I'm asking this question because I started working on a non-domed ovular shield which weighs 6.8 pounds without the rawhide edging. Its dimensions are approximately 23 in. wide and 34 in. tall.
At almost seven pounds, this shield seems awfully heavy. Does this sound about right to all of you who have experience making shields?
I can't speak for historical findings. However, my complete round shield (approximately 32in diameter) weighs in at 10lbs, give or take an ounce.
It may feel heavy, awkward, and unwieldly now. However, at the risk of sounding cliche, you get used to the weight.
Connolly reckons that reconstructions of the Fayoum and Doncaster shields both ended up around 10 kg (22 lbs).
Brian and Dan, thanks for the responses. I just wanted to make sure that I hadn't done something wrong. I guess at about seven pounds that's really not that bad!
Thanks again!
For what it's worth, my shield (a straight sided scutum) weighs in at just on 20 pounds. By comparison I weigh ten and a half stone.
Crispvs
Please use continental measurements, not all of us not know what a stone weighs in Kgs....
A stone is equal to fourteen pounds. :wink:
Crispvs
There are conversion tables readily available to allow us laymen
To convert between imperial, metric, and whatever other abortion the academics have cooked up
Over the years!
mile:
Hehehehe that answer of Crispus was brilliant xD
Are there also conversion tables which convert Roman measurements ?
M.VIB.M.
The newest DSC shields are around 5-6kg and approach usability as shields. If you use light laminated wood, like poplar, you can probably hit 4kg.
Our 4th century oval shields weigh about 10 kg or so. Made for full-contact fighting.
Our find-based reconstruction of the fayum shield (with metal umbo and no spinae and rawhide front facing and edging over textile, rawhide edging and textile backing) ... jeeeez this auto correct thing here drives me nuts... umbo just became jumbo and spinae became spine this thing needs to learn lateen... LATIN... %/&%/()*'*Ü ...
weighed 5.4 kg.
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