My guess is that the socket is actually due to a bit of wood coming off between the very tip of the scabbard,and a hole made for a peg to hold the two halves together. It is typical for the scabbard halves to be held together also with a peg through the end. Usually there is more wood at the tip of the scabbard so the hole can be set back, but in your case the hole for the peg seems to have been quite near the tip, allowing the peg hole to break completely out and make a notch.
|