If you aren't familiar with this longtime fantasy and movie trope, I recommend grabbing some popcorn and reading up on it.

Swords mounted on you'd back look really cool, but are (potentially) hard to draw. This got me thinking: What would be a reason to have them be INTENTIONALLY hard to draw?

Say, for instance, when a knight or adventurer enters a Lord's castle, he is required to strap his sword to his back. This way he is not insulted by being asked to hand over his weapon, but it ensures that they will not be able to draw weapons quickly. This practice becomes traditional custom for showing "I am not at risk of harming you" as it intentionally gives a disadvantage to the sword user. Now, when a group of suspicious individuals starts following you down a dark alley, it's probably a good idea to take the sword off your shoulder before confronting them.

Haveing this custom could lead to some interesting things. For example, haveing an order of assassins/mercenaries who have specially modified scabbards such that they can still be drawn quickly. While not the most practical, the surprise factor (in this culture) would be justified.

Thoughts? Ideas? All feed back and suggestions are appreciated.

Edit: Well, this blew up a bit more then I expected. Glad to see such a lively discussion takeing place.