The VFS Kernoozer's Club is an informal extension of the Victorian Fencing Society for the study of ancient arms prior to the 18th & 19th Century, outside the period of the VFS traditional studies. The original Kernoozer's Club was formed in the 19th century by Alfred Hutton and Egerton Castle (among others and included Sir Richard Francis Burton) for the study of ancient arms and armor. The word Kernoozer is a play on the word “connoisseur”, as explained in a story about the Kernoozer’s Club from an 1889 magazine article.

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One day {a gentleman} strode into Christie’s prior to an important sale of armour, when one of the auctioneers, who was advising a would-be bidder, espied him and called him to his side, anticipating a sound opinion from so shrewd and artistically well-informed a man. “Here, my friend,” he said; “say frankly – what do you think of this suit?” “Well” responded the other, with his usual candour; “’taint no use asking me anything about armour and sech-like. As the Frenchman says, I’m no kernoozer.” His hearer’s lips broadened into something resembling a smile at this novel pronunciation of the word connoisseur.