Fencing Equipment: What You Need to Start

You need nothing to start fencing. Beginners at Fencing Masters in Singapore wear club kit, so you turn up in sportswear and closed shoes. The full set is a mask, padded jacket, underarm protector (plastron), glove, breeches, long socks and a weapon, plus a body wire for all three weapons and a lamé for foil and sabre.

White kit and wired gear make fencing look complicated, so here is what each piece does.

Why does fencing gear look so complicated?

Fencing equipment exists for one main reason: safety. The sport involves a thin metal blade moving quickly, so every piece of kit is designed to protect the fencer while still allowing fast, precise movement. Once you understand what each item does, the “suit of armour” look makes a lot more sense.

The same categories of equipment apply to a 7-year-old and a 70-year-old, just sized differently.

The mask

The fencing mask is the most recognisable piece of equipment. It covers the entire head and neck with a strong mesh front, allowing full vision while stopping the tip of the blade from making contact with the face. Masks are fitted to feel snug but comfortable, and we lend beginners a mask in the right size.

The jacket, plastron and glove

The fencing jacket is a padded, close fitting garment that covers the torso and arms. It absorbs the impact of a touch and is usually made from durable material designed to resist puncture. Every fencer wears a plastron (underarm protector) under the jacket every time they fence. It covers the weapon-arm armpit and side, the area most at risk from a broken blade.

Glove, breeches and chest protector

• A padded glove protects the weapon hand and wrist, which absorbs a surprising amount of activity during a bout.
• Breeches are snug knee-length trousers that protect the legs and are worn with long fencing socks that reach the breeches.
• A hard chest protector, worn under the jacket, is standard for female fencers and is often used for younger students of any gender as an extra safety layer.

The weapon: foil, sabre or épée

The fencing sword comes in three types, and the one you use depends on which of the three weapons a student is learning. All are blunt, flexible steel with no sharp edge, and our guide to fencing swords explained covers the blades, guards and grips in more detail. Foil and épée are thrusting weapons with a thin blade that scores with the tip, while sabre has a flat blade and scores with the edge, front or back, as well as the point. Each weapon has slightly different rules on target area and scoring, which is why coaches usually let beginners try more than one before settling into a favourite.

Body wire and lame

All three weapons score electrically through a body wire that runs under the jacket to the scoring apparatus. Foil and sabre fencers also wear a lamé, a metallic conductive layer over the jacket that registers touches on the target area (in sabre, with a conductive mask and glove cuff as well). Épée fencers do not wear a lamé. It looks technical, but it automates what a referee’s eye would otherwise have to judge, so scoring is fast and fair.

What do beginners need to bring?

At Fencing Masters, we lend the mask, jacket and blade once you join, for the first 8 lessons in a group class, on a membership of 8 weeks or longer (on a 4-week membership, the loan covers those 4 weeks), or for the first 10 lessons in private coaching with a 10-lesson pack (the first 5 with a 5-lesson pack or single lessons). Students simply turn up in comfortable sportswear and closed shoes. The trial itself needs no protective gear. Members ask a coach before borrowing any club equipment and return it at the end of the session. Kit made to international standards is only needed for international competition, as we explain in what the FIE is.

Only once a student is committed to the sport, after the loan period, does it make sense to think about personal equipment. Even then, coaches guide families and adults through what is useful for their level, not what is expensive, and our guide to caring for your fencing equipment is worth a read once you do. There is no pressure to purchase anything early on, and fencing is not the expensive sport it has a reputation for being.

Lowering the barrier to a first class

Many people worry about a big upfront cost before they know whether they enjoy the sport. Lending the kit after you join removes that worry, and the trial needs no gear at all, so a first visit is just about trying fencing. Coaches focus first on movement, footwork and basic blade work.

Getting started

The simplest step if you are unsure about gear is to come and try a class. You will be fitted with a mask, jacket and weapon on the spot, guided through the basics, and can decide from there whether to continue.

As a fencer progresses, the same kit categories scale up, and the coach can say when an upgrade is worth it. To see the equipment in action, request a trial.