![]() ![]() So let`s jump to step two! Step two: Adding a protective layer of glue and cloth to the surface of the shieldĪt the beginning of step two, we have a shield that already had its outlines, a hole in the middle where the handle would be, and that was made out of glued-together wooden boards.ĭuring the second step a coarse cloth, usually made from hemp, would be put over the glued-together boards and the already mentioned glue made from milk and quicklime would be distributed over the surface of the shield. Additionally, a hole had been cut into the middle of the shield where the handle would later be put so that the future bearer could handle the shield. We now have several boards with a thickness of ½ of an inch that are glued together but are still somewhat flexible. But since the glue allowed the boards to bend a little without causing the shield to break apart the shield could absorb a lot more force without getting destroyed. If the glue would not have allowed the boards certain flexibility but had become brittle then that would have caused the finished shields to break much easier when hit. That glue allowed the individual boards some flexibility while reliably connecting them. The wooden boards were sanded down to around ½ inch thickness and glued together with a mixture made out of glue that was made from milk and quicklime. Do you want to find out more about the requirements for getting levied and what equipment a levies man had to bring depending on his wealth? Then I would like to recommend you my article here. Since the bulk of a medieval army was made up of levied men who had to bring their own armor most could not afford the more expensive shields made from limewood. That had to do with the composition of medieval armies. The majority of medieval shields were not made from the better but more expensive limewood but rather from the cheaper alternatives. The best medieval shields were made out of limewood but cheaper alternatives like fir, alder, or poplar could also be used. Here you can find out more about the price of medieval armor and weapons. Just like with other medieval armor the quality depended on the amount of money that the buyer could spend. The first step on the journey to a finished medieval shield was finding suitable wood. Step one: Gluing together the wooden boards It took a total of five steps to building a medieval shield. And that effectiveness didn`t happen by chance but as a result of a sophisticated building process. So now we have found out that medieval shields were highly effective in protecting their bearer. How were shields built in the Middle Ages? For more information on why (and when) knights stopped using shields and whether or not they actually completely stopped using shields you might want to check out my article here.īut let`s now look at the sophisticated process that was necessary to build a shield in the Middle Ages. Because of that shields would remain extremely common among foot soldiers even when knights started to use shields less and less. You can find more information on the price of medieval shields compared to other types of medieval armor in my article here. Shields were probably the cheapest piece of armor that was available during the Middle Ages. The second reason was the price of medieval shields compared to other parts of medieval armor. But blows that were delivered with enough force could still break the bones under the chainmail even without cutting through.īecause of that, it was better to deflect the enemy’s weapon with a shield instead of hoping that the body armor (like the chainmail) would stop the attack. Chainmail offered good protection against cuts. And that was actually quite important since even though medieval armor was highly effective it did not make a man invulnerable. But apart from that shields also had two big advantages over other pieces of body armor like for example a shirt of chainmail.Īdvantage number one was that a shield protected its bearer before the enemy’s weapon touched his body. The fact alone that they were used throughout the entire Middle Ages proves that. Sources The effectiveness and price of medieval shields.Step five: Reinforcing the rim of the shield with rawhide.Step three: Adding a layer of linen to the surface of the shield.Step two: Adding a protective layer of glue and cloth to the surface of the shield.Step one: Gluing together the wooden boards.How were shields built in the Middle Ages?.The effectiveness and price of medieval shields.
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