Just as a reminder to everyone, a fabrics Newton rating is not a measure of its padding, but its ability to resist... penetration.

A Canadian button is a mil spec button that’s not sawn on. It’s rather attached to a tape that runs trough the slots on the button, which makes it very secure.

I have this jacket. It's brilliantly comfortable and stands up to practice against my daughter (who doesn't believe in pulling strikes). I can always add pads if I need to

Hi Matt the Canadian buttons or Canadian taped buttons are attached via the webbing going through two slots as apposed to sewed on at four points like a traditional button. It makes them less likely to shatter with impact almost impossible to rip off and if they have given you a quick attach buttons they can be temporarily repaired with no sewing. They are starting to become more widely used on hight end millatry outdoor clothing. I don't know why the are called Canadian though perhaps the Canadian millatry developed them.

I’d wear that to a party. Amazing stuff.

Man it would be great if you show the whole collection form spes and some tips on "how to pick", because there are so many models, one better than the other - but how to pick????

I would honestly wear this or the officers variant of this Jacket as a daily jacket

IIRC the Canadian military was the first to use this specific style of button on some of their outerwear, so the buttons came to be associated with them.

One must never appear tubular when fencing.

"it is modular". Us army wants to know your supplier

I have this jacket. Needs some extra protection for the forearms, but that's what many jackets actually need. Comfortable, light, elegant, so far it has protected me from blows.

I was thinking this might be good for commuting in London but then he said it has no protection for the back : (

The buttons are striking. I think they look SO cool, but I'd be worried the buttons would get shattered in sparring. Thanks for the review! I really enjoy yours

Does anyone make regular clothing like this? The tasteful, classy, military kind of look sorely needs a comback.

Reference the "Canadian Buttons" they look like the pattern used on Canadian combat uniforms (by the colour for the older olive drab uniforms). As you noted they slide along the straps so you can cinch them up a little bit. I haven't seen them used on any other clothing here in Canada.

I've never heard of Canadian buttons, and I'm Canadian.

My concerns are that these buttons might cause thrusts to snag on them. I see the improvement in the terms of pockets. There is a new pocket for the upper arm. Front pocket now goes up to the shoulder. In comparison in ap light it goes only little above the breast. That was its main downside, as well as no dedicated pocket for the upper arm. So now this jacket is better than ap light in every way. I see no reason to pick ap light over cadet.

It would be interesting to make a video comparing this to a historical arming jack.

It would be great to have a jacket that closed in the back like a scuba diving wetsuit. And like a wetsuit, a cord would be tied to the zipper so that you easily can open and close it without help. You also would need the neck protection in front to be symmetrical and a bit wider. Matt, do you think that would work?

+scholagladiatoria *The same vulnerability of torso with the buckler also applies to the targe when using the CADET jacket.* SPES® has part protectors available for styles of armor encountered on international battlefields; a universal-weapon ensemble suitable for spear, glaive, halberd and sword might consist of Level 2 plastron and skirt with PRO shoulder and upper arm plates and Shell greaves, with helmet and gloves selected for the user's weapon.

Can we get a separate playlist for your hema protective kit reviews? I'm currently digging to find new kit as my old stuff isn't up to scratch.

Looks great for when you need to stroll certain parts of London.

This jacket actually looks pretty oriental. I like it

Mr solar please could you do more of these type of reviews? I would really like to start HEMA and know nothing about the equipment really. Also do you know any clubs in Bristol? Have been looking online and couldn't really fine anything about clubs down here 🤔. Love your work

I'm on the verge of buying a scholar jacket. Which one is thicker? Our salle does Capo Ferro. And maybe Hutton Sabre in future. Some men are barrel chested, I'm barrel bellied. Cheers

The most I'm disappointed in is that they don't offer the zipper on the other side for lefty fencers of that type. Or at least I didn't see it as an option. In olympic fencing you get front zips that are similar to that. By regulation you have to have the zipper come up on the opposite side of your sword arm. So that jacket there would be consider a right handed jacket and fencing left handed would be consider illegal because the point can get caught in the zipper and possibly penetrate the jacket. Now you could get a back zip which is ambidextrous and like Matt said you usually don't get hit in the back too often. The problem with them is that they're hard to get on and off especially if you don't have very good shoulder flexibility. Also if with a front zip if you wanted to cool off between bouts you can just unzip it a bit to let some air in. A back zip you pretty much have to take the whole thing off. That's my personal opinion from what I see. I do like the look of them and the fact you can get them colored is really cool. I just wish there was a left handed front zip offered.

I bought this jacket when it was first released and have been using it with my club while sparring in the park. It has been fantastic so far with everything up to and including longsword. I have thought about forming a little kydex or something to add to the foam, but it doesn't seem like a necessity... yet.

