Kite Shield DIY Kit — 115 cm Height

DIY Kit “Kite Shield” — for Recreating an Item with Centuries of History

The kit includes all the necessary components for making a kite shield.

The core principle of our craft is the naturalness of our products and environmentally friendly production. Therefore, all materials included in the kit are processed by hand in such a way as to preserve the natural strength and beauty of every detail. When processing the kit components, we follow the methods recorded in historical and ethnographic sources.

We create the blanks ourselves. Rest assured: every element of the kit has passed through our hands.

We are also pleased to offer other shield-making kits:

• “Tartsche” Shield
• Viking Round Shield

 

Kit Contents for Crafting a Kite Shield

• Glued Blank

A three-layer construction of plywood and linen — the heart of your future shield. Each plywood layer is 3 mm thick.

Dimensions:

• Height: 115 cm
• Width: 60 cm
• Shape: Curved, kite-shaped

(Since the blanks are made by hand, dimensions may vary by a couple of millimeters.)

• Rawhide Strip

With extra length to securely fasten the edges and form the handle.

• Rawhide Piece (Bull Split)

Ideal for edging the rim — so the shield withstands blows and does not delaminate.

• Leather Straps

For a comfortable and reliable grip.

• Shield Covering Material

Two options:

1. Linen fabric for both the inside and outside of the shield
2. Linen fabric for the inside and rawhide leather for the outside

 

Kite Shield Making Tips

• Based on our experience, we recommend using rawhide and fabric for covering the shield. This will make the shield stronger.
• Do not glue the materials on both sides at once! Wait until you have finished processing one side before moving on to the other.
• Gluing rawhide onto the shield requires some skill: to ensure the rawhide is positioned as evenly as possible on the shield, it must be pressed down with a weight (e.g., wooden blocks) and then secured with tension straps.

Important! It is normal for the rawhide not to lie perfectly flat on the shield’s surface. Small irregularities on the edges of the blank are to be expected in any case.

 

Historical Background

The origin of this shield is likely connected to Byzantium: its earliest depictions date back to the mid-10th century. Appearing during the heyday of cavalry, this shape ideally protected a rider from shoulder to knee, following the curve of the horse’s neck and protecting the rider’s leg. The kite shield could provide protection for an entire cavalry unit: when warriors alternated the sharp end of their shields pointing up and down, they created a dense defensive «wall» protecting them from enemy attacks. In this way, the shields complemented each other with their narrow and wide sides. This gave kite shields an advantage over round shields.

It is worth noting that over time, the kite shield became a distinctive feature of Norman cavalry, as well as Slavic warriors.

As a rule, the kite shield was always a consumable item. It had to be strong enough to withstand several battles while being quick to manufacture. A typical shield was made from light, flexible types of wood, such as linden, alder, or poplar, had a layered construction, was covered with rawhide, and its edges were either treated with rawhide or bound with iron to protect against cutting blows. Shield sizes varied from 50 to 114 cm in height, and weight ranged from 3.5 to 4.5 kg.

Later, the shape of the shield changed: the upper edge gradually became flatter, providing better visibility, and the shield itself became smaller. This was associated with the overall development of protective armor, which over time took over some of the shield’s functions.