"Sword strapped to his waist."

The more you post, the more you learn.

It all depends on the type of sword. I assume you're talking about a European sword, whether it be a rapier or a spatha. Most European swords were attached to a belt which was then wrapped around the waist. However, it would be hang loose and end up lower than the hip. This is not true for all styles. In example: http://www.piratemerch.com/images/200456rapier_carrier.jpg

It sounds fine to me. Japanese swords, however, are worn in an entirely different way, generally using a wooden saya, a hakama and its obi, and sageo attached to the obi.

I thought swords were usually suspended at the hip by a baldrick, the strap circling the shoulder. Later some swords were strapped to a waist belt but this was not the norm, so I've been told.

It depends on the weight of the sword. Your smallsword could be attached with a belt, but for a rapier or heavier sword you'd want a baldrick, or risk a wardrobe malfunction. (contrary to popular belief, rapiers are fairly heavy for swords) An extra wide girdle could also support more weight. The Japanese obi was a sash wound several times around the body, giving extra stability. The light Indonesian Kris could just be stuck in an ordinary sash.

'Sword strapped to his waist ' suggests to me it was deliberately fixed - not easily removed. Is that the impression you wish to give?

The sword itself is not strapped to the body anyway--I would suggest rewording.

Sword belts and bladrics vary from weapon to weapon, country to country and era to era. If you give more info on the type of weapon - the country of origin and a relative era - we can point you in the direction of a likely set of adornments.

But the phrase as written - is awkward.

The phrase I normally use is "Sword hung from his waste" or "sword at his waste" or the similar. They weren't really strapped, because you wanted a bit of movement since the drawing action isn't completely fluid with a strait sword.

I'm not saying they were hard to get out, it just wasn't a fluid motion like a katana, scimitar, sabre or other curved sword. Hence the scabbard had to move to let the sword out.

As for hangings, In theater I've used and drawn multiple types of swords from scabbards at the waste, from a sword belt I made my self. It was about an inch wide and loose. I hung it from about the stomach to the hip and could draw short, bastard and claymore sized swords.

It always surprised people that I could even get the last one out of there.

Nivarion said:

As for hangings, In theater I've used and drawn multiple types of swords from scabbards at the waste, from a sword belt I made my self. It was about an inch wide and loose. I hung it from about the stomach to the hip and could draw short, bastard and claymore sized swords.

It always surprised people that I could even get the last one out of there.

Click to expand...

It is physically impossible for a normal sized human to draw an actual claymore from their hip, or waist. special scabbards were used that covered the tip of the sword and had a pair of hooks to hold the quillions. It was attached to a baldric, and worn at the back.

Unless you were talking about a Scottish baskethilt broad sword...which is not a claymore, though the blades often came from the broken blades of true claymores...

If you're talking Samurai Katana, then it's totally correct