Safety First
It is important that fencing equipment is bought from reputable suppliers for very good safety reasons. There is a lot of out of date ‘heritage’ equipment on ebay and similar sites and regulations vary with age and the level of competition, so always ask for advice from Linda before buying anything.
There are others but these have a good rep with fencers and parents.
They make excellent birthday and Christmas gifts! Some suppliers sell gift vouchers which is great for relatives to contribute smaller amounts.
Leon Paul London Probably the No1 supplier in UK and US.
PBT-UK Good prices for those starting out or on a budget. Ideal for growing youngsters
Allstar UK Probably number 2. German company. Very popular on the continent. Not cheap but the weapons are popular for their robustness.
BladesBrand Has a strong relationship with Allstar and often sell Allstar kit cheaper!
Swordpricefighters You should only buy new kit from their website and not secondhand from the internet. We recommend these for very young, fast growing fencers only.
A typical fencing kit:
– Foil – Size 0 blade for under 10, size 3 blade for under 13, Size 5 for over 13.
– Bodywire – to connect the foil to the electronic scoring box. It runs up the sleeve and down the back.
– Jacket and Breeches. These are made of strong polyester material rated at least CEN1 (350 Newton strength) to protect against the possibility of a broken blade
– Mask – Small, Medium or Large. Plain bib for age under 13. Lamé bib for 13+- Glove
– Plastron – an additional half-jacket worn under the main jacket. Must be rated CEN2 (800N) for electric fencing
– Chest protector – plastic. Compulsory for girls, optional for boys
– Electric jacket (called a lamé) . For the electronic detection of hits on the target area
Foils require maintenance and blades last about 18months in regular use. Some adult members provide repair services
