Are you being plagued by Vikings? Have the hordes of the north descended on you and your family? Have they begun to loot, pillage and dare I say plunder your woman or hard won goods. I bet you wish there was something you could do. You are asking yourself "Is there some way I can defend my stuff and loved ones from this bearded menace from Norway.
There is, You should get a shield! not some namby-pamby plastic shield or some light weight aluminum movie knock off, but a genuine wooden shield made from real wood. It's great for warding off sword and axe attacks. They also come in handy shading ones self from volleys of arrows raining down from the sky. If you live a more passive life then they are also excellent for L.A.R.P.ing (Live Action Role Play) and Cosplay (Dressing up when it isn't Halloween.).As I said above, these shields are made out of wood either solid pine or from plywood. There are three basic types...
The Targe Shield (or Target shields) A traditional Scottish round shield.
The Heater Shields - Associated with a jousting knight. They complimented a full suits of armor and were well used on horseback, but they also fit nicely into the back seat of a minivan.
The Kite Shields - These were used by Normans. Rounded at the top of the shield and tapered at the bottom providing body cover as chain mail was the only protection in the early Middle Ages. (examples coming soon.)
I design templates for my shields, so I can reproduce popular designs. I try to change it up though. I make new designs, improve on old ones or at very least make them a little different. No two shields are exactly the same. You can see more shields I've made by following my Above Average Blog or clicking the Custom Shields Category. You'll see more Shield action there.
OH! This is a great feature that no one thinks is important, BUT IT IS! My shields all have padded straps. I don't know how people defended against Vikings without padding? (Very uncomfortable!) The straps may very across the three shield styles, but they are all durable and comfortable.
(As much as shield straps can be.)