14/12/2021
Some advice for beginners looking to acquire kit of their own. There is a good guide on The Fencing Shop site to the basic kit requirements (https://www.thefencingshop.co.uk/equipment-what-to-buy/) that gives definitions of what all the bits are. Definitely look at it before buying anything. That said, we've tried to boil down the basics for you here. Any problems or bits you don't understand, feel free to post below or just collar a senior fencer at training and ask for advice. We'll be happy to provide it.
Always remember: you don't have to buy every single bit of kit at once. It's fine to buy in dribs and drabs, using the communal club kit to fill in the gaps. Think about starting with a jacket and breeches, perhaps. Maybe a plastron too. Then move on to things like gloves and masks. And a lame. When you get a sword is entirely up to you. It's a bit counter-intuitive, but a sabre is not necessarily the first thing that you want to buy.
There are basically two types of fencing clothing, that rated to 350 Newtons and that rated to 800 Newtons. 350 Newtons jackets and breeches are great for fencing in the club and for most UK domestic competitions – they will also be a bit cheaper. 800 Newtons kit is more expensive but it's required if you want to fence a major international competitions like the Olympics. If you can afford the 800 Newtons kit, then go for it. Otherwise, 350 Newtons is absolutely. You can always upgrade later if you want or need to. All the kit sold in the UK meets the same basic safety requirements.
In addition to the jacket and breeches, you'll also need a plastron (the fabric protector that you wear under your jacket over the shoulder of your sword arm). To fence using electric equipment, ones rated to 800 Newtons are mandatory.
For sabre gloves, if you intend to do pretty much any sort of senior competition (UK or abroad) 800 Newton gloves are now also mandatory. Of the suppliers below, only Leon Paul, Allstar and PBT seem to sell them. They usually go for about £50. Other gloves are acceptable for use in the club though. Non sabre gloves (without a silvery mesh cuff) can be used in the club for training and – with the use of a detachable lame cuff – for electric fencing.
Masks - make certain that you're buying a sabre mask (plain steel with a lame bib) instead of a general purpose foil/epee one (black plastic coating over the metal mesh of the bib). The cheapest sabre masks are about £60.
Sabres - the cheapest complete new electric sabre you can buy will be just under £40 (sword price fighters). Be aware that to use it with electric kit, you will also require a body wire to go with it. These cost between £10-£20.
Lames - the silvery metallic mesh garment worn over the top of the jacket. These are obviously essential for anyone wanting to fence in a competition. However, for sparring using the electric equipment at the club, we can lend you one of the club lames. That said, demand is limited and in the times of Covid, you may want to get one of your own. Sword price fighters have them for £75.
Right, on to the suppliers. They all operate primarily online and there are often some hidden delivery costs that you don't discover until you get to the checkout. Watch out for that. We've put the links for all of them below with a few bits of annotation if it felt necessary (or if we had anything interesting to say). …
www.leonpaul.com - the blue riband fencing brand. Their basic range of clothing is the Spartan range (jackets about £75, breeches £72). It's 350 Newtons and perfectly acceptable for club and most domestic UK competitions. If you actually want to visit them and try kit on, they're based in Hendon in North London, about ten minutes walk from the Thameslink station.
www.allstar-fencing.co.uk - a quality German brand (for some things they cost more than Leon Paul these days – this may be a Brexit thing). Their basic clothing range is the Classic Competition 350 range (jackets £94, breeches £60).
www.pbt-uk.com - another quality brand. They have a physical shop in Aldershot if you want to visit (jackets £94, breeches £64).
http://www.bladesbrand.com/ - Good, slightly cheaper kit than the first three. Has a physical shop in Slough. Club/competition Plus is their basic range (jackets £54, breeches £60)
www.excalibursports.co.uk - Another more affordable option. Camelot range is their basic (jacket £55, breeches £44).
www.thefencingshop.co.uk - Usually fairly cheap but slightly more expensive than swordpricefighters (jacket £55, breeches £45).
www.swordpricefighters.com - Normally the cheapest kit, but all perfectly legal and safe for club use and in British domestic competitions. Great for starter bits and pieces of kit, as well as things like replacement sabre blades, body wires and little items. (jacket £45, breeches £37)
When you or your child start fencing choosing kit can be confusing, this guide and other information on the site is to help you get the most from the sport while staying safe.
