A scabbard is a sheath for holding a sword, dagger, knife, or similar edged weapons. As well, rifles and other long guns may be stored in a scabbard by horse riders for transportation. Military cavalry and cowboys had scabbards for their saddle ring lever-action carbines and rifles on their horses for transportation and protection. Scabbards have been made of many materials over the millennia, including leather, wood, and metal such as brass or steel.

A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed tip. A slashing sword is more likely to be curved and to have a sharpened cutting edge on one or both sides of the blade. Many swords are designed for both thrusting and slashing. The precise definition of a sword varies by historical epoch and geographic region.