A shutter blade and blade assembly in an accordion shutter assembly used to protect a building opening from flying object damage caused by storm or hurricane. The blade assembly includes one or a plurality of preferably transparent or translucent plastic, preferably polycarbonate blades each having one molded edge defining a male hinge half and a slide-on metal female hinge half slidably engaged into the other edge of the shutter blade which is formed as a rail. The molded plastic male and slide-on metal female hinge halves have pivotally interacting features which matably engage with the corresponding edge of the next adjacent blade assembly to form the shutter assembly. Each blade assembly is preferably formed of a plurality of blades connectable together in an end-to-end arrangement and strengthened into a blade assembly by the preferably one-piece metal female hinge half.