Navigate the Many Options when Buying your Fencing Gear
Fencing Gear 101
For those new to fencing, choosing among the multitude of options on the market can not only be confusing, but also major headache-inducing!
As a fencing club with over 15 years of experience, here are our quick recommendations, which we hope will make your selections an easier process.
Start with lower-cost outfit parts to ensure you are protected during classes, until you decide what you like or what isn’t working well, based on personal preference.
We now sell our own brand of fencing gear! Non-members, please contact us here while we’re working on our new store.
Jacket Stencil is available by request; read more here.
Don’t leave this page without scrolling to the end for some links to fencing gear suppliers!
Head and Hand Protection: The Mask and Glove
Your fencing mask is the most important piece of protective equipment. The steel mesh cradles the face and protects from impact, while allowing clear 360-degree visibility, and the padded “bib” protects the neck area and prevents the mask from shifting during a bout.
Another indispensable item is the fencing glove, which protects the hand that holds the weapon. The gloves have a padded area above the top of the hand, and are usually long, beyond the wrist, to offer an extra protective layer over the jacket sleeve.
Upper Body
While all approved fencing uniforms offer protection, make sure they fit properly and allow free movement.
Starting with the plastic chest protector and the plastron (or underarm protector), which offer double protection on the parts of the body most likely to be repeatedly hit, and the final layer, the fencing jacket, all these give the fencer the confidence to step forward, move, and lunge without the fear of getting hurt.
The plastic chest protectors are available in children’s and adult sizes, for both men and women.
Young men after the age of 14 can usually feel safe fencing without these, depending on body size and strength.
Fencing Pants
Finally, the fencing pants, aka “breeches” or “knickers,” are knee-length pants made from the same durable material as the jacket. Paired with long socks that cover the knee completely, the fencing pants offer protection from the waist down.
A male athletic protector or groin cup is strongly recommended for male fencers and is worn directly under knickers.
Understanding Newton Ratings
What are “Newtons”?
As the enclosed link defines, Newtons are a unit of force, used in fencing to measure the level of protection offered by the material from which the protective gear is made.
The “N” number on various articles of fencing clothing shows how puncture-resistant the fabric is.
- 350N Gear: This is the standard for most club practices and local competitions. It provides solid, reliable protection for everyday fencing.
- 800N FIE Gear: This is the highest level of protection, required for national and international (Fédération Internationale d’Escrime) tournaments. Since high-level fencers are usually older and stronger, they generate more force with their hits. They usually opt for this significantly tougher fabric for their gear
New fencers usually start with 350N gear, which is perfectly safe for both class and competitions and lasts long enough until they are ready to move on to more sophisticated equipment.
The Weapon – Why consider buying your own weapon?
(Épée is specifically discussed here, as we are an Épée-only club)
Buying a personal épée is an important step in a young fencer’s development. Once a student moves beyond the beginner stage, having their own weapon provides both practical advantages and a greater sense of responsibility for their equipment and progress.
1. A weapon that fits the fencer
A personal épée can be properly selected and adjusted for the student’s hand size, grip, blade length, and fencing style. This creates a more consistent experience than using a shared club weapon.
2. Consistency in training
Using the same weapon from practice to practice allows the fencer to become familiar with its balance, weight, point control, and feel. This consistency can help technical development.
3. Better preparation for competition
Students who intend to compete need to become comfortable with their own equipment. Owning an épée means they can practice and compete with equipment they know and trust.
4. Greater responsibility
Owning equipment teaches an important lesson in fencing: take care of your tools and take responsibility for your preparation. Students learn to check their weapon, maintain it, identify problems, and prepare their equipment before practice and competitions.
5. Less time adjusting to borrowed equipment
Club weapons are shared by many fencers and may vary considerably. A personal weapon eliminates the need to repeatedly adapt to different grips, blades, weights, and balances.
6. A sense of commitment and progress
Purchasing a first personal weapon can be a meaningful milestone. It communicates that the student is moving beyond the introductory stage and beginning to take fencing more seriously.
7. It’s an investment in the sport
A good épée doesn’t have to be expensive, and it can last a long time with proper care. For a student training multiple times per week, the cost can be relatively small compared with the value of having reliable, personalized equipment.
Your child’s first personal épée is more than just equipment—it is a step toward independence in fencing.
As students advance beyond the beginner program, owning their own weapon gives them consistency in training, allows the weapon to be properly fitted to them, and prepares them for competition. It also teaches responsibility: checking, maintaining, and caring for their equipment becomes part of being a fencer.Owning an épée is one of the first signs that a student is taking ownership of their fencing journey.
Where to Buy Fencing Gear
Olympia Fencing Center sells our own brand (Olympia Fencing Gear) at competitive prices.
If you buy in person, we offer custom sizing and options to try on. Our gear is competition-approved and an excellent option for all ages and levels.
If you prefer to buy your fencing gear yourself, there are many companies that you can purchase equipment from, online or over the phone. If you are looking for a specific item, you can shop around to find the best price.
Our club has a long-lasting relationship with Blue Gauntlet Fencing Gear, based in New Jersey, but here is a more comprehensive list including the links to other vendors’ websites:
Fencing shoes/bags recommendations
Fencing shoes
80% of beginner fencers start training in running shoes, which meet the most basic needs for light movement. However, this type of shoe cannot support long-term fencing, especially when training more than once a week, or during long fencing events.
Advanced fencers like to buy new shoes and “break them in” for quite a time before a major competition. As all new shoes stretch during wear, you want your shoe to have enough room so it won’t feel too tight, but not too large, allowing your foot to slip during lunges, and lead to injury.
There are many fencing websites with recommendations for what many find as being the best fencing shoe (Fencing Parents, Fencing.net, Reddit).
What we recommend:
– Adidas Barricade
– Adidas D’Artagnan
– Asics Gel-Rocket indoor volleyball/court shoes are very popular among fencers.
Any type of tennis shoe your feet feel comfortable in.
If you’d like fencing-specific shoes, check the Blue Gauntlet website, or Prieurusa.com
Fencing Bags
Allstar Jumbo Bag – made in Germany, these are roomier, in general, and most competitive fencers like them.
Leon Paul Team Bag – these bags are more rectangular and more compartmentalized, so there may be slightly less room due to this design. However, they maintain their shape better, in our opinion.
It also comes down to brand/aesthetic preferences.
Both brands are available for purchase through the vendors listed above.
Learn on this page how to care for your fencing gear: from washing your whites, mask, and glove, to stain removal and other recommended practices, to look your best and make you feel like a winner on the strip!