The Armour Archive

OK,I now have my shield canvassed and painted (It is turning out sweet) and I am doing the edging now. I have a small compressor hose running around the perimiter, and about 6 Oz Veg-tan over that, so far so good.

I was thinking that the inside, upper corner will get the most abuse so I was thinking of adding a second leather cover over that corner. Anyone know if something like that is period? I may still do it anyway, but I figure if I deviate from an accurate method, I should at least be aware of it,

Thanks,
Troy

I tend to reinforce the leading and top edge of my sheilds with either steel or aluminium channel.
aluminium channel in particular is effective, lightweight, easy to find (most hardware shops) and invisible once in place.

The channel should just wide enough to accpet the edge of the plywood and only about 10-15mm deep.
All that it does is keep the ply from delaminating from impacts...and this increases sheild life by a few years.

The hose and coverings go over the top of it and it is never visible to the light of day.

Do not try too hard to find medieval solutions to SCA sheilds...our requirements and the type of impacts we subject sheilds to are so different that the best you can get is something that looks right and works well.
About the time you use compressor hose...the medieval methodology has already left the building...

Sasha
Riverforge

To add to what Sasha said..
use pieces of "plumbers tape" to attach the aluminum edging (this involves plumbers tape, a few holes, and rivets). The way to bend the edging around a shield is to first attach one end of the edging, and then go around with a hammer hitting just past the point where the edging contacts the plywood. You want to keep the wrinkling to a minimum, and you do NOT want to cut out little triangles from the sides to make bending easier (trust me on this...).

Or, if you want to stay as period as possible, use strips of raw hide on that corner, hell put raw hide on every corner, I think that would look sweet. Just soak it in water put it on and let it dry, that will give you a strong edge that will resist punishment, and it if fails replace it with another piece. Also I used the aluminum channeling on my round then covered the whole thing with a big peice of naughahyde. Looks pretty sweet.

Insane Irish

Actually, it's an aluminum shield so I'm not sure the channel would work. Right now I am using Veg-tan instead of raw hide. I already had that, I figure worst case scenario it will get torn up quick and need replacement (Next time with raw hide).

I guess the question was more of visible differences, not structural so much. The compressor hose is all covered by the edging so isn't obvious, the aluminum looks pretty much like any metal (Close anyway) and various forms of canvas and paint have been around for ages. (I know, different kinds of paint, but close-ish)

The second corner-cover would be pretty visible, disecting the corner of the shield and probably I will lace it on. (A sacrificial hunk to get beat up while keeping the trim that is right over the hose in one piece)

Thanks for the help, however... it already has me thinking of even better ways to cover that corner.

Thanks,
Troy

Kill your next enemy, skin him, stretch his dead carcass across the shield and use his bones to act as rivets to hold the skin on.

Of course, if you DON'T want to be period - just take some heater hose and cover the shield with some vegtan leather. But I think you already said you're doing that. Okay, I'll go back under my rock now...

I used metal-core vinyl-coated automotive door trim on my aluminum heater. Covered taht with thick leather.

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Timothy D. Finkas
The Historical Forgerie
Long Beach, CA

(SCA: Henri le Brassey / Lyondemere, Caid)

BIKE TIRE'S BABY BIG KNOBBY ONES!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA sorry I was hit with he silly stick. I like leather edging.

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Tuomas
I like things that go thump.

i have seen rawhide riveted to a shield work very well as edging. i have 2 friends who have rawhide edging on their round shields and one of the shields is 5 years old and the edging is still in good shape.
rawhide will work on a wood shield but i could see problems with it on a metal shield.

my shield is edged with car door edge trim covered with heater hose and may eventually have leather over that.