Dating the Schiavons sword

[werecow]

Originally Posted by urbanspaceman

Further speculation:
looking at the measurements, I don't think the scabbard ever went that far into a rain-guard; I think the chafing is a result of a locket... removed when this plate was added.
Whadayathink?

I guess it's possible... But just from looking (with my admittedly somewhat untrained eyes) at how the leather looks near the chape, I would think it'd be more damaged, and the rain guard seems historic so you'd think it'd fit over the scabbard at least to some extent because that's kind of the point of having a rain guard...
And furthermore, my question would be why? Why remove an antique locket and then drill holes through a nice looking guard on a super expensive sword to add a guard plate that is anomalous for the type?
But people do weird things sometimes I suppose.

EDIT: As an aside, I found another example with a rain guard (though it's hard to see) and it also does not have a locket on the scabbard. Pictures added (more at the link).

EDIT: Argh why is this image upload thing so fickle? Trying to upload a better version of the full sized image but it seems to just be loading the older version.