Bucklers come in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and strap configurations. Borrow and try out a few before you make your first one, but given access to a saw (hand or powered jigsaw is probably best) and a drill, they take less than three hours and $4 to make, so don’t be shy…
Your First Buckler
I’ll assume you want the most common kind, a simple round shield in the ballpark of 12”-18” diameter. Choose a different shape if you like; surface areas up to 314 square inches (a 20” circle) are perfectly fine, though larger is not necessarily better…
You will need (pretty standard at any hardware store):
- Some thin plywood. I prefer 5-ply ¼”. 3/8” is a bit more durable, but heavier.
- A piece of soft plastic tubing long enough to cover the perimeter. I prefer Tygon tubing, with an inner diameter equal to your wood thickness, and 1/16” wall thickness (i.e. ¼” ID, 3/8” OD for ¼” plywood). Get a few more inches than you think you need.
- Some lightweight cord or string. This holds the tubing to the shield edge.
- Two ¼-20 bolts, dome or flat head, 1” long
- Two ¼” wingnuts. Normal nuts are fine but harder to adjust without tools.
- A scrap of leather about 2” x 8”, at least 1/8” thick (thinner is less durable)
- Access to a saw and a drill with a ¼” bit, and a 1/8” (or so) bit.
- A razor blade (or heavy scissors) to cut the leather and tubing.
- Sandpaper and paint to decorate the finished buckler.
Now, get to work:
- Layout the circle (large bowls are helpful for this) and cut your plywood.
- Drill 1/8” (or so, big enough for your string) holes around the perimeter of your buckler, no more than 2” apart and 1/2” from the edge. It helps to mark starter holes with a nail.
- Draw a diameter on the back of your buckler. Draw a parallel line ¾” away.
- Center your hand on the offset line, and mark ½” from each edge of your hand.
- Drill ¼” holes at these two points. Countersink on the front if using flat head bolts.
- Sand the front and back of the buckler. Coarse paper is just fine, it’s a buckler…
- Split the tubing open with a razor blade or scissors.
- Put the tubing over the edges of the wood. Overlap ½” at the tube ends.
- Lash the tubing onto the edge with the string. You can glue it, but it’s less reliable
- Cut out the buckler strap, placing the holes 1/2” wider than the hole spacing on the wood.
- Bolt the strap onto the buckler and test the fit (with gloves on). You want it to be tight, and leather stretches. Wet leather stretches more, if need be.
- Remove the strap, and give the buckler a base coat of spray paint. Decorate as desired.
Variations:
(keep playing till you find something you like, give the “failures” to friends)
- Size and shape. Some of the ones I’ve seen are shown in the bottom margin.
- Wrap the buckler in leather or fabric. Rivet or glue it down. Now you don’t need tubing.
- Substitute a metal handle for a strap. I hate these, but some people love ‘em.
- Move the strap around on the buckler, change its angle, or add a second strap
- Try a different material: metal, wavy plastic, and hardened leather have all been tried.
- Decorate with carved or filigreed leather, rivets, conchos, appliqué…
