About Our Shields
Handmade for combat
All of the shields we sell are hand-crafted and made in small batches by an artisan shield maker, who we work with to supply long-lasting shields for the primary purpose of Historical Fencing.
While these shields are durable for the practice of Historical Fencing, they are not indestructible and will wear down over time. Excessive force against them will still cause damage.
Designed for sport
Traditionally, options for buying a shield for the purpose of Historical Fencing has very much been limited to shields produced for the purposes of re-enactment. There are a couple of reasons why this is not an optimal choice.
Firstly, shields of the past were taken into battle to be used and discarded; they were not indended to last very much beyond the battle you were fighting. Therefore whilst re-enactment shields are the closest thing you can buy in terms of historical accuracy, they were not designed for the sport of Historical Fencing. Unlike the rest of the kit which is worn in the sport.
Secondly, making a historically accurate shield is very labour intensive, which in turn increases the cost of the product. Saddle stitching the rawhide rim of a shield incurs a labour cost, and takes much longer to attach than the vulcanised rubber on the shields we supply. Furthermore, rawhide and waxed thread will naturally degrade over time; vulcanised rubber and steel bolts will last comparatively longer.
Our shields are designed to be long-lasting, and used for the primary purpose of Historical Fencing. Nevertheless please note, though they are durable, they are not indestructible and will wear down over time. Excessive force against them will still cause damage.
Handmade
We work with an artisan shield maker who produces our shields in small batches. Care and pride goes into each and every shield, ensuring you receive a top quality product.
Due to their artisan nature, our shields are a unique piece of kit which you will not find widely stocked across the web. Traditionally, finding good shields for the hobby has been no easy task; we make it simple.
