A method of manufacturing a flexible, impact-resistant pad comprising the steps of providing a sheet of an impact-absorbing material; cutting the sheet to provide a piece thereof with a profile required for the pad; cutting the piece into a plurality of spaced, separate elements; retaining said plurality of spaced, separate elements within the profile required for the pad; providing a first, flexible layer of material; bonding one side of the first, flexible layer of material to the spaced, separate elements; characterized in that an edge on one side of the pad is radiussed, tapered or chamfered by the following additional steps: providing a contoured mould tool defining a recess that has a three dimensional shape complementary to the shape required on one side of the pad and that has a radiussed, tapered or chamfered edge around at least part of its periphery; heating the impact-absorbing material or the mould tool; and pressing the mould tool into the impact-absorbing material to mould the impact-absorbing material on one side to define the shape that is required wherein each piece with a profile required for the pad is cut into the plurality of spaced, separate elements using a cutter which is pressed into the impact-absorbing material to cut therethrough, the cutter being adapted by the presence of ejectors that make the spaced, separate elements stand proud of the surface of the cutter, wherein the cutter comprises a plurality of cutter blades each with a polygonal or closed curve profile that are mounted on a board, the ejectors comprising blocks located within each of the cutter blades that each define an exposed surface at a level higher, relative to the cutter blades, than the level of the board surrounding the cutter blades, wherein the overall profile made by the cutter blades is similar to the profile required for the pad and the ejectors of the cutter that act on the elements around the periphery of the pad eject these peripheral elements to a greater extent than those acting on the other elements whereby an uppermost surface collectively defined by all of the elements standing proud of the surface of the cutter is substantially planar; wherein the additional steps are carried out prior to the cutting of the sheet of impact-absorbing material to provide the piece with the profile required for the pad. providing a sheet of an impact-absorbing material; cutting the sheet to provide a piece thereof with a profile required for the pad; cutting the piece into a plurality of spaced, separate elements; retaining said plurality of spaced, separate elements within the profile required for the pad; providing a first, flexible layer of material; bonding one side of the first, flexible layer of material to the spaced, separate elements; providing a contoured mould tool defining a recess that has a three dimensional shape complementary to the shape required on one side of the pad and that has a radiussed, tapered or chamfered edge around at least part of its periphery; heating the impact-absorbing material or the mould tool; and pressing the mould tool into the impact-absorbing material to mould the impact-absorbing material on one side to define the shape that is required wherein each piece with a profile required for the pad is cut into the plurality of spaced, separate elements using a cutter which is pressed into the impact-absorbing material to cut therethrough, the cutter being adapted by the presence of ejectors that make the spaced, separate elements stand proud of the surface of the cutter, wherein the cutter comprises a plurality of cutter blades each with a polygonal or closed curve profile that are mounted on a board, the ejectors comprising blocks located within each of the cutter blades that each define an exposed surface at a level higher, relative to the cutter blades, than the level of the board surrounding the cutter blades, wherein the overall profile made by the cutter blades is similar to the profile required for the pad and the ejectors of the cutter that act on the elements around the periphery of the pad eject these peripheral elements to a greater extent than those acting on the other elements whereby an uppermost surface collectively defined by all of the elements standing proud of the surface of the cutter is substantially planar; wherein the additional steps are carried out prior to the cutting of the sheet of impact-absorbing material to provide the piece with the profile required for the pad.