After reading your note my first thought was, please call a conservator!
You can call the American Institute for Conservation at 202-452-9545 or fax
202-452-9328 and get a referral to an objects conservator in your area.
You can either take or leave their advice depending upon how "valuable" the
scabbards and swords are to your collection.

A book you might want to obtain is STORAGE OF NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTIONS:
IDEAS AND PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS from the Society for the Preservation of
Natural History Collections.  The book is available from  Julia Golden,
Department of Geology; The University of Iowa; 121 Trowbridge Hall; Iowa
City, IA 52242.

Lori Leirdahl
Collections Manager
Science Museum of Minnesota