Fencing Equipment – Get The Right Protection

June 6, 2009 by  

A successful fencer must possess a rather large variety of different items such as, an outstanding positive attitude and a whole lot of extreme patience. For the beginner, they will need a fencing mask, jacket, glove, and a practice weapon or fencing equipment. A fencing starter kit may include an epee, saber, or a foil.

Many clubs will help beginners by lending them fencing gear when they are just starting out. Once you complete a beginner course, you will be hooked, and will want to get your own fencing gear. There are a couple of different options for beginners.

The first option is to buy the equipment piece-wise, until you have a full set. The other option is to purchase a starter kit, these kits contain all the basic elements of fencing requirements already assemble and sold as a unit. You have a list of required items, but what do you do with it? Prior to purchasing or using your own equipment it is important to have a solid basic understanding of both capability and purpose of each item.

The fencing jacket is made with the intent of protecting the fencer. It is important to select a jacket which is both well made and provides adequate protective coverage. There is no standard minimum constraint in the US, there is a particular standard of protection in Europe, though. For tournaments which are international in scope, such as Olympic fencing, there are greater requirements.

The basic uniforms are sufficient for the beginner. If you choose cotton material you will find the price to be much more reasonable, but it is much hotter and heavier to wear. The other option is synthetic material which is a bit more expensive, but it is a much lighter weight.

The mask is used for safety so make sure you choose a mask that is equipped with enough padding, fits well and doesn’t bear down on the top of your head or your chin. Although you can buy non-electric gloves, it really is worthwhile to get a glove equipped with a cuff that you can wear for electric fencing.

To easily attach the body cord to an electric weapon, use a cuff like this one. They come in all standard sizes and can also be obtained as gloves. This will give you an enhanced fit, but the cost will be higher. In order to thrust, the foil is used. It has an extremely slender blade and a round or foiled edge. When striking your adversary, the blade of the foil bows so that you do not hurt anyone.