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Something to fight lightly with

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This page is a subsection of SCA Without Breaking the Bank. It provides information on fencing.

Submitted tips

Submitted by Robert Tytes

This guide was written in the Spring of 2022. When it gets outdated, please ignore/remove it.

General Recommendations

  • When trying to decide what to buy first, I would recommend getting the part that is the most uncomfortable for you to borrow. Try to find the opportunity to try things on before you buy them.
  • Don’t hesitate to ask the people around you what they would recommend and try on their things if you can. This goes for swords too; get a sense of what you are looking for before you drop a bunch of money on something.
  • When buying gear, there is always a tradeoff of price/time/quality. When you are newer, I recommend not pouring a lot of time and/or money into your starter kit.
  • As you spend more time fencing, you will get a better sense of what you want out of your gear. Don’t spend a lot of time or money on something that you might not like in two years.
  • When in doubt, google the thing you are looking at and try to find a review. If you get lucky, there will be a video going over the pros and cons of the item in question.
  • Big events are a good opportunity to go in person and try something on. Pennsic in particular has several vendor that will let you try something on before you buy it.

Mask

  • Be careful to get a three-weapon mask when you are shopping. A mask that is just rated for Olympic foil is neither safe of legal to use and you don’t want to find that out when it folds under a shot. When looking at masks, the Newton weight rating is a measure of the bib fabric, not the mesh.
  • When looking for cheap masks, anything listed or rated for HEMA is sufficient for the SCA. In general, the price tag on a mask relates to the quality of the soft parts of the mask like the padding and the strap rather than the mesh. While the quality of the padding will impact how much the mask mitigates force, the fit is a far more important factor.
  • Mask sizing is something that can vary substantially between manufactures. Whenever possible, find someone who has a mask from the same vendor that you are buying from and try to get a sense of what size you are. A mask that does not fit right will be less effective at protecting you from hard shots. Keep in mind that masks are also slightly flexible and can be manipulated to fit better.

Torso

  • Make sure whatever you buy/make covers your armpits with puncture resistant material.
  • If you are sewing your own armor, try to get the fabric drop tested before you make the garment. That will help make sure you are using the bare minimum number of layers you need to get it to pass. A good rule of thumb for the fabric store is if you can see light through the fabric while holding it up to the light, it’s too thin.
  • Whatever you are doing for your torso armor, try to wear a changeable layer between you and the tested material so you can reuse it easily and don’t have to wash it as much. This will help increase the lifespan of the garment and potentially give you more flexibility on how you dress.
  • While commercially available Olympic jackets do automatically pass drop, they are generally some of the heaviest and warmest garments that are available, particularly if you are wearing period clothes over them. Some HEMA suppliers do offer more period looking jackets, but they can be padded in ways that may interfere with your calibration.
  • There are some vendors like Gyspy Peddler at hat do sell period outfits that pass rapier drop, but the price can be a little intimidating and they usually only have doublets and similar options.
  • Modern chainmail intended for shark protection is sufficient for rapier armor, lightweight, and breathable; but it does have a high price tag and can be hard to size correctly because it has no stretch whatsoever. Other commercially available chain may not pass drop if either the rings are butted or too large in diameter.
  • Wearing a layer of fabric over the chain will also increases the lifespan of the rings and help prevent them splitting.

Hood

  • When buying a hood, test out both an under-hood and an over-hood before you make any purchases. This is another area where sizing can vary across different vendors, and you want to make sure you have a comfortable fit. Almost any vendor that sells any other SCA appropriate gear also offers hoods.
  • If you are planning on making your own, I recommend making sure the fabric passes drop before getting any sewing done. Remember the rule of thumb that if you can see light through it, it probably doesn’t pass drop.

Gloves

  • Gloves are one of the hardest things to size correctly. Whenever you can, buy gloves in person from a vendor at an event and get several pairs at once so you have backups.
  • If there are someone else’s gloves that you can try on before purchasing, go for that before making a purchase.
  • I would be very cautious about ordering gloves if you have never had the chance to put them on first. Fingers and hands are weird and very individual.

Gorget

  • When shopping for gorgets, make sure that you are purchasing something that is rigid over the front and back of the neck. Gorgets specifically for HEMA are sometimes just padded fabric or semi-rigid material.
  • Almost any gorget that is good for heavy is usable for rapier. Gorgets can be cheaply and easily made from kydex by someone who knows what they are doing.
  • The way that your gorget, mask, hood, and shirt/jacket collar interact may leave gaps that can show skin. I would recommend making sure that the article you are looking at purchasing is not going to create any unexpected gaps by trying before you buy.

Groin/Breast

  • For protecting the sensitive anatomy, I recommend any product made expressly for MMA. Groin protectors for all anatomical configurations as well as armored sports bras are both available and recommended.

