This Destructive Shield Test Almost Went Wrong...
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ม.ค. 2025
- I got an undecorated version of the Ottoman Kalkan reproduction from Salahs Archery to do destructive testing on, and it didn't go quite the way I expected.
The shield took a lot of damage but did its job well, especially considering how light it is. I started with hits from blunt swords and a bit of sparring, then shot it with a modern crossbow (the Cold Steel Cheap Shot) and a medieval crossbow with different bolts. Finally I leaned full into the destructive test with swords, a spear, a war hammer, a flanged mace, and an axe.
Definitely goes to show the main drawback of strapped shields (compared to centergrip)...
The review of the fully ornamented version:
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Cold Steel Cheap Shot
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15th century "munition" crossbow with goat's foot lever
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Javelin by Arms & Armor
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1860 cavalry saber by LK Chen
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Viking axe by Nils Ogren
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Review: • Unboxing and Testing a...
Flanged mace
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Warhammer and spear by Arms & Armor
[discontinued]
Gustav messer by Landsknecht Emporium
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Review: • Is This the Ultimate S...
** Music credits **
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“Mystic Journey” by Tausdei
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Outro:
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#skallagrim #historical #shield #test #crossbow
"I used to be a weapons reviewer like you, then I took an arrow to the face"
"Now I'm a Pirate!"
After the Kentucky Ballistics incident it seems only natural that weapons tubers have at least one self harm incident in their career
🤣 great story
Since it wasn’t a pommel, he got better
I was going to make this joke 😂
Damn, the dummy perfect parried that arrow.
That's a pretty tough little Shield to be fair
Turns out he's not a filthy casual after all...
👏👏👏
My man pressed "F" 💀
Well all this time being shot at he has to have learned a few things
Glad you were not defeated by an unarmed man.
Not Jonny Bravo indeed😏
He almost was!
Imagine if he'd gotten injured by the deflected arrow, then he would've been defeated by an unarmed dummy 😄
@@sevenproxies4255 I say the dummy reflected the incoming shot Jedi style.
@@magnemoe1 It's like Sith-Lord Jar Jar Binks all over again...
@@magnemoe1full counter.
"but did you die?" is a good summary of this shield. like yeah, you can cut into it pretty decently etc but for the large part, it did its job. Still cool though which is the main factor in judging any weapon/armour/etc, tis the true metric
The anti arrow performance admittedly holds it back from feeling satsifying.
Protecting from Projectiles that are Poignantly Performing Pointy Piercers really feels like what this thing SHOULD be doing
@@1stCallipostle Crossbow from close range, piercing armor is what IT should be doing. Even then, some padded armor behind the shield and those hits would not be to severe
definately better than to take it through the arm straight. and there's lot of stuff flying at you, with slingshots, stones and other projectiles other than arrows, so better to have some cover, but this feels above average even for me, this is the norm on shield strenght scale for me.
@@1stCallipostle it would be nice to see an apples to apples comparison to the stuff Todd's Workshop is doing, but this looks like it compares quite favorably with a wooden shield. That crossbow (especially with modern quarrels!) is probably comparable to a full-strength yew warbow - look up Todd's "lockdown longbow" videos. And construction that can't completely shatter under impact is really good. Add in that from the standpoint of the culture that uses it, this doesn't take the precise woodworking and the quantity of high quality wood that a wooden shield needs, which is even more impressive. This is rattan, but willow or similar light woods would work quite well.
"Did you die?"
- "Yes... But I lived!"
Thank you for testing our Kalkan shield. Glad you didn't get harmed in the making of this video 😅.
I love the fact that you sent him another one because he didn't wanna ruin the pretty one.
Quite impressive for a light shield like that.
@@youtubevoice1050 Thank you!
I'd love to see Todd's Workshop test this so we could see some apples-to-apples comparisons with wooden shields. I'm already impressed by the comparison to Skellagrim's old shield tests and Todd's more recent tests. Especially for a shield that doesn't require woods that were in relatively short supply, and which had to be expertly worked to make shields from them. Basically materials and craftsmanship which could be done by basket-weavers, aside from the boss and that wouldn't be disposable like the rest of a shield generally was. My only caution is the amount of glue used, especially if it's a modern resin.
@@j.f.fisher5318To be fair, glue would have been a fairly common bonding agent for cloth and wicker. Whether made from boiling or heating plant or animal bits.
It really looked well-made too! The failures just looked like material limitations!
