Beginning Fencers will be able to use school gear for practices, but for tournaments you will need to purchase your own gear, including your outfit and weapons. Socks and patches are provided by RHS. The correct placing of the patch is on the non fencing arm....lefties will go on the right arm, righties on the left arm.
While you may purchase your gear from anywhere you'd like, here are two options that provide our fencers with quality gear at reasonable prices:
Fencing Star Supply, fencingstarsupply.com offers an 8 -Piece Starter Epee Set as well as individual pieces with no shipping costs. Please email questions to John Martin directly at [email protected]
Absolute Fencing, a company in New Jersey, will give Roswell High School Fencers a discount on their gear. Go to http://www.absolutefencinggear.com/shopping/ or call 732-868-9003. Type "Roswell High School Fencing Club" in the comment section of your order to receive a 10% discount. Please see Coach Vail for a list of the specific items you will need.
Coach Vail has asked that we upgrade to the German point for the epee.
There are several options on the website. Here is an example of a starter set that includes everything you will need:
DELUXE ELECTRIC 8-PIECE EPEE SET
[DEE001]$267.00
This Deluxe Electric 8-Piece Epee set includes:
- AF Removable (350N) 3-Weapon Mask
- AF Comfort (350N) Underarm Protector
- AF Comfort (350N) Front-Zip Jacket
- AF Advanced 3-Weapon Glove
- AF Comfort (350N) Pants
- AF Advanced Gold E. Epee (w/ Choice of Grip & Point) German Point is preferred.
- AF Transparent Epee Bodycord
- AF Advanced Bag (Holds a few weapons & entire uniform)
From their website-
"Why go Deluxe? Our Deluxe sets have EVERYTHING that you need to start fencing electrically. Featuring our 350N Comfort Material, these uniforms do not shrink (unlike their Cotton counterparts in other sets) and also the 350N rating offers more protection than regular cotton. The masks have a removable interior lining for easy cleaning, the bodycords are our higher quality model, and all of the equipment is generally more durable."
Please Note: For electric fencing, all Women are required to wear a plastic chest protector as a safety precaution. For Men this is optional.
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You may purchase a starter kit or buy your items separately. The fencing bag is optional as a large gym bag might work just as well for you. You will need some type of bag. Most fencers start out with French grip, but we have some pistol grips at school if you would like to see one. You may want to go ahead and order a second weapon as you are required to have one available to you in the matches. You can check the pants, jackets, helmets and gloves at school if you aren't sure what size you need. Please contact Coach Vail with any other questions.
T shirts will be included with your dues and are to be worn to school on Fridays before the tournament or other school events where we want to show our team spirit!
Here is part of an article that I found very helpful when deciding which shoes to buy.
From The Comprehensive Guide to Fencing Shoes by Craig Harkins
What are the best non-fencing shoes for fencing?
It’s tough when you have to shell out $120 – $175 every 9 months for new shoes. It’s worse when you’re one of those who are notoriously hard on shoes. For that reason, many fencers have turned to their local sporting goods store to find a decent shoe that meets the requirements to fencing and still provides a good value.
There are some types of shoes to look for and some to make sure to avoid.
The most popular shoes to use have been court shoes. These are shoes made for sports like raquetball, squash, and even volleyball. Those sports feature lots of lateral motion and lunging actions.
This means that they will be low to the ground and have cushioning set up for the heel strike (for your front foot) as well as the lateral stability for side to side motion (for your back foot).
Nike Indoor Volleyball Shoe
We had a fencer test this shoe out and she loved it. The gum soles are great for a wood floor fencing club and they held up reasonably well at NACs. The shoe was used for just about a full season of training and competition at the NACs and Junior Olympics before being retired in favor of the Nike Ballestras.
[Nike: Multicourt avaiable via Nike.com for about $55.]