Swords

  • Swords are the thing that everyone is the most excited to buy and own, but they are also (usually) the singularly most expensive piece of gear you will purchase.
  • Most fencers will buy a wide variety of swords and modify old ones to fit as their style and preferences change.
  • For your first sword, I recommend getting something that is versatile so you can continue to use it in a variety of situations. Look for something with a blade between 35 and 40 inches that has a moderate amount of hand protection. Most vendors sell economy swords that are a great first buy for newer fencers.
  • Make sure whatever sword you buy is modular and can be disassembled. Blades can break and if you can replace them, it eases the costs of equipment repair. Most
  • SCA focused vendors will sell weapons with interchangeable parts, but HEMA suppliers are a more open field.
  • Don’t be afraid to swap out features of your sword to find what works best for you. Changing the pommel, grip, guard, and blade will all change how a weapon feels and functions. Think about what you want your sword to do and make it work for you.
  • When buying your blades, clarify with the vendor that they will pass the flex standard you need for your preferred combat. Most SCA focused suppliers already meet that mark, but double checking never hurts.

C&T

  • For those looking to get into C&T, all the above advice about gear still holds true. Below are some extra considerations about your C&T gear above and beyond what was previously discussed.

Gloves

  • Due to the padding requirements for hands, there is less variety of glove that you can get that still meets the armor requirements. While many vendors do offer a padded glove, the presence of padding does make it harder to get a precise fit. As always, finding what fits before you buy is the best idea.
  • With C&T, you should also be thinking about how your hilt furniture is going to interact with the glove that you purchase. Depending on how much your hilt covers your hand can alter the amount of padding you want present on the glove you are using. For a sword with less hand protection, you may also want to step up the padding.
  • If you are planning on getting seriously into C&T competitions, you should get a setup that provides rigid protection for you hand in concert with your hilt due to the requirements of longsword use. Demi-gauntlets with a full rapier guard are an example of a hybrid setup that will allow you to not have to swap gloves between different opponents.
  • For those planning on fighting with a longsword, there are luckily a variety of rigid HEMA gauntlets that you can get. As always when buying gloves, try to find someone else who owns what you want so you can try it on first. There is always a trade off in rigid gloves between cost, protectiveness, and dexterity. Pick two facets and prioritize them.
  • While motorcross/motorcycle gloves may be padded and have rigid protection, they often have slots in the padding wide enough to permit a blade to get thru. Make sure that if you go that route that the glove has padding over the whole back of the hand, and up to an inch up the arm past the wrist.

Back of the Head

  • The most complicated part of getting a back of the head protector is getting it to interact correctly with your hood and mask. HEMA suppliers do have a good variety of different options and sizes that all can work. At the risk of repeating myself, find the thing you want and try it on first.
  • There are some options for back of the head coverage that look as thought they would also do the job of your hood. While the material may in fact pass the drop test, the over hood style of protector often has slits on the back that will need to be covered with material for them to be useable on their own.
  • There is also the option, depending on your craftiness, of constructing your own head protection. Just make sure when you do so that it comes down far enough while the mask is being worn to cover below the point of your skull (your occipital bone).
  • Some suppliers do offer full helms that encompass the whole head, but those are generally very expensive and heavier than a normal fencing helm.

Knees

  • While they are not required in the East currently, many other kingdoms that you may face at Pensic do require knee protection. While a pair of soft pads will help, many people prefer getting hard knee pads for safety and comfort.
  • Be mindful that many sport knee pads a designed to protect the front of the knee only, and do not wrap around the sides of the joint where blows will often land.

Elbows

  • Most vendors that sell to HEMA have a dizzying variety of elbow protection available that vary in cost and protectiveness. Check to see if the pair you are looking at are designed to be worn over a padded coat or not. The sizing may not be what you were expecting if there is supposed to be a padded sleeve between it and you.
  • While forearm protection is not required, many elbow protectors will have integrated forearm plates that might interfere with a padded or rigid glove. Be mindful of how far down the arm the plates extend.

Vendor Lists:

  • Swords:
    • Darkwood Armory
    • Castille Armory
  • Masks:
    • Leon Paul
    • Absolute Fencing
    • Purpleheart Armory
  • Torso:
    • Zen Warrior
    • Gyspy Peddler
    • Ringmesh
    • Tailor Made Garments [1]
  • Hoods:
    • Zen Warrior
    • Gyspy Peddler
  • Gloves:
    • Zen Warrior
    • Purpleheart Armory
  • Gorget:
    • Zen Warrior
    • Winter Tree Craft
    • Purpleheart Armory
  • Groin/Breast:
    • NuttyBuddy
    • Zen Warrior
    • Title Boxing
  • C&T:
    • Purpleheart Armory

Submitted by Reinhard Hauser von Burgdorf

Rapier gear can often be bought cheaply from second hand stores or as surplus from fencing clubs.