11:01 "I'm gonna spare you the joke"
But i won't
IT'S HAMMER TIME!
I know, Skall's a terrible liar sometimes.
Can't touch this. dum dum dumdum, dum dum dum DUM.
You need to do a video with Tank Tolman
"Didn't expect that"....um, let me quote you from 15 seconds earlier, to wit - "I have a feeling that's gonna ricochet something fierce"!!!
Yeah, I expected a ricochet... just not one that comes straight back. :)
NO ONE EXPECTS THE SPANISH RICOCHET
I am surprised a 130 lb crossbow with such a low powerstroke can propel that bolt to go through that much of the shield. Was that 7 inches the powerstroke or draw length (making the powerstroke even shorter)?
If the powerstroke was something like 7 inches, then a 130 lb crossbow with a 7 inch powerstroke is basically equal to a 41 lb bow with a 22 inch powerstroke (assuming 28 inch draw and 6 inch brace height).
The one time that happened to me, we were out with a 45 pound bow and field tips hunting frogs for dinner.
Did you know that a frog's shoulder blade can bounce that arrow at about 4 feet and nearly straight back in the direction it came from?
I've been getting into archery lately and I've had a few close call ricochets my self so when I seen you shooting at the boss with a crossbow at close range, I was already concerned for your safety. Little did I know, you would exceed my concerns lol no joke for everyone trying this stuff, arrows can be hazardous so be smart and be safe. Thanks for the amazing content Skallagrim and glad you escaped unharmed 😂@@Skallagrim
It *is* in fact worth a like, but because you specifically called out the eye protection and this is great proof why. Seems pretty good overall for a light shield though!
I'm not sure, I feel like it could be worth a dislike. Not like there are many folks out there putting out similar content to Skall, so not protecting himself better...
@@foldionepapyrus3441 dumb as hell opinion
well i would like the video but youtube forces all your liked videos in a playlist you can't delete, so i have to reserve it for stuff i REALLY like and want to be able to find again
You could start a new playlist & put videos you might want to watch again into that one. I cleared my "Watch Later" playlist (MANUALLY, ONE VIDEO AFTER ANOTHER) a few years back & now I put videos I genuinely want to watch later or watch again later into that one, & consistently delete videos from the playlists when I don't watch them after a while.
I find wicker shields fascinating. They were used all over the world. The Scots and northern Irish have been reported using wicker targes. Unfortunately we don't have any surviving examples but some people are making them in ways they think they may have been made and they work surprisingly well.
I'm honestly way more impressed than I thought I would be
Were? I was looking for an image of the Hong Kong Police using them up till quire recently only to find the Dutch police still use them!
i0.wp.com/issblog.nl/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Frugality-pic.jpg?ssl=1
I agree completely. I've always wanted to make one.
It seems to perform better than wooden board shield and i imagine also weight less. Win-win.
Seems like a case of "Would you rather *not* have this shield?" and it makes me think of a buckler with an extended, if less durable, surrounding area.
The rattan rim makes more sense when you consider this more as marching armor than fighting armor. If you had a carry a big steel plate shield all day while marching, a light shield with a hardened center that could save your vital organs becomes attractive.
@@chrishart7300 If your shield hand is protected with metal this thing is even more attractive. If only issue is arrow hurting your hand its more reasonable to protect the hand than cover entire thing in metal.
this is a horse archer's shield. not much used on foot. you can carry it on back hands free on arm handsfree, you can even shoot an arrow with it on your wrist alsu that is actually why it is so light and has metal only required places. Turkish foot soldier's shields are a bit different, mostly round but full metal for paid soldiers like Janissaries or Sipahis etc. wood metal mix for conscripted soldiers. btw kalkan means just "shield".
I live that the guys that make the shield clearly watched the video where you commented that it was too pretty to break and went "...we got you, here's one to mess up!"
I think it's a testament to your competancy. You've built a career handling and testing dangerous weapons in various conditions,. Yet the only consistent equipment failure you experience with poorly manufactured cameras.
Old viewer here, and it was refreshing to see this kind of content! I always liked equipment testing, even if not strictly scientifical in nature, and getting to know new pieces of arms and armour, so this one really hit the spot!
I know it has prohibitive costs sometimes, so it's not something I see as standard, but it's always a nice surprise. You caught my attention 9 years ago, got me into HEMA and reenactment, and this video caught my attention just the same, pretty nostalgic :)
I'm actually impressed by this little shield, it stood up pretty decently!
