Would jeweler's brass make an effective shield boss?

[Dan Howard]

Bosses were not always over the hand. Some were placed elsewhere on the shield's surface for additional reinforcing. If the boss seems too small to cover the fist and/or doesn't show any indication of having an attached hand grip then it may not have been the primary boss and a different one was actually used to cover the hand. Though, the above-mentioned 15 cm conical boss almost certainly was for hand protection.