Steel Quoits
It doesn't come more traditional than this. Forget your rope rings and rubber quoits; these are the genuine article. The ancient game of Quoits has been played for centuries in Scotland, Wales and England, and its ancestor was played in the first Olympic Games. These heavy steel rings are designed to be thrown 11 or 18 yards into traditional clay pits at a stake buried in the ground. Quoits is not a game for wimps - when you pick up your first quoit and feel the solid weight, it is easy to understand that quoits were originally weapons of war and hunting.
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The quoits sold here are made in the traditional way from mild steel. Each has been drop-forged and pressed in Cleveland (the heart of quoiting England) using traditional tools that have produced quoits for decades. The blacksmith sands each quoit and buffs using a wire wheel to produce an even surface. Quoits are shaped in the classic style with a slightly concave bottom (beware of non-traditional imitations with flat undersides).
The standard dimensions are 8 1/2 inches outside diameter, 5 1/2 inch hole and 5¼ lb (2.4kg) in weight for each quoit. We also offer some lighter quoits of similar dimensions (4lb and 3½ lb per quoit) - these cost more because they need to be specially turned down from a standard quoit.
Important note: Over time, rust will appear on the quoits - as it will
for any mild steel object. If you seek shiny, perfect-looking quoits without
any cosmetic faults or marks, then please do NOT buy these quoits; they
are not for you.
Change to $  Change to  |
UK pounds (ex.VAT) |
Pounds (incl. VAT) |
Typical ETA in wkg days |
Add to basket |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pair steel quoits 5¼lb (2.4Kg each quoit) |
£71.22 | £81.90 | 3 + transit time | ||
Pair steel quoits (4lb, 1.8Kg each quoit) |
£109.48 | £125.90 | 15 + transit time | ||
Pair steel quoits (3½ lb, 1.6Kg each quoit) |
£107.74 | £123.90 | 15 + transit time | ||
 | For an immediate quote & to confirm that an item will arrive before Christmas |
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Custom-made Quoits
Areas outside of the North of England play with different sized quoits. For instance, in Wales and Scotland, they use a frighteningly heavy celtic quoit each weighing about 9 pounds with a 4 inch hole. It may be possible to make quoits to your specification if you are prepared to pay a premium for special tooling to be made. Please email for a quote.
Warning: Real quoits like these are dangerous. Their weight and shape can cause serious injury. Quoiters and spectators must always take care to stand well clear of the target area while the game is underway. Quoits are not suitable for children.
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Traditional Quoits
The traditional game of Quoits has a long and venerable history. The full game is played outdoors using iron or steel quoits that are thrown at metal pins embedded in beds of soft clay. Although a beginner will always aim for a "ringer", the game is very tactical and a ringer is not always the best shot - expert players will often attempt to "cover" the pin with a the top of a quoit sticking out of the clay in order to prevent their opponent from being able to place a better quoit. A well aimed quoit can deliberately flip an opponent's quoit out of the way. Two versions of traditional outdoor Quoits are played - "The Northern Game" played in the North of England and "The Long Game" played in Scotland, Wales and North Suffolk, England. The Long Game is as much a test of strength as skill with heavy metal quoits weighing up to 10lb being tossed 18 or 21 yards at a pin that is flush with the clay and consequently barely visible. Scotland and Wales still play an international once a year. In England, the Long game only survives in any major form in Suffolk where somewhat different rules and lighter quoits lend a quite different flavour.
More popular in England is the Northern Game which is played at the shorter distance of 11 yards and features a pin that sticks slightly out of the ground so a ringer properly encircles the stake. The game is more tactical because only the top ringer scores which obviously gives a nominal advantage to the player who tosses second. The first player therefore usually endeavours to block the second player's quoit by a covering the pin with the body of the quoit or maybe by positioning a quoit right in front of the stake.
You can learn more about the History of Quoits from The Online Guide to Traditional Games.