As for missiles, Tod tested a heater shield multiple times, in multiple ways, and that one didn't do too great either.
exactly this. Folks in the comment section acting like wood shields would have bounced arrows make me smh lol. That said, I want Todd to do an apples-to-apples test of this now.
I mean most of the fambase here thinks everything european is better
Rattan is probably one of the most versatile crafting materials out there. My experience with it is mostly woven rattan chairs and tables, but goddamn it's strong.
It's also a great material for staves (bo staff or quarter staff), perfect blend of flexibility and sturdy
@@DuncanWilliamsOFFICIALand great for sparring weapons because it doesn't break into a sharp point if/when it does eventually fail
Your jokes were on point in this one.😁
You take a lot of pains for our entertainment and we appreciate it. Please don't earn a Darwin Award lol.
I like very much the attention and the insight that you provide during these tests
Also I love the subplot of the war against the camera
Skal reacted to Kentucky ballistics and almost got medival fletched. Love the irony, glad your okay man.
Skal nearly had to put a thumb in it
This. This right here is the video I'll show to anyone curious about how good shields actually are when 'under fire' and why people used them throughout history. Also a great way to demonstrate why 'active defense' and actively blocking with a shield is better than cowering behind it and holding it close to your body.
Thank you for putting yourself in harms way to do these tests. Great Experimental Archaology as always XD
Don't forget a sarcastic "Oh no, the ANTI-ARMOR weapons got through the ARMOR." if anybody wants to complain about the hammer strikes.
Well, the center of that shield held up to most of those weapons... like a boss.
I think for a company that makes wall art dressed as a shield, the quality of their construction and durability of that shield was very impressive. I'd absolutely wear that into a battle.
The arrow going through and your comments on strapped shields reminded me of an incident at a reenactment show. Someone took sharp arrows and put a rubber bung on them. One hit a shield and went through. The guy holding the shield was fine and the archer was removed from the field immediately. Could have been very different with a strapped shield.
Well that was very stupid, the sharp arrow would obviously push trough the rubber. It might even help with penetration form an angle. Some armor piercing shells worked a bit like this.
Hopefully a perma-ban with the stupidy of bringing sharp arrows.
That arrow ricochet though. Don't forget safety first people.
The puns were gold on this one! But I'm impressed by how well the shield performed all things considered. Would've expected less resistance.
That reflecting arrow sure put the fear of god back in you, no fucking around without max protection😂
Now, using a rattan cane against a sword!
0:10 the on the beat strikes are really cool
I'd say after watching all the way through. A great shield if you wanna stay light and mobile. Against a fully armored opponent without any long range weapons, does its job if you can keep doing yours. Especially if you're one of those squirrelly types.
tbh, I don't see any downsides compared to solid wood. This works at least as well. Arrows go through anything except steel.
@@j.f.fisher5318 Seems like it would have a shape limitation compared to solid wood. I can't on how your make a pavise shape with wicker, or a judical duel shape, or one of those cup shapes
I lost it when he comes back with a helmet after the arrow ricochet lmao
I'm so glad you're okay, Skall.
Video: *test rattan shield against bolts*
Conclusion: GoPro sucks balls
Truly. Holy shit that thing sucks
Was very curious about how well that pretty shield would hold up, so it was nice of them to send a less decorated one for you to try out. I love the silly puns too :D
Conclusion: You probably won't die, but have a few holes extra in the body
For future reference if you are doing ballistics testing the "meat and potatoes" of ballistic information is the speed and weight (usually in grains), of the projectile. A 400 grain modern bolt going 230 fps is markedly different than a 1000 grain historical bolt going 230 fps. As an archer i love when you do projectile stuff. Todd doesn't make enough videos to keep that itch scratched!
Thanks!
Thanks for the donation!
On the topic of shields being disposable, I can see how these rattan shields might have had some logistical benefits.
To make wooden shields you'll need some shop tools and a supply of wood. That's not always readily available on a campaign.
But with these rattan shields you could re-use the boss and just attach new rattan rods if the original ones have broken. You need the rattan rods and glue, which would be a lot easier to transport than lumber.
10:35 "I see no damage" I see broken arm.
Yeah, there's that...
Better a broken arm than a missing one. Besides, you could use your broken rattan shield to splint the break in your arm. It would still hurt, but you'd be able to fight again in a few weeks.
