Training Weapons and Protective Equipment. Suppliers
Below you will find links to manufacturers and retailers of weapons and simulators for Historical European Martial Arts. There are still many outdated models on the market that are only suitable for limited use. Before making a purchase, ask your instructors or fellow practitioners for advice, or check YouTube, Discord, and other sources.
Individual disciplines often have their own specialised products and suppliers. The ones listed here are those that are relevant across multiple disciplines.
The suppliers are listed here in two categories:
- Retailers: They purchase equipment from manufacturers and resell it. This often means higher prices for customers, but usually also significantly faster delivery and more reliable communication. Some retailers also offer their own product lines.
- Manufacturers: Buying directly from manufacturers often means lower prices and more options for customisation, but it can also involve significant delivery delays and less professional communication. Some manufacturers do not sell through retailers and offer their products exclusively through direct sales.
At the Berlin HEMA Cup, you will find Germany’s largest HEMA bazaar. Here you can try out and compare equipment from different manufacturers and buy it on site without shipping costs. Every spring in Berlin.
Retailers:
French retailer with a website also available in German and very reliable delivery time estimates. They offer a very wide selection of gloves, other protective equipment, and synthetic weapons. Their selection of steel simulators, masks, and fencing jackets is more limited, but consists mostly of very reliable products.
Twerchhau members receive a permanent 10% discount at Faits d'Armes. You can find the discount code in the members only section of our website. A big thank you to Faits d'Armes for this partnership!
Retailer offering products from many well known manufacturers. Fast delivery and shipping from Germany. The very large selection, which can be a little overwhelming at first, still includes many outdated products that are no longer recommended.
Dutch retailer with a very large selection of fencing books and a varied selection of other HEMA equipment.
French retailer, best known for its Arcem product line, particularly the fencing jacket, which is highly recommended. They also sell many products from different manufacturers under their own brand. Unfortunately, they have been extremely unreliable with the delivery of ordered products in the past. Sometimes you get lucky, though...
Manufacturers:
Protective Equipment and Weapon Simulators:
Ukrainian manufacturer. Their protective equipment, especially their gloves, ranks among the best and currently most popular products on the market. Their weapons are among the most affordable, but sometimes lack a certain degree of refinement. Think tools rather than works of art. Be aware of possible import fees and ideally ask about them when ordering.
In Motu is a commercially operated German fencing school whose management has developed its own product lines in collaboration with various manufacturers. The products are of very high quality, but also significantly more expensive than those of almost all other suppliers. Some items are arguably too heavily influenced by modern Olympic fencing and are too light for certain HEMA disciplines. The future availability of the protective equipment sold here is currently uncertain, as the manufacturer has discontinued production.
Weapon Simulators:
Slovak manufacturer of a wide range of weapon simulators and feders. The BMW among HEMA manufacturers. Arguably some of the highest quality and safety standards on the market, combined with excellent performance, but also premium prices and longer waiting times.
Czech manufacturer of a wide range of weapon simulators. The VW among HEMA manufacturers. They offer many models across different price ranges. As a well established manufacturer, they often have relatively short delivery times. However, their extensive range still includes many outdated models that are only suitable for limited use due to insufficient blade flexibility, for example all of their messers.
VB Sword Shop - Viktor Berbekucz
Hungarian manufacturer of HEMA simulators and other training weapons for Buhurt, reenactment, and similar activities. Mid range in terms of both price and performance. Some weapons are available with different options for blade flexibility. It is best to check with your instructors before choosing, as some blades are too stiff, which is bad for your training partners, while others are even too flexible, which can be bad for you.
Polish manufacturer of training simulators and sharp replicas. Often confused with another manufacturer called Krieger based in the United States.
Czech manufacturer of more refined weapon simulators and feders.
Hungarian manufacturer specialising primarily in langes Messers, and more recently also in longsword feders and one handed swords. In our experience, the “Thick Blunt” variants in their product range are the best Messer simulators on the market, although certainly not the cheapest.
Protective Equipment:
SPES - Historical Fencing Gear
Polish manufacturer and the clear market leader for fencing jackets and trousers. They offer many different models with a wide range of customisation options. Other protective equipment and weapon simulators, however, are now available in better quality or at better prices from other manufacturers.
Pakistani manufacturer of protective equipment. Their products are significantly cheaper, although sometimes at the cost of slightly lower quality, for example fencing jackets often lack breathable material on the inside, and some products are based on patterns copied from SPES. Some brands have their equipment manufactured here and sell it under their own name.
Their jackets and trousers in particular are recommended. Light gloves, gorgets, and groin protection are also available here at very affordable prices.
