The Armour Archive

I finally got around to making an account, I've been lurking here for a year and a half after I apprenticed to Gunther of Orkney. I've recently started my own side business that specializes in shields. More specifically in embossed, fluted and stepped shields. At the moment, I only have a facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/ThrashedMetalArmory













All the shields are .100 thick 6061 T6.

Niiiice!

I am soon thinking about ordering a shield and this is nice nice nice.

One question, what are each of the options listed on the order site?

Center Flute ( +$10.00 )
Center Grip Handle(wood/rattan) ( +$15.00 )
Integral Shield Boss (large - 8 Inch diameter) ( +$40.00 )
Integral Shield Boss (medium - 6 Inch diameter) ( +$40.00 )
Lacing holes punched around edge(3 inch spacing) ( +$10.00 )
Leather Forearm Strap (Side Mount) ( +$10.00 )
Leather Hand Strap (Side Mount) ( +$10.00 )
Side Flutes(2) ( +$20.00 )
Stepped Edge ( +$40.00 )
Stepped Edge around Boss ( +$10.00 )
Trimlock(rubberized) Shield Edging ( +$30.00 )
Embossed heraldry (basic / complex)

Thinking about a 22x30 heater with lacing holes, strapping (forearm/hand), side flutes, and possibly basic heraldry (depending on what is basic vs complex).

Is it possible to strap it to be used on either arm? (lefty who fights most of the time left shielded, but would like to option to switch). Sadly I need at least 1" width on the shield edging or I'd consider the trim-lock (EMP rules for shields used offensively require a 1" hose or equivalent around the edge... and I like punching with my outer shield corner)

VERY nice

If I had one, I would actually have to fight with a shield more often.




But then, I have to fight more often, period.

If you are going to be a business, my advice is to get a swaging (jenny) machine.
I can see a ton of hand work you have done there, and many of your customers won't be able to tell an apple from an octopus.
Get the jenny for your money makers. The several items you make a bunch of and sell well. Do the hand work for the special items, the customers who appreciate it, and those who are willing to pay for it.

It seems an aweful concept, but Uryen is quite correct. Most people can not discern quality, but your wallet sure well can. You need a way to be able to produce a bunch of basic shields quick, which entails either a jig or a swaging machine, else you will have a very hard choice to make. Only sell a very small number of shields at a high cost and make a meager profit or sell a bunch of them while working yourself to the grave for next to nothing for your time. And with the quality of the work that you've shown here, you'll be getting a lot of orders. I'm not trying to put you off, mind you, I just want you to know what to expect. You do really nice work and I don't want to see you burn yourself out.

Shoot me a PM, I would be interested to know the price on a Standard Heater, with 3 stars above a stags head, done on it.

By the way, I forgot to welcome you into the light. It's nice to be out from lurking in the shadows! So welcome and very well come!

RoundTop wrote:Niiiice!

I am soon thinking about ordering a shield and this is nice nice nice.

One question, what are each of the options listed on the order site?

Center Flute ( +$10.00 )
Center Grip Handle(wood/rattan) ( +$15.00 )
Integral Shield Boss (large - 8 Inch diameter) ( +$40.00 )
Integral Shield Boss (medium - 6 Inch diameter) ( +$40.00 )
Lacing holes punched around edge(3 inch spacing) ( +$10.00 )
Leather Forearm Strap (Side Mount) ( +$10.00 )
Leather Hand Strap (Side Mount) ( +$10.00 )
Side Flutes(2) ( +$20.00 )
Stepped Edge ( +$40.00 )
Stepped Edge around Boss ( +$10.00 )
Trimlock(rubberized) Shield Edging ( +$30.00 )
Embossed heraldry (basic / complex)

Thinking about a 22x30 heater with lacing holes, strapping (forearm/hand), side flutes, and possibly basic heraldry (depending on what is basic vs complex).

Is it possible to strap it to be used on either arm? (lefty who fights most of the time left shielded, but would like to option to switch). Sadly I need at least 1" width on the shield edging or I'd consider the trim-lock (EMP rules for shields used offensively require a 1" hose or equivalent around the edge... and I like punching with my outer shield corner)

Sorry it took so long to get back to you, I want to get some better explanation pictures up pretty soon.

So the center flute is just a flute running strait down the center of the shield, stopping at the boss if there is one. The 'side flutes' are the two swooping flutes you can see on the three Greek shields. If there is a stepped edge (Which can be stepped back for a more dished look, or forward for a thick edged look), I bring the flutes to the step, if it isn't stepped I end them about an inch from the edge of the aluminum. I have discovered that shields would occasionally crack after intense usage where the flutes hit the edge of the shields, hence ending them before the edge to help prevent that. Each flute also puts a slight crease in the shield, giving it shape and rigidity. More flutes leads to more curve and more rigidity. What the pricing really amounts to is $10 per flute.

The integral shield boss' are dished directly into the shield so there is no added weight. For deep bosses, I have to anneal the boss area. For shallower bosses I don't anneal. While the integral bosses are the lightest possible option, the annealed ones do get beaten up if you block with your boss often. They can be gently re-hammered out, or when they fail you can just cut the boss off and attach a new one. I've actually only had one of them fail so far, and it cracked around the edge of the boss.

The heraldry is really the most complicated thing as far as pricing goes. A 'basic' design is something like the cross on the heater I used as an example. Other examples would be a Fleur De Lis or a simple animal outline. The Complex is something like the winged sword on the School of Chivalry shield. It might even get more expensive for an even bigger and more complicated device (Say, a 28x42 Roman scutum with the standard Romans wings and lightning bolts stepped/fluted out of it). Something in between would be priced between. It is also important to note that I can't get overly much detail out of the aluminum. No little teeth on a Dragon or the like, both because they don't show up well on the shield and because I'm just not that good yet.

-edit- I should note, I will add curve to shields once the shop I work out of gets its hands on a roller. It is devilishly hard to curve 6061 T6 without one.