I have been using the Black Knight protection from HF Armory for three weeks now, including an international tournament. You definitely look very cool in the full set, but letās talk functionality. In short, I would rate it:
- Protection 10/10
- Mobility 7/10
- Ergonomics 5/10
- Aesthetics 10/10
The protections cover almost your entire arm if you mount all four pieces of the Black Knight set, and you will basically not feel anything short of a bone-crushing blow. If you don’t like being bruised and want the best protection money can buy, I think this is it.
Mobility-wise, the pieces work well with each other, and I didn’t feel them getting in the way. However, the rigid plastic does make it really, really difficult to cross your arms (such as for a right Ochs). Plus, put together, all the pieces add up to ~1200 grams, which I definitely felt compared to my old protections (the plastic protections of the AP Pro gambeson + leather forearm protectors from SPES, which together add up to about 1050 grams).
Ergonomics is the weakest point of the Black Knight protections. They rely on straps that need to be tightened after you put them on. These straps loosen regularly while fighting, and you have to remember to tighten them every once in a while, lest they come undone completely – at which point you need someone to help you put them back together.
I appreciate the fact that I can tie the pieces together, which prevents gaps in protection. However, the downside is that it takes quite some time to put the full set on, and fit it snugly. Personally, I leave the protections on between training sessions – but this makes the gambeson harder to fit in oneās bag.
The straps on the protections are held together by a number of rivets, and Iāve already had one of them pop off. While they can be repaired, it does seem like a weak spot that might see future failures as well. And if the straps fail, the protections wonāt stay tight on your arm.
In summary, if strong protection and/or cool factor are important for you, definitely buy them. But if youāre looking for flexible, light, or easy to put on/off protections, then this will not be the ideal solution.