Asics Gel Rocket
The Asics make a decent shoe if you’re on a budget. The Asics have been reported to work out fine as a fencing shoe, but their durability is suspect on rough metal strips. Older models have actually had the gel come out of the sole after extremely intense use on metal strips! They’re reported to be a bit heavier than other shoes in their class.
[Asics Gel Rocket available via Endless.com for about $50. Comes in men's and women's versions.]
Adidas Stabil shoes
The Adidas Stabil series can be seen in many epee tournaments.
The Stabil has received the rave reviews from fencers on the forums, but the entire series has been pretty well received. These are a staple in the epee fencing community. The wide foot base and thin sole (relative to other court shoes) allow for a good “feeling” of the strip and fast direction changes.
Typical review quote (for the Stabil Vs): “These shoes, in one word, rock. I will never again use a traditional fencing shoe. Good cushion, etc, and they’ve suffered 1 year of heavy usage on “cheesegrater” aluminum strips without complaint. I replace the insoles about every 6 months, but other than that, no upkeep. I love these things”
You can purchase the Stabil online via Amazon or at Sports Authority.
Yonex Badminton shoes
(Power Cushion SHB-101 LX model) – well-cushioned for those explosive moves. They have grippy soles. They have great lateral support and sufficient toe protection. They’re reported to be a pretty good shoe if you can find them.
The Yonex Badminton shoes come with purple accents for the ladies.
Shoes to Avoid:
Any “fencing” shoe made by a major fashion designer.
There are “fencing” shoes out there by some major designers. When you take a look at them, they resemble fencing shoes and that’s because they are fashion (read: walking about town) shoes that were inspired by the sport of fencing.
There is absolutely nothing in the shoe designed to hold up to athletic performance or usage. Wear them out on the town, but take them off in the fencing club.
Wrestling shoes.
Friends don’t let friends fence in wrestling shoes.
Some misguided souls take a look at wrestling shoes and say “hey, that’s *really* low to the ground, I’ll really feel the strip in those” and they get them. A couple of weeks later they’re complaining about foot, knee, and lower back pain.
Wrestling shoes are made to be used when competing on a 2 inch thick mat. Nothing about that says “durability on a strip” or “heel cushioning for a lunge.” Avoid wrestling shoes at all cost. If you see someone at your fencing club suited up to fence and wearing wrestling shoes, put them in a 3/4 nelson, pin them to the floor, and make them go put on something suitable.
Other things to get:
Once you have your fencing shoes, you may need to go ahead and get a few upgrades. Things that we’ve found useful over the years:
Hard heel cup. The hard heel cup is a hard plastic heel insert. Use these for your front foot. What the hard heel cup does is keeps your heel from flattening out during the lunge, allowing your heel’s fat pad to do more work in cushioning the blow of the lunge. The Nike shoes have a hard heel cup integrated into the design, but if you have a tendency to get a bruised heel, go ahead and get one. They’re about $5.00 from most fencing equipment retailers.
Avoid the soft gel heel cups. They raise the height of your heel in the shoe, plus the grip on your sock, which means you’re a lot more likely to put holes in your socks while fencing.
Cushion insoles. On lower end shoes like the AF and Blue Gauntlet house brands, spending another $15 to $20 on cushion insole will make you feel a lot better towards the end of the day during your fencing tournaments. Check out the SoftSol inserts and get the one that has a good heel strike and protection for the ball of the foot. They make several models matching up with different foot-impact styles.
From The Comprehensive Guide to Fencing Shoes by Craig Harkins
What are the best non-fencing shoes for fencing?
It’s tough when you have to shell out $120 – $175 every 9 months for new shoes. It’s worse when you’re one of those who are notoriously hard on shoes. For that reason, many fencers have turned to their local sporting goods store to find a decent shoe that meets the requirements to fencing and still provides a good value.
There are some types of shoes to look for and some to make sure to avoid.
The most popular shoes to use have been court shoes. These are shoes made for sports like raquetball, squash, and even volleyball. Those sports feature lots of lateral motion and lunging actions.
