Would jeweler's brass make an effective shield boss?

[Dan Howard]

Yep. Shields and armour were meant to be damaged. If you came out of a battle with your gear unblemished, you would be accused of not pulling your weight if not outright cowardice. It was a source of pride to have your gear so damaged that it fell apart because it showed that you were in the thick of the fighting. Reenactors overbuild everything so they don't have to repair their stuff after every event.