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Fencing Mask

Fencing Equipment

Overview

   I am happy to help you with understanding and ordering the fencing equipment for your fencer!!! 🙂 We don't require our new students to purchase anything until they tried the sport and showed interest in sport. We provide equipment to all our introduction and beginners level students for the first 60 days of their participation in our program. The intermediate and advanced level students are required to purchase their own full electric equipment set and there are lots of benefits to owning personal gear.

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  After the 60 days of trial period, a student may choose from the following options:

1) Lease equipment from the club at $35/month. This option is great for those who not ready to invest in equipment and are welcome to continue using club's equipment.

2) Buy used gear. This option is great for anyone who wants to buy personal gear and want to save few $$$. I find many good deals on used fencing gear option on eBay and you can check our used equipment spreadsheet (constantly being updated).

3) Buy new gear. The easiest and the fastest way to buy equipment. You can divide your equipment purchase into few months to help with the initial investment cost. Go to https://www.absolutefencinggear.com/

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Why should you buy equipment for your child?

  1. Hygiene is the number one reason! All kids sweat when fencing and many times the equipment is being transferred from one kid to another between classes. Of course we wash and clean and fix everything. But still, it is much nicer to have your own mask and jacket.

  2. Kids learn how to wear and use the equipment when they actually own it. After many years of experience I learned that kids only really learn how to wear and use the gear when they actually have their own and they also perform much better. There is also a reason why I ask kids to get ready in less than 5 minutes when they gear up. Otherwise they easily spend their entire class time on just finding and wearing equipment. It is amazing how it works, but once they own and bring personal gear, they get so much better and faster in gearing up and learn how to use the equipment.

  3. They can (and absolutely encouraged) to practice at home.

  4. They will learn responsibility! They will be taught to treat their equipment with responsibility. Taking care of personal stuff is another important skill to have.

  5. They will be able to advance to the intermediate level and eventually join competitions.

 

Anyway, if you don't care about any of the reasons above, you can continue renting the equipment from the club at a small fee and we will take care of it. The fee will cover all the equipment maintenance, repair, replacement, cleaning and washing.

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What are the equipment types:

  Dry fencing equipment (non electric) is good for the introduction and beginners levels. That is the equipment we start using in our first few months of training. 

  Electric fencing equipment is necessary for all students who continue attending classes beyond 3-4 months and are introduced to the real fencing experience. Fencing with the electric fencing gear is much more fun and is the real fencing experience! Once students start using the electric gear, they never want to go back to the dry equipment.

   Please know that you are not obligated to purchase all the equipment at once. You can buy a the "Dry Set" (non electric) first and then continue adding more pieces (electric gear) later as your child continue to progress.

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   You are welcome to order your personal equipment on your own by following the instructions below. Or, if you want me to order the equipment for you, you will be charged $35 processing fees and sales taxes.

   Please NOTE: The intermediate and advanced levels require a full electric equipment set. Also, intermediate and advanced levels will need to order at least 3 foils and 3 bodycords.

   I recommend purchasing equipment from the https://www.absolutefencinggear.com/.

   Please note, most kids will wear equipment size S or XS. Teens or adults will most likely wear M. It is very rare when someone wears size L equipment. Uniform fitting should be comfortable to wear - if you are not sure about size, always go one size up rather than down.

Please follow the sizing chart to find the correct size for your fencer before purchasing anything:

https://www.absolutefencinggear.com/sizinghelp

You are welcome to use the "Fencing Equipment Order Form" bellow as worksheet for yourself while preparing the order. Or, you can fill it out to the best of your knowledge and give it to your coach if you want us to order the equipment for you.

Dry Equipment Set:

*Men’s Plastic chest protector is recommended for all kids (boys and girls). Woman chest protector may be recommended for teen girls and women depending on need and age. A competitive chest protector provides an extra layer of protection and is required for competition. Also, if you think may starting competing sometime in the future, you should order the competitive chest protector right away.

**Little kids (boys and girls) should buy men/boys style jackets. You may select a non-fie jacket from the list provided. If your fencer is a teen girl or a woman, you may consider looking into female jackets. Any jacket is fine. I recommend getting a front zipper and stretchy material. I don’t recommend getting a cotton jacket as it will shrink if put it in the dryer.

***For kids ages 10 and below, please choose blade size #2. For fencers ages 10 and up, please select blade #5. Practice foil may be replaced with an electric foil. See link below.

****Fencing bag - for beginners it is recommended to purchase the most basic fencing bag. For competitive youth I recommend getting a bigger bag on wheels as it will fit inside all the required equipment and will be easier to carry around. For best quality fencing bags visit a different vendor (recommended for the most serious and competitive fencers): https://www.leonpaulusa.com/fencing-bags.html

Electric Equipment Set:

*For kids ages 10 and below, please choose blade size #2. For fencers ages 10 and up, please select blade #5. I recommend upgrading to German parts such as German Point, German Socket and German bodycord. German parts are much better quality. Non German parts are most often produced in China. Please order at least 2 foils and 2 bodycords. For competitive fencers, you will need to have at least 3 foils and 3 bodycords. I make sure that Victoria has 3-4 WORKING foil and bodycords every tournament.

**Little kids (boys and girls) should buy men/boys style jackets. If your fencer is a teen girl or a woman, you may consider looking into female jackets.

****Foil test kit is extremely recommended for everyone who wants to get electric equipment. I also recommend adding all the optional pieces that are offered with the kit such as point screwdriver and an allen key. All equipment eventually will break and will require maintenance and fixing. Of course more tools will be needed in order to maintain the equipment.

Please let me know if you have any questions at all. Please email all your questions to: julia.tikhonova123@gmail.com

Equipment Maintenance Services

It is crucial for fencers to maintain their personal fencing gear in good working condition for training and competition. Bringing clean and functional equipment to class is important to avoid disruptions during training. If you need help fixing your equipment, I offer repair services for a fee. Minor problems cost $13-15 plus any parts needed, while major problems cost $30 plus parts. Please let me know if you need assistance with your equipment.

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Minor problems $13-15 + any parts cost

- Bodycord or mask cord

- Tip tightening

- Small wire problems

- Adjusting the spring for the required weight

- Foil parts assembly

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Major problems $30 + parts cost

- Rewiring the blade and foil assembly

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To fix your equipment, please let your coach know and allow few days to a week to fix the problem.

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