Basic necessary equipment
CRITICAL GEAR - The equipment needed to safely fence.
There are a few pieces of equipment that are necessary to have fun and safely spar with fellow fencers. This is the minimum safety gear and the weapon necessary to play. If you are entering into the CFC's beginner classes, we have all of this gear for your use. A one time charge of $20, cash or check, will be collected by the instructors and you will be walked through the process of finding equipment of appropriate size and style. For new students to the sport, you should plan to dress for athletics – gym shoes, shorts or sweatpants, t-shirt, no loose hair or jewelry. You will want clothes that will allow you to move easily and comfortably.
If you are a student that has gone through our (or almost any club's) beginner classes, you will recognize this gear as the same type of clothing that you used that was provided by the club. That list is as follows:
- Mask
- Jacket
- Glove
- Weapon (Foil, Epee, Sabre depending on which event you are practicing)
Important note: There is a company in England that makes plastic fencing equipment that is for teaching very young children who are not capable of using full size, real fencing equipment. These plastic materials are NOT compatible with Olympic fencing with steel weapons as using them together poses a very real safety issue. It is important to make sure that if you are buying equipment, especially for children, you are purchasing weapons and masks that are proper for use with steel fencing equipment. Please feel free to inquire of your instructors if you are unsure if you are looking at these plastic masks or not before buying.
BUYING - Starter Sets
Most vendors have Starter Sets that can be purchased that will incorporate a variety of equipment that can range from just the basics to a full compliment of all the gear a competitive fencer will need for tournaments. Generally, the sets are going to be 20%-30% less expensive than purchasing the gear a la carte.