some distinction between the coverings for short and long blades. AFAIK "scabbard" is standard for a sword, but is there a term reserved for daggers and knives?
Updated by RumittanceWuzHere111
BTW I took the liberty of creating a Wiki definition for "holster," pointing out that knives and daggers should use "sheath" or "scabbard" instead. If a janitor or mod approves of this, then a certain number of knife (or dagger) pics would have to be re-tagged...
Updated by hungkok2007
Looking at Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, scabbard's definition is that it's a sheath for a sword, dagger, or bayonet. Honestly though, I've never heard it used for a dagger or a bayonet's sheath.
If it is deemed worthwhile to have a line between a sword's sheath and sheaths for other weapons, then it'd be best to have for swords scabbard and implicate it to sheath.
Funny, wikipedia defines that scabbard is the sheath for a sword or other large bladed weapon, or large gun. Yet, there is no wiki page for sheath. It just leads to a list which would lead you back to scabbard.
Since this decision has not been resolved so far, I took the liberty to research everything and make an opinion myself.
note: this is — all in all — my own; humble opinion. If you have any opposition, please kindly let me know. I will be all ears.
While scabbard and sheath are pretty much synonymous; used interchangeably, there are some differences as follow:
properties: scabbards are usually made out of harder, heavier materials, such as wood or metal, while sheaths are usually made out of softer, lighter, and more flexible materials, like leather or fabric.
usage: both of them can be used to protect the blade, and everything around it. However, as I mentioned above; for scabbards are usually heavier, sturdier, and more durable, they are also used for greater protection, such as for displaying. A sheath is lighter, so they're used for when you want to move around more freely, as it does not weigh you down as much.
scabbards are also generally bigger, which results in it being used for a larger, longer swords. It also makes it harder to carry many of them around, which makes a sheath more suitable fore carrying short, smaller blades such as dagger or knife, plus you can also put it on somewhere else other than your waist or back, giving higher accessibility.
...That is, if you considered both of them as two different tools.
a scabbard is — more or less — a type of sheath.
both of them can also be used for guns, for which it will be called holsters.
So, if a sheath is used for blades: that is a scabbard.
If it is used for guns: that is a holster.
Alas, a sheath will still be a sheath, no matter the tool. Axes, wands, you name it. If it covers, it covers.
Again, this is — after all — my opinion. It will be the way that I follow until further notice.
Well, if there is something I should know, please do not hesitate, for I promise not to bite.
CreamyCake said:
Since this decision has not been resolved so far, I took the liberty to research everything and make an opinion myself.
note: this is — all in all — my own; humble opinion. If you have any opposition, please kindly let me know. I will be all ears.Again, this is — after all — my opinion. It will be the way that I follow until further notice.
Well, if there is something I should know, please do not hesitate, for I promise not to bite.
Firstly, I don't think you should've bumped this 15 year old thread. Just because it was linked in scabbard's wiki doesn't mean it was free to post in. I would've recommended you to make a brand new thread on the issue.
Secondly, there is a forum function that allows you to specifically search for whenever a specific tag is linked; here they are for sheath, scabbard and holster. I recommend you go through these and see how this debate has changed in the past 15 years or so before you come in with your own opinion on the matter, because there's a decent change that said opinion had already been refuted at some point.
