|
Post by birdman on Aug 24, 2012 21:52:11 GMT
I have a 15" plain steel buckler from GDFB. A little heavy, but nothing I can't handle (hey, it's "fully functional", 14-gauge steel!). My biggest gripe (and apparently the biggest gripe from all the reviews I read about this shield) is the handle: a piece of tubing, flattened on the ends, bent at right-angles, and riveted to the shield itself. I'd like to replace the handle with something more comfortable as well as period-correct (I will also add some sort of suspension to it so I can hang it from my sword belt when not in use). The boss is domed nice and deep, so a flatter handle id definitely feasible. Can someone please point me in the right direction?
|
|
|
Post by K. Vander Linde on Aug 28, 2012 1:28:48 GMT
If you don't mind wood make a wooden handel. their standard handels will come lose and eventuly fail if you use them alot. so take the rivits out drill holes replace handel. take a peice of hard wood cut it to leangth and sand. predrill the handel to avoide splitting when attaching. to hang from belt my friend came up with two optiond a piece of leather coard laced in to the handel through a hole(made in desing of handel) or what he did to his, attach a belt clip like object.
hope that kinda helps, you have a 15"er so you have plunty of room to work with, i'm used to useing 12" and under, anyway best of luck on what ever you do.
|
|
|
Post by birdman on Aug 28, 2012 1:59:27 GMT
Wish I could see some photos. Was the replacement handle riveted, or bolted, to the buckler? I have actually considered using a thick piece (1/4 inch or so bar stock, and wrapping it in leather or putting wooden "scales" on it). I am, however, trying to make it closer to a 15th century buckler. Unfortunately, there seems to be a dearth of photographs of originals, at least on the internet.
|
|
|
Post by K. Vander Linde on Aug 28, 2012 3:17:24 GMT
i wish i had some photos to post, my friend T. King is at school on the opisite side of the state. during the 15th century many bucklers were made of wood almost entierly(so not many survived), full steel bucklers mainly staied in use in italy & germany and they had their own buckler desinges. first picture is of a origional. the second is a handel some one constructed for their buckler. How do you use the buckler btw? that could greatly affect the handel, if you follow the manuals you will want to keep a rounded handel for proper manuvering, if you are using it for static blocks and the ocasional punch a flater handel would be best. oh and the replacement handel was bolted on one and riviter on the other, go with the bolts.
|
|