Painted Viking Shield with Etched Accents

Ready for battle painted viking shield with carrying strap and beautiful etching.

Round shields are pretty much the shield of choice for vikings, as they go excellently with shorter swords and are just as much a weapon as they are protection. With strong edges, they work well in aggressive combat as a way of binding your opponent whilst maintaining excellent manoeuvrability to allow you to make quick decisions in the heat of battle. A punch grip boss in the middle (which is one of the differentiating factors between a round shield and a later targe) means that this shield is excellently flexible, while also giving you the added bonus of having something sticking out of the front of your shield to catch your opponents sword with in a bind.

The shield is made from plywood, and then covered with two layers of strong canvas before being painted, meaning it’s quite strong. The shield boss itself is 2mm stainless steel and is ornately etched with viking knot work patterns, created specifically for the piece by our designer for maximum visual impact. The motif is matched with other 1.5mm etched accents on the edges of the shield, with another piece of accenting steel wrapping over the edging in four places to ensure extra robust construction. The shield itself is edged with leather, which has been hand-stitched on with artificial sinew to give this shield a delightfully authentic look, which is amazing combined with the texture of the canvas and grain of the leather.

The back of this shield looks almost as good as the front! At the center of the shield you’ll find a strong cylindrical wooden handle wrapped in leather for extra grip. It’s slightly raised up from the boss by surrounding wood to ensure you have enough room to hold it comfortably, and is securely attached to the rest of the shield with modern screws which we’ve managed to hide with a few helpful leather patches. The boss itself is attached with a number of strong rivets and re-enforced washers. The plywood is stained a darker color, and we’ve added decorative grooves to make it look closer to how we imagine an actual viking shield. We have also included twisted metal loops attached to a thick leather strap to make this shield easier to carry when you’re not in the heat of battle.

If you’re looking for a shield that’s a little bit more customisable to your own heraldry, take a look at our Medium Viking Shield to Paint, which includes a shield boss and a blank canvas ready for a paint job.

Please contact us if you have any additional questions.