I just returned to this channel a week ago or so! As a teenager this was one of my favorite channels, and I am so happy I found it again! Still enjoyable to watch, and I like the tone of the videos a lot, very relaxing in a way. Keep on keeping on Skall. You have kept the quality all these years and though you're the same, I like your demeanor in the recent videos a lot! Something calming, confident, and smooth about it. Great video.
I can really appreciate how you pun-ished that shield.
So not only is it a VERY pretty shield, it's an effective one as well ^_^ Seemed to fare better against lighter and blunter weapons -- which honestly is as-expected for a light wicker shield, that's pretty much exactly what it's designed for. Nice testing, Skall -- and nice work on the shield, Salahs Archery! 👍
Youve been cranking them out lately!
SKALLS FOR THE SKALLTHRONE
Good reviews like this are why I'm a paying customer. Quality stuff Skall
Been anxiously awaiting this video, nice to see a good chunk of the arsenal being applied.
Glad you didn’t get hit in the teeth with a missile
I think what happened with the ricochet is that the tip took on most of the deflection force while the fletching dragged it back around it's center of mass, causing it to spin instead of careen out at the intended angle.
Amazing video !! thanks for listening to your community skall you're the best, we love you
That was actually incredibly impressive. When you hear "wicker" you don't think of a shield but this was a really effective lower cost shield when compared to an all metal shield. Especially when you factor in a moving target holding the shield which can compensate for the blows a lot more. Very cool!!
Once when I was a preteen, the school was closed due to flu outbreak and I had nothing to do, so I improvised a mini-crossbow out of pen tube and some rubber, it used straightened-out paperclips as ammo and could pierce a thick cardboard sheet. At one moment, I stupidly aimed it down at the floor and the "bolt" bounced straight back, just like in this video, and nailed me right below my left eye. Thankfully, it didn't have enough energy left to puncture the skin so the damage was purely psychological, but it was just a fool's luck. Always wear eye protection when using such dangerous tools, boys and girls.
That Longsword cut straight into the edge is phenomenal! Genuinely got a "holy shit!" outta me! Lol
Great video, man, thanks for making the destructive test even though the original review performed so poorly.
The list unpredictable and dangerous Irishman ever... Rick O'Shea
Your jokes are usually sharp and I love that! It's a good thing they are not on paper because then they'd be cuttingly tearable.
New Skall video!!!! So happy to see this one :)
Wow, yeah now I see why you would not use the decorated one for this test.
That's.. Surprising. I'm gonna ask the polish guy who taught me some tricks on how to make repros of kalkans back in the day if he'd consider sending you one of his, because I've seen the results of tests and it was much more sturdy, particularly sbsknsg arrows. The arrows, in fact, were damaged beyond repair, both carbons and wooden ones.
PS You're not the only one who'd rather not ruin a pretty shield, most of the museum examples seem to be parade-only*, as opposed to sturdier constructions which tend not to be as elaborately decorated (and of which we have much less examples of course)
* they're held together by relatively few cross-row loops (which is what's responsible for integrity of the construction) and use very thin wicker (thinner rings=more rings=finer, less "pixelated" picture), reproductions of these pretty much collapse under a little weight, not to mention under real combat abuse)
I'm very impressed with the wicker, it seems quite light so its easy to carry and maneuver with, it's durable enough to fight with, especially if you're up against lighter armed opponents. I do wish it offered a little more ranged protection tho
10:31 Looking properly badass here. Also, very interesting to see shields tested, what their limits are, etc! Love the action shots and the slo-mo as well.
Lesson learned: reinforce the edge with steel band, or even sharpened disc for offensive thrusts.
6:33 they do - confirmed! ThumbsUp!
Damn, I think this is the worse case of booty-bot infection on a comment section among channels I'm subbed to.
"What if I'm a -spy- booty bot? Or you? We could be here all day."
I am not well versed in the youtube slang and nicknames. what do you mean? What's a booty bot?
@@Unseen420 A common sight all over TH-cam, they post generic nice comments such as "Wow! Your videos are amazing!" but their profile picture is a woman's ass in a thong or the like. I assume this is to let them bait clicks from horny people without getting nuked by spam detection for posting suspicious links.
@@Unseen420If you can sort the comments 'by oldest', you'll see a lot of positive but often unrelated (to the topic of the video) comments with profile pictures of women's posterior or boobage.
These are bots, and I call them booty-bots. Not a common term as far as I'm aware of, but that's what I call them.
