We are Rhonda and Brawn, two souls who braved the independent business venture through a great deal of adversity with perseverance and steadfast determination.

This is not a sideline or part-time business for us. This is what we do, full time, with all of our energy and with the utmost in dedication. We constantly strive to improve our already excellent products whenever possible.

Our customer base includes SCA combatants, LARPers, medieval faire goers, Opera, University stage and Film ventures, Armour-clad Musicians, and the occasional non- profit collaboration.

Rhonda spends most of her time juggling the care of our two sons, tending to various administrative and clerical tasks and ordering supplies.

Brawn was fortunate in having been born from very talented artistic parents and equally fortunate to find he was grandson to Karoline Gerst (nee Schmitthenner). The name “Schmitthenner” literally means “Hammer Smith”. It would turn out that his family line had roots in blacksmithing and armour crafting. 

The Schmitthenner Armory was born.

We have a limited staff at our disposal (normally just the two of us), with help for the shop and the office retained during seasonal influxes and for large projects as these situations dictate.

We also continue to craft both historically correct and sometimes harshly criticized fantasy stylizations. Brawn doesn’t really mind the comments, since his early exposure to artistic expression is much more important to him than blindly following historical design. Ultimately the concept of design never stands still. This applies to anything in which design, creativity and artistic expression is involved.

Our Code of Craftsmanship 

We are brutally demanding in the quality of the finished product. If it is not up to our standards, it doesn’t get shipped. It doesn’t matter how many times a piece needs to be re-tooled, re-dyed, or re-riveted. We will see that this is done before an inferior product is shipped to our customers. In the end, some orders may take a bit longer to receive but the quality of the product is rarely found lacking. We only ask your patience in receipt or advise us if your order is needed for a specific date. We will make every attempt to accommodate you.

What we ask of you

Please provide us with all of the information requested for the items ordered, including measurements, color choices, variations for buckle/strap or eyelet/thronging choices, types of elbow or knee cops, pauldron attachment choices, etc. Also please verse yourself with our "FAQ" page and "Policies" page. In general, this information will avert any problems with your order. In the end we will provide you with a service and product which embodies the spirit of a lineage steeped in the Old Ways.