| Safety Equipment | Weapons | Borrowing Equipment | Buying Equipment |
In general, you are responsible for providing your own equipment for each workshop you attend. However, if you contact us in advance, we can arrange loan or hire of some equipment. Please note: we are unlikely to be able to arrange loan or hire on the day, without prior notice.
Safety Equipment
For Men
- Mask
- Gloves
- Fencing Jacket
- Groin Protection
For Women
- Mask
- Gloves
- Fencing Jacket
- Chest Protection
Recommended:
- Plastron
- Forearm protection
- Elbow protection
Weapons
| Workshop | Weapon | Spares? |
|---|---|---|
| Italian Rapier | Rapier, with blunt tip A sports-fencing epee with French grip is a suitable substitute. |
No (but see below) |
| Spanish Rapier | Light rapier, with blunt tip A sports-fencing epee with French grip is a suitable substitute. |
No (but see below) |
| French Smallsword | Smallsword, with blunt tip, or foil A sports-fencing foil with French grip is a suitable substitute. Some foils available |
|
| Sabre | Classical sabre A sports-fencing sabre is a suitable substitute. |
Some sabres available |
| Backsword vs Smallsword | Backsword or singlestick or smallsword or foil Sports-fencing sabres and foils with French grips are suitable substitutes. |
Some foils, sabres and singlesticks available |
| Backsword vs Rapier | Backsword or singlestick or rapier Sports-fencing sabres and epees with French grips are suitable substitutes. |
Some singlesticks available |
| Italian Cane | Light, flexible cane | Some canes available |
Borrowing Equipment
For some workshops, we can arrange to have spare weapons available, providing you let us know in advance (and advance means "Before 19th March", not "ten minutes before the class starts" - we don't have these spares at the Academy; we're borrowing them from Fencing is Fun).
With sufficient notice, we can arrange for spares to be available of:
| Weapon | Cost for weekend | Deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Foils | £5 | £20 |
| Sabres | £5 | £20 |
| Italian Canes | £0 | £6 |
| Singlesticks | £0 | £10 |
Deposits are only refundable if the equipment is returned undamaged (dangerous bends in the blades will be checked for, as well as broken blades).
Sabres and Foils are kindly offered by Fencing is Fun; Gordon Love is qualified under current Scottish blade-control legislation to lend and hire blades.
Italian canes and singlesticks are provided by Macdonald Academy of Arms.
Buying Equipment
As an alternative to renting, Fencing is Fun can offer new weapons for sale, at very little cost.
Please note these are the finalised maximum prices. If there are several orders, the prices will come down by about £1.
The martingale is an important safety feature for salle fencing.
With all these weapons, it is important to specify RH or LH (right-handed or left-handed)
All épées de combat come with a French handle and blunt pointe d'arrete. The martingale is an important safety feature for fencing in the salle.
All sabres have a rebated tip for safety, and the blades are all traditionally-weighted light sabre blades rather than modern ultralights.
Gordon has worked hard with several manufacturers to provide this level of quality at these prices. For instance, the Leon Paul épée using the very same leather grip and martingale would be £76 including UK delivery.
All prices include delivery to the Workshop on the day of the event, or the Friday evening before.
| Epee de combat | |
|---|---|
| £45* | Leather grip and martingale. Blunt pointe d'arrêtte. |
| £42* | Leather grip, no martingale. Blunt pointe d'arrêtte. |
| £40* | Bright blue rubber grip, with leather martingale. |
| £36 | Bright blue rubber grip, no martingale. |
| Light sabre, as recommended for training on page 2 of Hutton's Cold Steel | |
|---|---|
| £52* | Wooden handle, cross-milled for grip, metal pommel |
| £45* | Leather grip, metal pommel |
| £42* | Bright blue rubber grip, metal pommel |
| £38 | Bright blue rubber grip, lightweight plastic pommel |
*Please note these are the finalised maximum prices. If there are several orders, the prices will come down by up to £1.
