About Us
Jason Mitchell and Ken Gauthier have been the best of friends for well over a decade. What began as a kinship of arms, from fencing to fisticuffs, eventually became a mutual quest for a new kind of Grail. A quest to understand and embody the true nature of Nobility.
The first step was to study historical examples and perceptions of man's nobler nature. It soon became clear to them that the study of history is largely the study of historical propaganda. The perception of noble bearing is important to garnering the respect of the masses. Therefore, the ruling classes of all nations and periods have sought to manipulate the public perception of nobility in ways that would help to maintain the authoritative positions of they and their progeny. If the masses could be made to believe that nobility must be passed on through such means as bloodline, association, or the favor of the powerful, then the lower classes would be more likely to accept their position in society. With industrialization, came a new version of the "noble" or ruling class based primarily upon finance. In order for the new ruling class to maintain a position of social superiority, they needed to make the world believe that there was a direct connection between nobility and fashion. Only the new ruling class could afford to keep up with the ever changing trends of social behavior and appearance, thereby solidifying the social separation of the classes. The Victorian age was the pinnacle of fashion and finance based classism and is therefore the historical standard that the modern ideal is inevitably measured against. Once they were able to weed through the historical misconceptions surrounding personal refinement, Ken and Jason were faced with the task of identifying and then seeing beyond the modern face of the same old subterfuge. Since nearly all modern resources on the subject are based on an anachronistic Victorian standard, it became immediately apparent that a new standard would need to be set.
They decided that the best way to define their ideal would be to look for examples, both historic and modern, of those embodying the most respectable qualities available to humanity.
The search for appropriate historic examples brought about the discovery of such legendary figures as The Chevalier de St. George and Confucius, among others. The search for contemporary examples brought them into contact with Faith Ashurst, a kindred spirit who helped them to realize that it is the choice to pursue personal refinement that makes one truly noble.