Get Dressed for Battle

What Get Dressed for Battle does

Get Dressed for Battle (GDFB) is a privately held UK e-commerce retailer founded in 2003 and headquartered in Consett, County Durham. The company sells historical replicas — armour, helmets, chainmail, weapons, shields, clothing, footwear, and accessories — spanning Greek to Late Medieval periods, serving hobbyists in historical reenactment, LARP (Live Action Role Play), and cosplay. The catalog also includes a children's range, a licensed Game of Thrones merchandise line carrying certificates of authenticity, and Marshal Historical products. A small B2B component supplies film companies, theatres, schools, and TV productions, though the primary customer base is individual consumers.

The business is built on a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model operated from a single UK industrial estate unit, with worldwide shipping, same-day dispatch on certain items, and next-day delivery for orders placed before noon. GDFB supplements its proprietary GDFB Originals sub-brand — developed with expert armourers since 2003 and featuring hand-forged ironwork — with products from a roster of upstream manufacturers and licensing partners including Epic Armoury, Ready For Battle, Windlass, Marto, Cold Steel, United Cutlery, Dark Moon, Palnatoke, and HBO. A custom leatherwork service for bespoke scabbards and made-to-order leather items adds a higher-margin service layer. Pricing is unit-based and ranges from ~£2 entry-level accessories to £4,000+ premium collector pieces.

Revenue mechanics rely on one-time e-commerce transactions across a broad SKU set, with no subscription or recurring contracts. The company is founder-owned with no disclosed external funding, operates with 1-10 employees, and distributes exclusively through its own gdfb.co.uk storefront alongside community engagement via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, a company blog, and email newsletter. No AI/ML capabilities, mobile app, or public-market activity are evident in the input data.

Name

Get Dressed for Battle

Legal name

Get Dressed for Battle

Website

https://gdfb.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Get Dressed for Battle is a UK-founded (2003) direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer of historical replica armour, weapons, clothing, and accessories for reenactment, LARP, and cosplay, serving hobbyists worldwide alongside film, theatre, school, and TV production clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical Reenactment Supplies

NAICS

Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (459420)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Costume Jewelry & Novelties (3960)

akta.pro primary industry

Historical & Military Collectibles Retail (CRALAGAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Archery Equipment & Accessories Retail (CRAMAKAB)

Keywords

• Historical reenactment supplies
• Medieval armour replicas
• LARP equipment
• Costume weapons
• Period clothing footwear

Headquarters

HQ city

Consett

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales of historical replica products including armour, weapons, clothing, and accessories for reenactment, LARP, and cosplay. One-time purchase model with products ranging from budget items to premium collector pieces.
2. Licensed Merchandise: Sales of licensed products including Game of Thrones merchandise with certificates of authenticity, sold at premium price points.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Get Dressed for Battle manufactures, sources, and retails historically accurate reproduction equipment and clothing for medieval re-enactment, LARP, cosplay, theatre and film costuming. Core product lines include armour (body, chainmail, helmets, shields/bucklers), weapons (swords, axes, maces, spears, polearms), archery equipment, period clothing and footwear spanning Roman through 19th-century eras, LARP and cosplay gear, children's re-enactment items, custom leatherwork, and licensed branded merchandise such as Game of Thrones products.

Product overview

Get Dressed for Battle operates as an e-commerce platform offering a comprehensive portfolio of historically accurate reenactment, LARP (Live Action Role Play), and medieval-themed products. The core product lines centre on battle-ready Armour (including Chainmail, Helmets, and Shields), Re-enactment Weapons (swords, polearms, archery), and Historical Clothing & Footwear. The company also offers the proprietary GDFB Originals sub-brand of replica armour, weapons, helmets, and clothing developed with expert armourers. Supporting categories include Accessories (drinking horns, jewellery, leather goods), Camp Kit & The Great Outdoors (hand-forged cooking and dining equipment), Giftware, and a dedicated For the Kids range. Licensed franchise products under Franchises & Brands include Game of Thrones merchandise and Marshal Historical items. The LARP & Cosplay Shop provides foam weapons, padded and steel armour, and costume items. Custom Leatherwork services for bespoke scabbards and other leather items round out the offering, alongside Digital Gift Cards for gifting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GDFB Originals: The company's own range of historically accurate armour, helmets, weapons, bucklers, bosses, and clothing designed and manufactured by GDFB.

Products and services

• Armour (Body Armour)

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Epic ArmourycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLARP equipment supplier whose products including swords, axes, throwing weapons are sold through the GDFB store. Products feature strong fibreglass cores with reinforced tips and medium-hard foam construction.
• Dark MoonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLARP equipment brand whose products are distributed through GDFB's LARP and Cosplay shop section.
• Ready For Battle (RFB)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLARP equipment supplier whose horse bows and other products are sold through GDFB. Products made from durable and flexible fibreglass.
• PalnatokeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLARP equipment brand whose products are distributed through GDFB's LARP and Cosplay shop section.
• Cold SteelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorModern outdoor and combat knives including the Norse Hawk and Battle Shades products sold through GDFB's outdoor and camping sections.
• United CutleryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorModern outdoor knives and tools distributed through GDFB's For the Outdoors section.
• WindlasscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHistorical replica weapons brand whose products including Viking throwing axes, swords, and Roman gladii are sold through GDFB.
• MartominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpanish armour manufacturer producing high-end armour sets including the Armour of the Spanish Kings and Charles V Armour, sold at premium price points through GDFB.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GDFB2003
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLP4pduK7Q4VagMr7i93t7w
• Facebookfacebook.com/GetDresssedForBattle2003
• Pinterestpinterest.com/gdfb2

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Get Dressed for Battle