Thanks for talking about shields not working how we expect them to in videogames and in fact being more 'disposable'. I think something else worth noting is that different shields are for different purposes - they can be designed for different usage styles and use against different weapons and styles. They can be very dynamic
I very much appreciate your tests of equipment!
thanks for doing the follow up! glad that you didn't lose an eye...
I had this happen once with a bow and arrow I fired at a brick wall. I saw it go out and was like 'what is it doing?' as it wobbled and flexed and turned, I thought it was floating for a millisecond. It bounced back and I literally stepped off the line and it passed my head. It was terrifying.
I commented something about “you should wear eye protection” several vids back from this one, and I couldn’t feel more vindicated and glad you apparently listened lol. Although, I’d feel just as vindicated if you didn’t listen and got hurt, I wouldn’t be glad at all. 🤷♀️
Skall is a master of hitting the decorative fittings.
I love when you test weapons and armour like this 🤘, this the kind of video an humor why I originally subscribed years ago and I will continue to be. That and the sword reviews. Keep On Keepin On
Dude your job has got to be so much fun. Some you tube channels I am sure they are bored but not you dude! Congratulations man
Great video Skal! Absolutely love this type of content. Many thumbs up
Bro almost got Kentucky Ballistics-ed
Man gets nearly shot by an arrow, then gets nearly defeated by a gopro but prevails in the end to tell the tale.
be careful skall, we need you
You make some of the best content on TH-cam. Just all the videos I've watched from you over the years. You make videos pertaining to the weird questions people may have about this stuff. I think it's great. Yes, nobody uses any of this stuff anymore in wars but it's still stuff I wonder about.
Excellent video as always testing the durability of that shield with different weapons as always good job Skallagrim 😎👍
once you get hit with an arrow wearing that, your arm becomes a lot more rounder
Appreciate your perseverance in testing out the shield even after the near cyclopsification.
Yeargh, that's some testing!
The shield is really well-made, it took quite a punch. Did not expect it to take cuts to the edge and stabs that well. The Salahs Archery guys have done a good job.
Regarding the overheating GoPro. I bought a SjCam SJ10 "pro" a couple years ago to record sparring (could not afford the GoPro). Chineese stuff, lousy controls, chipping corners and all that, but it does 60 fps / 1920x1080 without overheating and can live for about an hour on a single battery. One of the two batteries has swollen, though.
The first three hits being perfectly on time with the music is just👌
So what I'm getting from this is that you're safer from big pointy sticks than small pointy sticks (to a point) when using this shield.
One day I saw a tennis ball on the ground and shot it with my air rifle … when I heard the pellet ricocheting back thru the leaves over my head, I decided “enough target shooting for today”
13:20 that sword wind tho, great cut, my man!
The stud stopped the bolt 🤔
Studded leather viable confirmed 😼
Another great video. It's fun to see a bunch of different weapons in action.
I love the puns and I love your enthusiasm, I think you're doing something right
1860 cavalry sabers are still given as gifts to soldiers in cavalry units by the way
-"Haha! What a weak shield! My swings to the rims can penetrate easily."
-"But it is my turn now."
"you shot an unarmed man!"
"Should have armed himself"
Glad you avoided having a Christmas Story moment there! I love the variety of attacks you use when testing shields and armor.
That was brutal..... well done Skall !
Shield just pulled UNO
you are starting to win the algorithm game. Keep it up you are an OG youtube staple and the youtube overlords should treat you bettter.
I'm glad you weren't hurt! Great test video.
Bob just did a perfect pary to deflect the arrow right to Skall, pro player move 👍
Not sure why liked this one so much but this was really nice video. Also glad your ok cause that seemed really close.
13:48 "manure happens sometimes" made me wheeze 😂
I'm gonna share this video with my mom, I hope she'll enjoy it as much as I did.
You always bring something unique to the table, can't get enough!
I bring a [bolt to the face] type of vibe to the [youtube video] that [the algorithm] doesn't find very palatable.
Thank you for your videos.
I’m actually kinda impressed with how that thing held up. The arrow tests I have to take with a pinch of salt for the mitigating factors Skall mentioned, but overall I’m impressed with how my ancestors built their shields. Çok güzel!
These types of videos are the best.
I imagine that historically this sort of shield would have been fairly cheap as well, requiring little metal and not needing special skills to make. Even if better shields existed, having this would have been miles better than having nothing.
Finally my favorite TH-camr makes it to my recommendations for once.