Quote Originally Posted by Tobus View Post
Nice artistry there! It's funny how easily identifiable the '40s and '50s stylized depictions of men can be. One might think that there were no short, pudgy men back then.

I'm surprised there are no examples of kilts included.

One question. In the example of the King's Own Scottish Borderers, he's wearing his sword with the hilt to the rear. Is this common for dress occasions or parades or something? That seems totally backwards to me.
In the KOSB picture, he's actually carrying the sword in his hand, I believe. But to answer your question (based on my knowledge of US custom...not sure about the Scottish regiments), the saber is worn "backwards" with the handguard facing the body and the tip facing forward. When drawn in the manual of arms, the scabbard is grasped in the left hand and the grip is rotated forward, moving the tip rearward (the saber oriented as a downward crescent) The right hand grasps the grip and draws it from the scabbard to the front....it seems weird...but that's how it's done in the U.S. Army anyhow. Guessing the other U.S. services and perhaps the Brits/Scots are similar.