HEMA gear rankings. Why do we need your opinions?

Wise Peasants portal updates its HEMA gear rankings every year. Our products occupy high positions in these standings, which give us a lot of satisfaction and pride. We look forward to these ranks every year as we treat them as a valuable feedback to make our gear even better. In this post I would like to comment on certain ranks from 2020 and consider the role of users’ opinion for a producer.

How to rate HEMA gear?

We are not sure how exactly looks the process of rating the gear in Wise Peasants. We assume that the authors mostly rely on their own experiences from regular training – it’s fair and logical approach to the issue, giving readers the answers they expect. Nonetheless, it’s worth clarifying this aspect.

For a potential customer what surely matters is the reviewer’s experience with gear of various brands. So many producers, so many visions of perfect gear. Underlining the basic differences between them gives a reader a chance to choose the best product for one’s needs – some of them want jackets meeting the requirements of tournaments, some just want a fancy, unique design. Some are interested in well-tested and perfected solutions over the years, and others look for technical innovations. Sometimes there is also a choice between the level of amortization and puncture resistance.

Best HEMA jackets according to Wise Peasants

Among 13 favoured jackets, 5 come from SPES workshop. It’s a great honour, especially that this element of HEMA set is an absolute must-have.

What is more, two first places belong to Hussar 800N and Officer 350N – clothing for completely different purposes. At this point, a question arises: should the jackets of various features compete in one list? Of course, the author is precisely describing the purpose of a jacket, but nowadays there is such a wide range of gear that it may be worth dividing the list into two categories: light and heavy gear, or simply 350N and 800N.

Best HEMA pants according to Wise Peasants

From 11 products in this rank, 4 come from SPES workshop. Not bad. It is worth underlining that first place belongs to Titan Range HEMA Pants – the result of our cooperation with Leon Paul brand. Another proof that it is worth seeking the opinion outside the company ?

This part of a HEMA set, just like jackets, is so diversified and it can be divided into two categories. Unless, the main factor here is the universality of the gear – then we cannot take it away from the Titan Range model, which can be easily adapted for the actual needs. On the other hand, none of the options provide the protection on the level of Hussar 800N, or the comfort and lightness of Light pants. Again, dividing into separate categories according to puncture resistance would be reasonable, at least for the sake of weight comparison – 350N fabric will always be lighter.

Best HEMA gloves according to Wise Peasant

Hands – some of the most vulnerable parts of the body susceptible to injuries, at least when it comes to HEMA fighting. That’s why hands require perfect protection. Equally, gloves have to provide a high level of dexterity and comfort, keeping the secure grip and freedom of movement. Unlike pants and jackets, here the idea of joining the perfect protection with the comfort of use seems to be legitimate.

Again, we are proud of the presence of two of our models – Lobster gloves and Duelling gloves. Two different products, both esteemed in the HEMA community, but here I have to admit, that we are thinking of a combination of both products. Five-finger heavy gloves, perfect for both regular training and important, challenging tournaments… Is that even possible?

We believe it’s a kind of gap on the HEMA market. Our ambition is to fill it out in the future. By now, it is worth checking out our modified Lobster gloves with a separated index finger – a small step in this direction.

Value of the opinion for a manufacturer

Our gear is present in other categories, so we recommend to take a look at all of them. The WP team did a great job gathering and comparing various HEMA gear available in one place. It surely makes choosing HEMA gear easier, especially for people who enter the world of HEMA, and maybe even give a new perspective on well-known products. Nonetheless, the range of choice in HEMA gear widens and its purpose becomes different. It is worth underlining and most of all – enjoying that fact ?

HEMA gear ranks, and users’ opinions in general, should be essential for manufacturers. Before releasing a new product, we try to test it in all possible ways, but feedback from the outside sheds a new light on its pros and cons. Thanks to your feedback we have upgraded our classics: Lobster heavy gloves and AP 350N jacket, which both became more protective and more versatile.

And what is your opinion on similar ranks? Do you follow them before getting a new gear?