[S. Mighton]

I seem to remember some edict from an English King (Edward I maybe?) in the 13th century banning the practice of fighting with sword and buckler in London, but I can't remember the source so perhaps this is not credible. At any rate, I.33 was published in 1300 so I think it's fair to conclude that the use of bucklers began at the latest during the last couple decades of the 13th century.

My question is this: did they have true all-steel bucklers in this period or are these bucklers made of wood and rawhide with a steel boss?

[Dawit Koho]

I think there are more possibilities.
What I know from effigy ,they most look like the corpus is from wood a umbo and edge are riveted and also handle.(this is vision that my view is on all from 1.33)

But I have some buckler from end of 14th ,and it seems to be from only lots of iron parts(riveted)

reconstruction That I like it - http://www.historiavivens1300.at/realien/buckler.htm

KOHO

[Elling Polden]

Early bucklers where miniature round shields, with metal bosses, sometimes with metal reinforcements.

By the time of I.33, bucklers where already well known.
In the Scandinavian material they are around since the early 13th century at least.
A norwegian court law from 1273 states that the peremiter guards, in times of peace, should be armed with spear, sword and buckler, the bodyguards with shields and swords or (Rather large)axes, while the skutilsvein(inner circle knight) in charge of the watch could carry a buckler instead of his shield.
The 1250 Kingsmirror, also norwegian says that you should practice with both shield and buckler.

In addition to this, several ornate bucklers have been found, more or less intact.
My friend Nils Andersen has a very nice replica of one of those; I'll ask him if he can post it.

[James Barker]

There are 14th century examples in Sweden or Norway that are like Elling said; small round shields with metal bosses and metal reinforcements.

There is a late 14th century buckler in the Museum of London. It is a thin piece of wood with an iron boss with a large flange with triangular cut work, another iron piece circling it, and an iron rim. It has an Iron rim on the back that holds on a a wood dowel handle.

Images I took last year:







Here is a link to it on the Museum of London's website; be sure to slick the more info link:

http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/Even...;id=329496

[Michael Parker]

Does the Museum of London Buckler have a spike in the middle? I can't really tell looking at the pictures, is there one or is it just the light and dirt playing tricks on me?

[Mark Griffin]

No, its just a round boss in the centre. quite a high one though. Not a flattened spun dome beloved by re-enactors on a budget....

[Mark Griffin]

Oh and I should mention that originally that buckler was displayed showing the different stages of conservation, with levels of river concretion being removed to reveal the original surface. No idea if the new display makes that clear, bit unfortunate if not. I handled it a long while back, would have a been a very handy thing.

[Roland Warzecha]

Not sure if you have seen these galleries of mine which show the Norwegian bucklers refered to above:

Gallery 1
Gallery 2

The Nils Andersen's replica shield that Elling refers to above can be seen here.

A photograph of the London buckler that reveals the boss' shape in profile was taken by Søren Niedziella of Albion Europe and can be seen here.

Manuscript illustrations from the 14th century, like this one, sometimes also seem to suggest the traditional method of construction with a metal boss on a wooden board.

All the best,
Roland

[Michael Parker]

Roland, that picture in profile is really interesting but it's exactly why I asked if the dome of the boss has a point on it. There's something roughly conical sticking out of the boss and it's pretty obvious, is it really just a lump of dirt? The bucklers in manuscript I.33 are depicted with a little conical spike in the center of the boss, though I don't know whether it's hammered out of the metal or a spike shaped rivet. A spike would be useful if you had an opportunity to punch your opponent in the face, and lots of bucklers had a big spike or a pointy boss. There were plenty more that were just round, but I'm trying to make an inspired-by piece of this thing and I need to know if it's spiked, even just a little. Other 14th century bucklers had spikes of greater or lesser size. Therefore, what's that conical bump in the middle?

[Phil D.]

It does look somewhat like a Hershey's Kiss in shape rather than a dome.

[Ulf Lidsman]

I'm giving this thread new life, if its fine with you, to find an answer to this question;

When is the earliest date for an all steel buckler?

[Sean Manning]

Datini carried "bucklers of iron varnished black for fencing, made in Florence," worth 20 soldi each in 1393 (L. Frangioni, "Armi e Mercerie Fiorentine per Avignone" p. 156). I would expect to see them earlier in a place rich in iron like northern Italy than a place poor in iron like Norway.

[Ulf Lidsman]