The eighteen dollar targe

[Sir Robert]

As one of those weirdos who do the re-enacting I can give you a very good reason why there are very few targes around. Targes were disposable.

As with any other shield targes were to be used until broken and a new one made. It is extreemly un-likely that the surviving targes have ever done anything except hang on a wall.

Example WWII ended 61 years ago, today there are so very few German Stahlhelm-35 (Nazi Helmet) still existant that there is a thriving market for reproductions. Most of the real M-35s that survived the war were used by police,firemen and guards, the combat used M-35s were distroyed in combat, or crushed at the end of the war by the victors. Now go ahead say 400 years and tell me which existant helms are real. By the way the collectors look at the inside to determine wheather or not a helm is fake or not as the fakers can not accurately duplicate something that they have never seen.

Do you see the parallel between targes and helms?

[Andrew Green]

Absolutely Robert.
Still that shouldn't stop someone from doing the best they can, with what they have available. And perhaps a little embelishment for what the creator doesn't know? Sort of like, "Ok, we're not sure how this was done exactly... but this seems plausible, and therefore is our best guess."

Thoughts?