The discussion of shield rims made me think of this.
In Johns Medieval combat book, he states that shields were typically (if I remember right) 1/2" - 1". I haven't been able to find any definitive data on medieval shields generally, but I do know that both Viking and Roman shields were very thin, from 1/5" to 3/8". I've tried the SCA types which are very thick and heavy (like up to 20 lbs!) and I've made some very light ones of 1/4" ply, and also of composites of two 1/8" door skins glued together (which is more like the original way they made them) and I found these to be, perhaps surprisingly, quite strong and sufficient, I even did some test cutting with an axe and a machete. I did notice that they held together much better with a rim, even a very light rim of extremely thin guage metal. On the other hand, I find the heavier SCA shields to be completely clumsy nearly un-usable, even the ones which aren't so notoriously huge, even their bucklers. I can't really wield them, and I'm pretty strong. All I could do was pretty much just hold them out there passively on my arm (and forget center grips with these things!)
Anyway, I wanted to know what the definitive data was on shields. How thick were medieval shields? How about bucklers? Did shields get thicker as a result of facing more bludgeoning weapons like hammers and maces?
JR
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