Bucklers fighting with weapons other than swords -- myArmoury.com

Philip Dyer

A week ago, I found at a SCA tourney where we were tasked to fight each other with bucklers and daggers, frankly I got my ass handed to me, I wasn't used to fighting so close and fast. That tourney and readings on ARMA's websites about how bucklers were more of across status shield style than kite or heater shield got me thinking. Are there any manuels and/or texts entailing people fighting using say, bucklers and axes or clubs since swords are a more expensive weapon to have?

James Moore · Posted: Sat 31 Aug, 2013 3:39 pm Post subject:

Hans Lecküchner: Kunst des Messerfechtens (1482) - BSB Cgm 582
and the Durer Fechtbuch both have messer and buckler.

I expect there's something probably in Paulus hector Mair, but I cant remember where...

Stephen Curtin · Posted: Sat 31 Aug, 2013 3:41 pm Post subject:

Well Philip, AFAIK there are no manuscripts which show the use of bucklers with axes, maces, or clubs. There is however (in Talhoffer, I believe) a little bit of buckler and messer, and one image of a dagger in use in the buckler hand, to ward off a second opponent. I have seen other images where men use bucklers with spears and axes, so we know these combos were used, unfortunately we just don't have any surviving instructions as to their use.

Mart Shearer · Posted: Sat 31 Aug, 2013 5:56 pm Post subject:

Manuscript miniatures, some dated before the I.33, sometimes show bucklers used with weapons other than swords: cudgel, mace, ax, or spear. Sometimes there are sling and buckler men...
http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4136/8514/

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4686/11756/

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4806/11884/

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4724/12505/

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/5203/16871/

Plenty of other examples of bucklers in the art:
http://manuscriptminiatures.com/search/?year=...anuscript=

M Boyd · Posted: Sat 31 Aug, 2013 9:37 pm Post subject:

I recall other weapons being used in Indo-persian traditions. Of course, these were used with the dahl.
I'll try to find where i saw these sources.

Stephen Curtin · Posted: Sun 01 Sep, 2013 1:35 am Post subject:

Oops I should have said that there are no surviving European texts which describe the use of bucklers with other weapons.

Benjamin Floyd II · Posted: Thu 12 Sep, 2013 7:05 am Post subject:

Charles Neeley · Posted: Fri 11 Oct, 2013 7:21 pm Post subject:

Sorry to revive this,
but I recently was studying Irish spear techniques and realized it also answers your question of an alternative buckler + 1 handed weapon.

http://livinghistory.ie/ has some tutorials, specifically this one:

http://tutorials.livinghistory.ie/Home/irish-...mbat-guide

Fáilte!

C

Ben Coomer · Posted: Sat 12 Oct, 2013 1:55 pm Post subject:

Thanks for that site, Charles. Been trying to figure out my next weapon, and spear was high on that list.