Birch Viking Shields

[Kazimir Konstantinov]

Anyone interested in Viking round shields I was thinking of doing a couple for sale. I am doing them painted with two colors and edged with rawhide saddle stitched. I will be asking $100 plus shipping. Note no shield boss and no handle...just FYI! I am including a pic of mine.

Syr Kazimir

[Niall Mor]

Is there anything between the rawhide and the wood? How does this method hold up to heavy combat? What about weather?

[Rognvaldr Karlsson]

if your buidling, i am interested in one

[Ursor]

I too would be interested...

~Ursor

[Kían]

Hey Kaz, just as a suggestion, I put a strip of 10-16 oz leather (depending on what I have on hand) on the edge of the plywood before I sew down the rawhide. It acts as a bumper between the rawhide and the wood. I also saddle stitch the rawhide on. I've been building them that way for years and it helps.

And for the other folks expressing interest, how long they last depends on how often you use it! It's a wood shield, it ain't gonna last forever!

Good luck with the project!

[Morejello]

I put a strip of 10-16 oz leather (depending on what I have on hand) on the edge of the plywood before I sew down the rawhide. It acts as a bumper between the rawhide and the wood.

A piece of rope the same width as the thickness of the wood works pretty well for this too.

[Kazimir Konstantinov]

I use rope under the rawhide and it acts quite well as a buffer to the shock. I had a great teacher in Sir Bartholemew Hightower.

[hjalmr]

people are actually putting things UNDER the rawhide?? I just put mine on right over the wood and its nigh-indestructable.

O.o