Maestro Paul Macdonald was born in 1972, and raised in the West Highland village of Glenuig, Moidart, Scotland. He began his study of fencing in the 1992 at Napier University, in Edinburgh, founding and running the University club as President and principal instructor for two and a half years. With an ever-growing interest in historical swordsmanship, he founded the Dawn Duellists Society in 1994, and ran the DDS as President until 2006.

Since 1994, Maestro Macdonald has dedicated his path to European martial arts, travelling throughout the UK, Europe, Canada and the US to research, study, practice, present seminars and demonstrations and teach. He has studied most styles of historical European combat and revived the methods and techniques of several lost systems, such as the medieval duelling shield, spada in arme, dusack and backsword. In 1998, Maestro Macdonald founded the British Federation for Historical Swordplay (BFHS), serving as its President from 1998 - 2004.

Maestro Macdonald received his Master-at-Arms certification from the Italian Ancient and Historical Federation (FISAS) in 1999 and established the Macdonald Academy of Arms in 2001. In early 2008, Maestro Macdonald founded the Commando D Living History Group, specialising in WW2 combatives. When not making swords or teaching, Maestro Macdonald enjoys gliding, for which he holds a solo pilot`s licence.

Maestro Macdonald is one of the founders of the International Masters at Arms Federation and a fencing advisor to the Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts. He is also a member of the Association for Historical Fencing and has given instruction at Leeds Royal Armouries and various historical fencing schools such as the Martinez Academy of Arms and the Italian Ancient and Historical Fencing Federation (FISAS).



Since 1998, sword cutler and Master-at-Arms Paul Macdonald has been making high-quality reproductions of historical weapons for reenactors, historical fencers, and collectors. As one of Europe's leading researchers and teachers of traditional martial arts, Maestro Macdonald is in a unique position to understand and recreate the tools that professional warriors staked their lives on.

Weapons from Macdonald Armouries are neither toys nor decorative wall-hangers, but rather well-balanced, sturdy, and elegantly functional reproduction weapons. While a sword can only be as effective as the hand that wields it, these pieces are worthy instruments with which to express the art of fencing.