News - “Seattle Knights”

July 01, 2023

"Seattle Knights" - a story of seven knights and their armor kits

It took us some time to realize that these armor orders are connected, and then we found that the idea that unites these awesome folks ordering customized versions of our kits has a name.

The Seattle Knights are the Pacific Northwest's premier stage combat and theatrical jousting troupe, featuring equestrian thrills and high-octane, choreographed stage combat using real weapons and armor. The collective was founded in 1992 and was the first jousting group in the US to feature women riders - out of our current active members, about 40% are femme-presenting, which resonates really well with ArmStreet's attention to female warriors' needs. The Seattle Knights consider themselves actor-combatants and don't just focus on fighting but also put a great deal of work into creating memorable characters and storylines in their shows. They perform at Renaissance Faires, schools, weddings, corporate events, and many other venues.

ArmStreet was deeply inspired by the fact that so many of our armor kits are concentrated in one place, as well as deeply thankful for the moral support we received from the group members when the full-scale war in Ukraine started. We contacted them later, asking for photos and videos, as well as more information about the characters and their connections to the chosen designs and armor alterations. So, now we have a visual story of seven knights wearing different ArmStreet armor kits.

Sir Gerard Valliant has a special place in the ArmStreet panteon, wearing blue and yellow over his "King's Guard" armor. He says that his King's Guard armor has become so closely associated with his character that it is now part of his signature silhouette, and, moreover, is incorporated into the group's logo.

Sir Gerard owns a customized ArmStreet "King's Guard" with brass borders and no etching, and says his combat-grade 14ga and 16ga armor holds up well to rigorous use. He also gave us the idea that for the equastrian use the buckles should be reversed - live and learn, this is how you're getting better as an armorer.

Dame Valdis is a very special warrior character, probably from another realm, wearing a very special armor that combines a "Dark Star" silhouette and main pieces with "Lady Warrior" kit snake motifs.

We've sent etching pattern drafts prior to actually putting them on the armor, so it took some time to complete this project. However, the result is unique and turned out exactly as the customer wanted!

Sir Peralta is wearing a "Dark Wolf" kit with no modifications, but he has given us a lot of advice on strapping armor properly to make it suitable for active use in stage combat. He also designed his own leather padding to strap armor to it, and now enjoys the lightest kit of functional armor.

Sir Brecht has the armor from the local armorer, but he was the one who had chosen an ArmStreet sallet as his combat helmet. A bascinet may be a king of the field, but if you know - you know.

Unfortunately, we don't know much about Yeoman Robert. Truth be told, you'll be scared meeting this guy in the back alley, so we avoided asking more questions. But he is wearing a "Dark Wolf" kit with black blank rondels, which at least sends a signal that, first, he is not here to talk, and, second, that he has a sense of style.

Yeoman Justin is wearing a very interesting kit: a female "Morning Star" armor converted into male armor with no major modifications. The key was to keep the signature polished armor and gold paladin appearance, and it does look cool.

Sir Silas Oaktower, has built his own unique kit, combining Fantasy Ribbed Bazubands, Wayward Knight coat of plates, Sugarloaf helm, and Black Knight pauldrons in shiny polish. Our appreciation comes to both the aesthetics of gear combination and the choice of brigandine coat of plate as the main body armor - a less shiny but extremely practical armor preferred by many heavy fighters for its comfort and functionality.

So, with all that said, we wish this special group of people the best of luck and success in their endeavor. It is a special connection for us - there are not many people on the planet who have chosen sword-fighting as their way of life, and we eagerly support those who do. If you have your own story and want us to feature your event, project, or team, and we can connect it to our own passion for making armor and medieval clothing, you're welcome to send us a note.
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Also, you can connect with "Seattle Knights" here.