Lord of Battles – Blackened Steel Buckler – 16 Gauge Steel

This buckler is crafted from 16 Gauge Steel that has been blackened for a finish. This buckler, because it is made from thinner steel than the 14 Gauge bucklers, is lighter and will wear less on the arm after a session of sparring or a day or sport fighting. The buckler is fitted with a riveted grip of iron surmounted by two carved slabs of wood for a grip.

A buckler was a common defense for the medieval or renaissance traveler; it could also often be worn by archers, crossbowmen and pikemen. Their reasons for carrying a buckler are all the same: Portability. The buckler was an unobtrusive, yet effective defensive tool - small, but stout, it could dash aside and deflect an opponents weapon and its metal body was strong and more likely to damage their weapon then to be damaged itself. It is a good companion to an arming sword that a traveler or soldier might carry as their sidearm.

Not simply a defensive tool, the buckler was small enough that a skilled wielder could use it as a weapon itself to bash the foe in close quarters - the hand on the grip is already in the form of a ready-made fist and the boss can give a bell-ringing blow to the foe. Perhaps an even more effective strike can be made by hitting the foe with the rim of the shield after it is shifted sideways in the hand - the thinner rim would concentrate the force of the blow, turning an already stout strike into a bone shattering strike.