Cold Steel Medieval Buckler Polymer Shield

This sucker is well worth the purchase. It’s heavy and durable. Imposing and very practical. Sturdy handle, and well-made. It’s not just a training aid. Highly recommend this product.

I was surprised at the quality of these. very thick and sturdy plastic. almost feel like they could take a strike from a real sword. would note that they are barely a toy as you could seriously hurt somebody if you hit them with these but great for practicing with my son.

This is a very durable and well-constructed shield. Its small size makes it easy to carry around and throw into the car. I'm new to wielding the buckler. I've used shields before, but I'm accustomed to it being much larger and heavier. The way you hold this shield is very different. I'm used to having a secondary strap attached to my forearm while the hand grips the bar close to the rim of the shield. The handle is smack-dab in the middle of this one, so using it is a very different experience than with larger shields. It is better for offensive use or for swift ripostes rather than blocking. It is because it's so small, and has such a round bulging surface - it's designed to quickly bounce off and deflect the blow rather than to just stand there and absorb the full impact as you would with a larger shield. Even though this shield is so small and seemingly simple to use, it has taken me some time to get use to holding it directly in front of me, as well having to punch or smack to deflect . It's weird not having it braced to my forearm to block in a side-stance like I'm accustomed to. The buckler can be tilted to line up the rim of the shield with your arm, but it's an awkward grip, and obviously leaves most of your arm from your elbow up to your shoulder exposed. It isn't as effective as a larger shield for punching with the rim specifically, but it is possible, and certainly quicker to use with an uppercut technique. As I said, it's more like an off-hand weapon in its own right. It's very easy to bash and pummel with, but requires speed and coordination to block and parry with effectively. I do really wish Cold Steel would develop a larger Polycarbonate shield. I would buy it in instant, even if it was twice the price of this one. The larger (and more mediocre) shield I am training with just isn't able to take the abuse and has flimsy handle/brace straps. Overall, I'm very pleased with this shield. I'm learning a whole new style of fighting which is a lot of fun. 5/5 without question!

Heavier than we imagined but its really sturdy and well made

It is absolutely beautiful, an absolute prize among my small but growing collection of hema gear. I guess I should have figured that cold steel, a company renowned for durable, heavy duty products would be at its finest when producing the buckler shield. No point of balance for them to mess up, no fine details to overlook, just a very simple piece of equipment requiring only an ergonomic handle, a historically accurate size, and the extreme, heavy duty durability of which they reign king. This is a 2 pound, half inch thick slab of dense impact resistant polypropylene. My only complaint is rather snobby and unrealistic, and not worth docking a star. You cannot slip the blade of even a very thin training blade under the handle so it can be worn as one piece. My training blade is a red dragon synthetic arming sword, which is rather thin, but there simply isn't a gap between the blade and hand, and i would have to significantly bend my blade to even force it under the handle, which i refuse to do as i love my sword. It would be cool if i could wear them as was done by the swash bucklers of ancient times. Swash is what they called the sound of the sword rattling against the buckler, hence men armed with sword and buckler were termed swashbucklers. I guess this really only matters if you are wearing this as a costume, which in my opinion does naught but disrespect to the awesome power of this overly functional training device. I doubt you are buying this to commonly wear on you with a sword as a fashion statement. Still makes me a little sad though, but i'm not surprised, as cold steel often forego minor details, which is probably how they manage to produce such good products so cheaply. Nonetheless the devil lies in the details sometimes

First of all, as with any CS product I've ever ordered, this thing is TOUGH! Just as demonstrated in CS demo vids, this buckler will take blow after blow after blow with no problems and still be ready for more. It is, of course, a training tool not meant to be used against steel weapons, but against wood and polypropylene the thing is damn near indestructible. It will show it's use, mind you, in the form of light scratches and marks, but these are just superficial damages that in no way compromise the shield's strength. It's also lightweight accurately replicating the the feel of a true buckler and the handle is large enough to accommodate a heavily padded or armored hand. The one potential drawback practitioners of HEMA will face with this buckler is the large dome in the center. According to my friend in ARMA, this is not a desired trait as oncoming blows will tend to slide off the shield and into the wielder (which I have found to be true in practice). However, I would argue that while this may not lend the buckler well to static blocks, it does make it a more effective tool for parrying as the dome better serves to displace and redirect an opponent's attack. One just has to make sure not to redirect said attack into oneself which, admittedly, takes practice but in time it can definitely be turned to advantage. All in all, this is another great product by CS and for the price it's a helluva deal. If you want a training buckler that will take all the punishment that comes with the study of traditional western arms, look no further :)

Very tough and sturdy. 5/5, would recommend. Gonna take it to Ren Faire.

NICE little busty buckler! Love it! Got it to pair with my tactical mace bat. Ended up getting two of both to put together in a couple of places around my house where I can grab them quickly if needed. This shield alone, though small, is a tough little thing with some weight to it. You can very easily deflect a blow from somebody. Nice price and great quality for this product.