Submitted by Lady Catalina dell'Acqua

  1. When I first started fencing, I was a poor just-out-of-college research fellow. If you can't sew well, like me, a doublet is not easy to make, regardless of what people tell you. For the first year I fenced, I used a long T-tunic, with a short sleeved, short tunic underneath. (Make sure it passes the punch test and armor requirements for your kingdom.) I know a lot of people who started fencing in T-tunics, because they are easy and fairly cheap to make. Sometimes a modern T-shirt is enough underneath.
  2. Loaner gear is your friend. Depending on the local practices, they may have enough loaner gear to let you use it for a while. But you should try to get your own stuff as soon as possible.
  3. Buy your blade first. I waited for a year before getting my own armor, but my blade was in my hand months after I started fencing (and decided I liked it). If you decide you really like fencing and want to stick with it, buying a blade sooner will allow you to get used to it, since everyone balances their blade differently. It will make authorizing that much easier. Besides, most practices have loaner armor, but very few have loaner weapons, and you will have to borrow someone else's sword all the time. For epees, American fencer has a good epee with a period looking guard for about $100. Triplette has one for about $80 or so.
  4. Gloves and mask should be your next purchase. There is nothing worse than fighting with gloves that don't fit right. Buy gardening or welding gloves and sew a gauntlet on the wrist of either thin leather or brocade. It doesn't take much fabric to extend the glove. Triplette also sells a good, inexpensive leather glove for $20.
  5. If you decide that you absolutely MUST have a full set to fence in, Triplette sells a great starter set. It includes a mask, tunic, gloves and weapon (epee or schlager). Depending on the weapon you get, it will be about $200 (give or take about $20). Fairly expensive, but you get everything you need to start fighting right away, and it is yours (gorgets and hoods are sold seperately). The tunics can be spiffed up with trim or something.

Submitted by Domenico Angelo Malavolti Tremamundo

Equipment

  • For most pieces of your gear, it is less expensive to make your fencing gear than to buy it. And if you'll be wearing a doublet anyway, you might as well make it fencing armor -- You'll wear fewer layers that way.
  • For fabrics, use linen, cotton, or a blend of the two. Synthetics, wool and silk trap heat, and fencers in 20 minutes use up the same amount of energy as an NHL hockey player uses in an entire match, so don't overheat yourself because of your clothing.
  • Tights and trunk hose, or Venetians, are not very fun to fight in, since the ties at the knee can be really annoying if you keep putting pressure on them from the inside (and you will). If they fit perfectly, perhaps they won't be such a problem, but you still can't easily fit kneepads underneath them. Fortunately, 16th century men (mainly sailors) also wore longer trousers, termed "slops". They look like Venetians, except that, once they get their fullest, they fall at that size all the way to your ankles. They were worn over Venetians, but when fencing you probably want to limit your layers to the minimum level of protection you feel necessary.
  • For a fencing doublet: Use 3 layers of fabric (trigger or stronger on the inside, lighter materials on both sides of the strong fabric). Get a sample of the fabric to make sure it will pass a punch test before you spend cash on it!
  • You should wear a shirt under your doublet, to catch the sweat -- Make it as light as you can, so it will air out easily once the doublet is off.
  • It's just as cheap to buy leather work gloves, as it is to make your own gloves. However, the work gloves won't give you a perfect fit. If you make your own gloves, use linen, cotton or a blend of these two, with three layers or more for protection--Leather shrinks from sweat. It is actually easy to make your own gloves.
  • Buy nice dark sneakers. Try to find some that look like mules, which are dress shoes that look rather period. Don't try to wear period shoes when you fence, unless you know someone who can add lots of cushion to your shoes.
  • It's better not to be fighting on your knees, but if you must then kneepads are cheap, and they'll help you enjoy fencing a lot more.
  • If you're in a schlager-only environment, you'll need a rigid gorget. You should be able to make one for cheap out of leather with blue foam padding. I recommend you get a leatherworker to show you how to make a nice gorget--A nice gorget costs nearly the same amount as a cheap one.
  • Buy a mask that fits your head. If you buy it through mail order, give accurate head measurements to the company. Give them a measurement of the widest circle from the top of your head around to the tip your chin, then another from the back of your head to the tip of your nose. If you wear glasses, make sure they're factored in as well. Tell the company your measurements and how you derived these measurements. All masks are somewhat adjustable, but there is only so much space for adjustment. A well-fitted mask makes the game much more enjoyable.
  • If you wear a hood under your mask, I recommend that the hood have holes from your ears. I've never tried this, but I know it's very hard to hear commands when you have two layers of cloth pressed against your ears by your mask.
  • If you wear glasses, you will find it difficult to keep them on properly when you put on your mask. This is a problem caused by your hood. I recommend you wear a hood over your mask, and make the back of the hood very large (otherwise your glasses won't fit through). You can fold into the back the extra cloth in the hood once your mask is on. It is always a fine art, keeping your glasses on your face while putting on your mask, but it is only really possible when your equipment works for you.
  • I've had knee and ankle braces recommended to me, if you're going to be fencing for a while and you're not in your early twenties or younger. These joints take a lot of strain from fencing, and you can't afford to lose any use of them. I've had a couple close calls, so please think long and hard about getting them.
  • Buy a cheap fencing bag. They run about US $20, but they're worth it. Duffle bags aren't often long enough for fencing blades, so the tips will stick out while you're walking. Then the weather can get to them, not to mention the people you might hit!

