Fencing Equipment – The basics

It’s important to say, the club does not expect all new

beginners to arrive in brand new kit on the first day!

The outlay in one go can be expensive, so all beginners

starting at the club will have use of the club's, jackets,

helmets, gloves, weapons and wires. All we ask is that

they wear/bring is a good pair of indoor gym shoes, a pair

of baggy tracksuit bottoms, an interest in learning to

fence and a sense of humour!

So, what are the main equipment items a fencer uses?

Well, to start with, it’s worth noting the fencing is a combat sports and there are dangers – having the correct level of protective equipment to prevent injury from broken blades is essential. There are two equipment levels, outlined in British Standard EN 13567:2007:

Level 1 / 350 Newton / 350N: This standard of protective clothing is most suitable for use at clubs and national competitions. For those fencing with size 5 weapons, 800N plastrons are required; and
Level 2 / 800 Newton / 800N / FIE (Federation Internationale d’Escrime): Recommended for size 5 weapons and national and international competitions.

The main items of equipment are:

Body wire: For electric fencing a body wire is placed underneath the fencer’s clothing and attached to the connector in the weapons guard, then to a wire leading to the scoring box. Foil and sabre wires use the same 2-pin connector, while epee body wires use a 3-pin connection;
Breeches: The name given to the short trousers worn to just below the knee. Due to the protective material covering over the zip fastening, they must be brought for left or right-handed fencers;
Fencing Shoes: To start with, any smooth soled sports footwear will be fine for getting started. As you progress, you may want to consider sport specific fencing footwear which will give you better grip where you need it;
Gloves: Worn only on the weapon hand for protection. The Foil and epee gloves are the same, with Sabre gloves incorporating a conductive cuff;
Jacket: Covering the whole torso, it includes a blade catcher at the neckline. As per breeches, jackets must be brought specifically for left or right-handed fencers;
Kit bags: These can range from simple one/two sword bags to full-blown kit bags that can hold everything;
Lame (pronounced La-may): Is the conductive over jacket that is used for electric scoring in both foil and sabre (NOT epee); they must be brought for left or right-handed fencers;
Masks: A protective item covering the whole head, incorporating a bib of protective material over the front of the neck and a back strap to keep them in place. Masks are weapon specific;
Plastron: A one-armed garment worn under your jacket on your sword arm, providing extra protection to the most commonly hit part of your body including the armpit, and part of the chest. It must therefore be brought for left or right-handed fencers. For non-electric fencing a 350N plastron is sufficient, however a 800N plastron will allow you to fence electric as it is mandatory for all adult electric fencing; and
Weapons: The most important decision is which weapon: foil, epee or sabre? For foil or epee: a “french” or “pistol” grip?, then electric or non-electric? At Crusaders, you will find fencers who are familiar with all three weapons, so give them a go and see which suits you best for the fencing you are doing. If you are an adult you will need a size 5 blade, for young fencers under 13, you should use the most size appropriate weapon:

épée: The largest and heaviest of the three weapons – with a maximum total weight of 775g – and like the foil is a “point thrusting” weapon. The hand guard on the épée is a large circle that extends towards the pommel, effectively covering the hand, which is a valid target in épée- in fact, the entire body is considered a valid target, there are no rules of priority, and the first to hit gets the score. If the fencers hit each other within 1/25th of a second, both receive a hit – a double hit. The lack of a right-of-way combined with a full-body target naturally makes epee a game of careful strategy and patience;
foil: The foil is a descendant of the light court sword formerly used by nobility to train for duels – weight 500g, The foil has a small circular hand guard that serves to protect the hand from direct stabs, this is primarily for safety. The target area for modern foil is said to come from a time when duelling to the death was the norm, hence, the favoured target area is the torso, where the vital organs are; and
sabre: This is the modern version of the slashing cavalry sword. The hand guard on the sabre extends from pommel to the point at which the blade connects to the hilt. This guard is generally turned outwards during sport to protect the sword arm from touches, The target area is the entire body above the waist and because the head is a valid target area, the fencer’s mask is also electrically wired.

Wheelchair Fencing: Practised in over 25 countries worldwide, it was first introduced as an Olympic sport in Rome, 1960 and can trace its origins back to Stoke Mandeville Hospital. For more information, check out the British Fencing’s webpages.

Buying your own kit:

If you are looking to purchase your own kit, you can explore the sites listed below, but if you’re looking to buy some kit, particularly for juniors as they are still growing, it’s worth exploring some of the second hand sales and sites, on Facebook or ebay for example, or the club’s Facebook page. If in doubt, please don’t hesitate to ask any of the club coaches as they will be happy to advise.

For anyone who is interested in competing, the club can lend out extra weapons and wires for the duration of the event, signed out via the ‘Kit Loan’ Form.

Leon Paul – probably the premier brand for fencing supplies in the UK – reflected in their prices. They often have a stand at the larger national events. You can also view their own Leon Paul Junior Series, held around the country;
Allstar Uhlmann UK – a very popular brand, both nationally and internationally. Roughly on a par pricewise with Leon Paul;
Excalibur Sports, slightly cheaper than the two above and also has the odd stand at national events;
PBT-UK Fencing – Weapons, clothing and accessories for all age ranges & sizes;
gr8 Fencing – A good site for reasonably priced kit; and
The Fencing Shop – Offers a range of relatively well-priced kit, based in Durham.