Spine guard and kidney guards should be included, imo they dont need to be padded with foam, just a plastic plate to stop blade on spine directly

I wonder if I could put kevlar in one of those jackets. That looks much more fashionable than a standard kevlar vest.

Back zipper is cool in theory. Not always super easy to zip on and off. Mine in my gajardoni challenge broke several times. I love my officer jacket though.

My first thought is are they available in popular Football Club Colours? Technology is a great thing. You can buy a suit jacket that will stop most pistol rounds and only add less than a kilo to your look. We also know its use in the Forces. While full Star Wars, carbon fiber armour is interesting, the concussive power of hand or explosive weapons still exists and exploited.

I'd love it in dark green.

Would love it to have the option of doubble zippers.. instead of the buttons. thanks for the reviev.

Canadian buttons should be buttons that can be fastened and unfastened while wearing thick mittens. (I doubt that's the real meaning though.)

That jacket has its advantages but I will keep using my brigandine for now.

Great suff Matt, nice jacket , I'd love to practice hema , I've done ju jutsu and karate , but this is fascinating stuff. Love watching your videos. Is there any hema on Ireland?

800N rating doesn't say much about actual protection though, does it? It just says how resistant it is to being punctured by a broken blade, which is something that (hopefully) happens very rarely, but nothing about blunt force absorption, which is the kind of protection we mostly need.

No protection on the back may be a killer for me on this one. I don’t get hit in the back often but it has happened and well, I don’t want to gamble my ribs on ‘unlikely’. Seems very good for lighter than longsword, though.

I am no HEMA practitioner, nor have I ever tried on historical armour, so please forgive my amateur perspective, but that jacket feels like a modern day brigandine, with inserted plates and what not. Am I entirely wrong in making in this comparison?

Wonderful looking jacket! I wonder if theres a womens version.... or a left handed one!

What about wearing things like a Brigandine or a Gambeson? (Noob question, I don't do HEMA)

Just thinking about the issue with the flap maybe a pinny/cover similar to that worn by cavaliers, that fitted over the head but fastened under the arms may help prevent such accidents

Maybe they should add a second flap that goes over the buttons and velcros on or something.

I wish they made them in fat man size so I can buy one.

Ceramic trauma plates would be a bad idea, their intent is to shatter on the first impact to dissipate energy. AR500 steel plates would be good. @scholagladiatoria what do you think heavier motorcycle jackets with CE2 pads? Something like an Icon Raiden?

The right arm goes in the right sleeve thus; and the left arm goes in the left sleeve this. Now, note pockets, poppers and zipper.

What are Canadian buttons? Well, it depends on the context.

👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍

How does this compare to the 800N Officer and AP Light jackets?

Speaking of 800N jackets, have you had a chance to compare the Officer Level 2 jacket to the regular version?

with regards to which way the front flat opens. why not copy actual armour, and put the opening down the side, under the arm and over the shoulder.

Love your channel......

Great looking quality piece of kit. But not great for a left hander. Do they offer a left handed version that reverses the front flap?

Interesting .... strokes point of chin in a thoughtful manner ;-)

I see many parallels with Ice Hockey Goalie protection, which leads me to a good point. Is there something to be said about other industries to bring into HEMA or historic weapons as a whole? For instance, who is using D3o foams in HEMA equipment, does anybody use milspec Cordura in scabbards and so on.

800 newtons is quite a bit. Is that the amount of force the jacket can protect you from? 800 newtons is almost 180 lbs of force.

I read SPACE Cadet HEMA Jacket...

Nice shirt.

Why have we stopped doing back closing jackets

What is "Newton Level" as I cannot find it? And what does it mean/what are the difference in levels/examples of clothing Newton level and what weapons affect each newton level?

Damn, what's the sword he pulled out in 10:39? It's gorgeous

@scholagladiatoria: Which one would you choose ? This or officer?

first

You would think that the Napoleonic Wars were the glory days for the use of sabres and swords, especially for the cavalry. So why the uniforms were made in a way that these weapons could catch on so many places on the uniform ? kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qbhkna-gucXQqI0.html Cavalry of the Napoleonic Era: Cuirassiers, Dragoons, Hussars, and Lancers

Matt confirmed little in the middle but got much (upper) back

Have you ever handled spes's historical gambesons? If so what did you think?

hmmm, I was thinking that about the universal jacket,,, maybe a two part system, with a jacket, and a "breastplate" vest.

my jackets are zip up the back may be they can do something like that

Surprisingly, the visual design looks like a Chinese style

Could you wear a cuirass on top of the jacket ?

Hey Matt I just wanted to ask. Where you got your rapier from?

...Emperor Mong?

This Jacked is extreme thin, nothing for full contact.

"Spes cadet" ahhh noooo...

Zip up the back like a wetsuit.

Buttons??? Targets or catches I would think. Dumbest fashion choice for swordplay. I really would start using them as targets just because they are so dumb to put on a fencing jacket.