Weapons

  • I prefer a double-wide epee or a schlager. They last the longest. Trust me, you'll thank me later. Don't bother to buy a foil--They cost nearly the same as an epee, they don't last very long and they don't feel right anyway.
  • Buy a bag of plastic tips for your sword when you buy the sword. They're cheap, and you never know when you'll need them.
  • If someone wants to borrow your epee, I recommend you first look at the direction their own epee is bent. Epees bend either towards the bottom of the 'v'-like section of the blade, or they bend towards the top two edges of the 'v'. It is better for the blade to bend towards the bottom of the 'v', but that is dependent on the way that a fencer pushes on their blade when they hit their opponent. If you bend your blade the "wrong" way, as I do, don't allow anyone to use your blade who bends their blade the "right" way--Otherwise you are likely to get an 'S'-curve faster, and need to replace blades more often.
  • Leon Paul makes amazing flexi-daggers, which are so durable they can double as schlager daggers. I recommend them heartily--they're worth the cost.
  • If you line a cape, leaving a two-inch seam allowance to both sides, you should have enough bulk on the edges to make a cape that turns nicely when you twirl it, without the need for bean bag weighting or similar. Make a collar for your cape: It's easier to hold this way.
  • The cheapest and easiest way to make a buckler: Get plywood, cut it in a circle, sand the edges away and then attach a handle. I recommend a large leather strap for a grip--It conforms much better to the hand. You make one by cutting two short lines in the center of the buckler, then running a leather strap through both to attach to itself by rivets on the back side. If the cuts are tight enough on the leather then it won't move.
  • Canes are easy to make too. The cheapest cane is a wooden dowel, sanded down to avoid splinters and sharp edges. It's also easy to find cheap wooden canes with a shepherds' crook.

Equipment care

  • Buy a good mask, preferably with a removable bib piece (for washing). A good mask will probably be the longest-lasting piece of equipment you'll own, if you take good care of it. I place a towel over the mask while it's in my armor bag, to protect against swords scratching it. If you wear a hood over your mask, either wear a bandana or a coif underneath. This will protect your mask from sweat, which can eventually rust it.
  • Don't leave your blades in your fencing bag while at home--they're more likely to rust. Never leave them overnight in their scabbard, unless it's a properly-made wooden scabbard.
  • Use a heavy plastic bathroom scrubbing pad, or steel wool, to clean the nicks off of your blades. These nicks create weak spots in the blade--It will break on one of these.
  • Oil your blades every other month, or more often. Use light oil, such as linseed. This is to prevent rust.
  • Excellent calibration will not only protect your opponent--It will protect your blade from additional strain as well.

Practice

  • Stretch before bouting, and then stretch after. It's easy to forget, but it's better on your body if you don't. Also, take the time to warm up before fencing at top speed.
  • Eat a good meal a few hours before fencing, and make sure your body is well watered the entire day or two before a bout. You'll fence better, and have more fun, if you take good care of your body before putting it through the strain of fencing.
  • Drink lots of water and Gatorade. Get some high-protein food in your stomach, but not lots of food--The idea is to keep the body replenished, for longer endurance and quicker recovery. Filling up only puts the body in digestion mode, pulling it from combat mode.
  • When you start to fence, use a foil if you can. This is to develop strong point control.
  • Learn to alternate hands. You will be a better-rounded fencer for it. If you've fenced with one hand for years, switch hands for at least a few months, then alternate regularly.
  • If you can't remember to use your off-hand, hold something light and small in your hand, just to remind you that hand is there.
  • If you can't remember that you have multiple directions you can move, try constantly circling your opponents until you get used to the movement. You'll never circle this much in later practice, but it is useful to exaggerate in order to force yourself to understand the field as a round.
  • If you feel frustrated, think about why. If you can't discover a reason, keep trying--There's always a reason. Once you find it, be pleased that you had the perception to discover the problem, and try to create some solutions. It is also very good to discuss possible solutions with someone with more fencing experience. The more problems you discover and work on, the better a fencer you'll be.
  • If you don't feel like coming to practice, unless you're ill, go anyway! You'll thank yourself before the evening is over.