The boss is the steel dome at the centre of a shield. It is not decoration. On a Norse round shield the grip runs across the back of a hole cut through the boards, and the boss covers that hole and the hand behind it, which is why the boss takes the hits that would otherwise break fingers. Buy a shield without one and you have a board.
Bosses and the shields they sit on
The loose bosses come as fitting kits: a 14 gauge steel dome with a Mjolnir engraving and a riveted flange, one with a pattern etched dome and a rune cut flange, one with a vegvisir engraved dome and an eight hole rivet flange, a conical boss with a rune ring engraving and black leather straps, and a valknut engraved boss with a full leather strap set. Those are the pieces to buy if you are building a shield yourself or replacing a broken centre. The complete shields run 20 to 30 inches across. There are hand made round shields at 24 inches with a leather arm strap and hand grip, one painted with twin ravens on red and white over a steel valknut boss, one in a navy and white pinwheel with an Elder Futhark rune ring, and one with an engraved Celtic knotwork border and a riveted rim. A 30 inch planked body shield carries a steel dome boss with an engraved knotwork roundel and a rawhide rim, and a 20 inch dished steel face has an etched knotwork border. There is also a curved Roman scutum at 37 inches tall with a steel boss, painted wings, a rawhide edge and its own fitting kit. Prices run from 119 dollars to 449 dollars.
Round, kite or neither
The round shield is the Norse shape, and it works because it is light and can be moved quickly rather than because it covers much. Our page on Viking shields covers construction, size and what the finds actually show. If you are choosing between shapes for display or for an event, round against kite sets out the trade. Loose bosses and fittings are in shield bosses and complete boards are in Viking shields.
Ransack Viking is a US company based in Chicago, Illinois. These pieces are handmade in the Czech Republic, then imported, inspected and shipped from Chicago. Engraving is done in the US after arrival: text 19 dollars, symbol 39 dollars, family crest 49 dollars.
Free US shipping
On most pieces. Heavier and oversized ones carry a flat charge.
Hand Forged
Heated, hammered and ground by hand.
Engraving available
Names, dates or Norse runes on most pieces.
