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Comment by Tobias Gibson on July 23, 2013 at 11:56

Scabbard and sheath are often interchangeable these days but the terms are different.  Most often a bayonet or sword is in a scabbard and knife is carried in a sheath.

Scabbard: A case or sheath designed to protect the blade of a knife, bayonet or sword. Scabbards are often made of hard, inflexible materials. As the scabbard is designed to just protect the blade, it normally requires a frog or other similar device in order to be attached to a belt.  Most modern bayonet scabbards (such as the  M8a1 used to carry WWII – present day American bayonets) are “integrated scabbards” meaning the frog is permanently attached to the scabbard making it similar to normal knife sheath.

Sheath:  A purpose built case or covering designed to protect and often carry an item, often a knife, sword bayonet. an integrated scabbard.   While ill-defined, the sheath normally has some type of integrated attachments (cord, slots, loops, etc. allowing for easy attachment to the belt or body). If the case only protects the blade of the knife and needs the aid of another device for easy carrying, it is more rightly a scabbard. Traditionally the protective carrying cases for bayonets and swords are called scabbards even when an integrated frog has been permanently attached.

Frog:  A cloth or leather strap used to attach a knife’s scabbard to a belt. It normally has a loop designed to wrap around the scabbard attached to another loop for the belt. Typically with  a sword scabbard is inserted in a baldric or hanger.  The baldric is an over the shoulder belt with an loop for inserting a sword scabbard, a hanger is a leather loop for the scabbard and two or more leather loops to pass through a waist belt.

In Memoriam Comment by Robert Burris on July 21, 2013 at 9:12

I love that answer, Chuck.

Comment by Chuck Parham on July 21, 2013 at 5:28

I belive the terminology is relevant to the item. Scabbard for sword? Why then do the call a bayonet sheath a scabbard? I would believe a sheath is a softsided carrying device for any blade while a scabbard is a hardsidded device. I agree that a Frog is an auxilliary device to hold a scabbard. It's also great bass bait and the legs are great for human consumption. LOL  I'm sure someone will come up with a history of each one's origination.

Comment by Alexander Noot on July 20, 2013 at 13:51

Sheath:

thing you carry a knife or a sword in

Scabbard:

Hard thing you carry a sword in

Frog:

Loop that goes around a sheath or scabbard that you can hang on your belt.

If I'm not misstaken.

2021 Calendar Comment by Steve Scheuerman (Manx) on July 20, 2013 at 12:33

Hmmm...Sheath for a knife, Scabbard for a sword, and Frog for holding the scabbard of a sword?