This means that they will be low to the ground and have cushioning set up for the heel strike (for your front foot) as well as the lateral stability for side to side motion (for your back foot).
Nike Indoor Volleyball Shoe
We had a fencer test this shoe out and she loved it. The gum soles are great for a wood floor fencing club and they held up reasonably well at NACs. The shoe was used for just about a full season of training and competition at the NACs and Junior Olympics before being retired in favor of the Nike Ballestras.
[Nike: Multicourt avaiable via Nike.com for about $55.]
Asics Gel Rocket
The Asics make a decent shoe if you’re on a budget. The Asics have been reported to work out fine as a fencing shoe, but their durability is suspect on rough metal strips. Older models have actually had the gel come out of the sole after extremely intense use on metal strips! They’re reported to be a bit heavier than other shoes in their class.
[Asics Gel Rocket available via Endless.com for about $50. Comes in men's and women's versions.]
Adidas Stabil shoes
The Adidas Stabil series can be seen in many epee tournaments.
The Stabil has received the rave reviews from fencers on the forums, but the entire series has been pretty well received. These are a staple in the epee fencing community. The wide foot base and thin sole (relative to other court shoes) allow for a good “feeling” of the strip and fast direction changes.
Typical review quote (for the Stabil Vs): “These shoes, in one word, rock. I will never again use a traditional fencing shoe. Good cushion, etc, and they’ve suffered 1 year of heavy usage on “cheesegrater” aluminum strips without complaint. I replace the insoles about every 6 months, but other than that, no upkeep. I love these things”
You can purchase the Stabil online via Amazon or at Sports Authority.
Yonex Badminton shoes
(Power Cushion SHB-101 LX model) – well-cushioned for those explosive moves. They have grippy soles. They have great lateral support and sufficient toe protection. They’re reported to be a pretty good shoe if you can find them.
The Yonex Badminton shoes come with purple accents for the ladies.
Shoes to Avoid:
Any “fencing” shoe made by a major fashion designer.
There are “fencing” shoes out there by some major designers. When you take a look at them, they resemble fencing shoes and that’s because they are fashion (read: walking about town) shoes that were inspired by the sport of fencing.
There is absolutely nothing in the shoe designed to hold up to athletic performance or usage. Wear them out on the town, but take them off in the fencing club.
Wrestling shoes.
Friends don’t let friends fence in wrestling shoes.
Some misguided souls take a look at wrestling shoes and say “hey, that’s *really* low to the ground, I’ll really feel the strip in those” and they get them. A couple of weeks later they’re complaining about foot, knee, and lower back pain.
Wrestling shoes are made to be used when competing on a 2 inch thick mat. Nothing about that says “durability on a strip” or “heel cushioning for a lunge.” Avoid wrestling shoes at all cost. If you see someone at your fencing club suited up to fence and wearing wrestling shoes, put them in a 3/4 nelson, pin them to the floor, and make them go put on something suitable.
Other things to get:
Once you have your fencing shoes, you may need to go ahead and get a few upgrades. Things that we’ve found useful over the years:
Hard heel cup. The hard heel cup is a hard plastic heel insert. Use these for your front foot. What the hard heel cup does is keeps your heel from flattening out during the lunge, allowing your heel’s fat pad to do more work in cushioning the blow of the lunge. The Nike shoes have a hard heel cup integrated into the design, but if you have a tendency to get a bruised heel, go ahead and get one. They’re about $5.00 from most fencing equipment retailers.
Avoid the soft gel heel cups. They raise the height of your heel in the shoe, plus the grip on your sock, which means you’re a lot more likely to put holes in your socks while fencing.
Cushion insoles. On lower end shoes like the AF and Blue Gauntlet house brands, spending another $15 to $20 on cushion insole will make you feel a lot better towards the end of the day during your fencing tournaments. Check out the SoftSol inserts and get the one that has a good heel strike and protection for the ball of the foot. They make several models matching up with different foot-impact styles.