Inside is what I was talking about - obviously I wasn't clear enough. Sorry. Wok with padded handle and arm loop (it was used like a small shield rather than a buckler - I have an illo if you want a scan of it [email me directly for that, or message me, to avoid me spamming please (info on my profile)]) on the inside.
They are the origin of the term 'swashbuckler' - a unit of men striking their bucklers with their blades to frighten the enemy. Worked, too; that rolling continuous crash was quite scary.
The mediaeval point-catchers were both concave and convex, usually in a wave pattern of some kind.
> You *might* stop a full-strength blow with a broadsword (we pull all
> ours of course), but I think you'd hurt your wrist doing it.
Arm, too, and probably have the blade cut through. They were quite lightly built. Considering that a broadsword could, with a reasonably strong man behind it, sever a forearm with metal armour on it - to the extent that it was one of the most common injuries in battle...
> There's some great "bucklers" in museums that are almost arm-armour
- strapped onto the wrist, and covered in what I can only describe as
chaos spikey bits. Definitely a weapon as well as a defence.
Yup, the weapon-shields... scary things, but not really combat-effective. Good at frightening people, though. ;)
Paul
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