LF Targe Maker or help

[Wolfhawker]

I am looking to get a Scottish Targe made or help with finding someone to make or help making one.

Any guidance?

[madmanpsu]

I'm not really sure about the Targe in particular, but I have been looking around online and found alot of places that offer instructions, help and guidance on shield making.  I'm looking to turn some scrap wood I have into a couple of different shields so I just started really looking into it.  I have a freind who makes some on the side and he has offered to give me some help, I'll try to point him this way because I think he has some targe making experience.  One site with shield instructions I looked at wasye olde gaffers (yeoldgaffers.com/project.asp).  Mostly info on making wooden heater and kite shields, but you may find the info on how to cover a shield helpful.  You might also try asking on myarmoury, if you are a member there.

[crazyrennie]

Found some info on a site http://rosscroft.com/rossbb/index.php?PHPSESSID=8ce16a922c7ee59781ceed7fdd65bf43&topic=314.0

good luck

[William of Armagh]

Greetings, if you can get some plywood, leather, bolts etc you can make one, the Targe would vary in size, some would be buckler size, some larger........these were not like a government issue. anyway hope my drawing helps, if I was closer I would make it with you
.........if there are questions, ask  ...........I have seen the center bosses and spikes on internet sights and E-Bay good luck and best wishes !

[William of Armagh]

By the Way, most warriors would want a wooden edge to their shield ----this could make the opponents blade stick in the edge for a second
giving one a bit of an advantage in the fast and brutal combat of the time.

[ALS]

The Scottish targe was worn strapped to the arm rather than center gripped like a buckler or much larger Anglo-Saxon round shield. I've never encountered a targe that didn't have the leather wrapped over the edge of the shield. There is some information and pics of original targes in this article http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_shield.html . Lots of pics of original targes both front and back views in this thread http://www.myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=8231&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=targe+makers&start=40

As far as quality reproductions go have a look at Joe Lindsey's work http://www.scottishtarges.com/

[William of Armagh]

excellent post- ALS,  ..........when I said the shield had a wooden edge, I did mean with the leather over the wood of course.
I was helping out here by showing something that the average Rennie could make, not a  Museum piece ".
........also being a former infantryman (and reenactor) I can  tell you that soldiers /warriors modify their equipment during a long campaign, they do  make or modify for comfort or movement.   again good post, best wishes

[ALS]

also being a former infantryman (and reenactor) I can  tell you that soldiers /warriors modify their equipment during a long campaign, they do  make or modify for comfort or movement.

William, owning a piece or two of original medieval and renaissance military gear http://www.merctailor.com/originals.php I agree that field modifications  as well as working lifetime modifications were quite common, especially on munitions quality work used by the rank and file. These field and working lifetime modifications are often what gives period originals some of their " character " when viewed in person.

[Nighthawk]

I am a member of a Scottish Highland reenactment/living history group. There is a forum I get onto where one of the members actually posted a full instructional thread complete with photos on how to build one.

http://thescotsforum.com/theforum/index.php?topic=119.0

It's an excellent thread! Only thing is that he doesn't use tooling leather. If you want your targe to have tooled designs, I can help you out with that.

On the note that most warriors want a wooden edge to the shield so that the blade sticks in it, that's not the case with the targe. The blade will stick in the edge, and stick hard! It's actually a demonstration that we give regularly. Take a targe, hit it with a sword, and see how deep the blade goes.

Here's a short demonstration video that we did a couple weeks ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LOcxO-fljI

Enjoy!

[robert of armstrong]

I have seen two real differences in methods of making targes.  Simply put, the first is to cut a piece of plywood into a circle with a jig (or other) saw, attach straps to the back, wrap the perimeter in leather and decorate, either with paint, leather, studs or a combination of the three.

The second is a little more elaborate. It involves getting several planks of wood (like 1/2 inch x 5 inch fence boards) and attaching them together, usually by placing two or three supports (like 1 x 2's) arcoss the back of the planks at a 90 degree angle to the planks. Then cut the whole lot into a circle with a jigsaw (or other saw), attach straps to the back, wrap the perimeter in leather and decorate and you are off the races.  IF you are going this way, I wouldn't recommend that you cover the whole targe face with leather - if you go this route, you want to show off how much work you put in, leave those plank faces exposed, but either paint a design or simply stain the wood a nice rich dark color.

[crashbot]

I made my 32" diameter Viking era shield using the second method.

Used 1/2" x 4" white pine planks, planed them even and edge glued them together. Once it was dry, I found center, marked an X, used a 16" strap of leather to make the circle. Attached 2 braces on the back with cut iron nails, then cut it out using a jigsaw.  Cut out a center hole and added a center handle/brace and attached the boss.

I glued linen to the face, then glued 3-4 ounce leather to the linen. Adds strength. Lined the edge with more leather held in place with cut iron tacks and bronze clamps at the seams.  I then stained the back.

It was quite a bit of work, but its a nice shield. I figure a Targe using the same method would be pretty nice and have been thinking about making one.

[Nighthawk]

The second is a little more elaborate. It involves getting several planks of wood (like 1/2 inch x 5 inch fence boards) and attaching them together, usually by placing two or three supports (like 1 x 2's) arcoss the back of the planks at a 90 degree angle to the planks. Then cut the whole lot into a circle with a jigsaw (or other saw), attach straps to the back, wrap the perimeter in leather and decorate and you are off the races.  IF you are going this way, I wouldn't recommend that you cover the whole targe face with leather - if you go this route, you want to show off how much work you put in, leave those plank faces exposed, but either paint a design or simply stain the wood a nice rich dark color.

The one and only issue I have with this description is that it is either not historically accurate, or culturally accurate. Using the word "targe" is inherently Scottish. There was limited tooling on the targes of the late Renaissance, but those were reserved mostly for nobles and people of wealth. They were expensive. The more common targes were not tooled and simply used leather covered wood with brass domed tacks to hold the leather onto the targe. Those nails and tacks were placed in rather intricate patterns.

[scottishtarges]

i make targes and sell them on ebay. or email me for photos scottishtarges@yahoo.com

[madscotsman]

I am looking to get a Scottish Targe made or help with finding someone to make or help making one.

Any guidance?

hey mate i might be able to help you out if you still want to make a targe i just finished one and it may give you some hints that will help you in making your own

[Maithu Ruadh]

I made one quite historically inaccurately a couple years back. It looks ok to me, but it's nowhere close to the kind the master craftsmen make. It's just for show and not meant to be functional. It's basically a pre-cut pine table top with faux upholstery leather over it and brass upholstery tacks. I did use real rabbit fur on the back and the strap and handle were made from scrap leather.