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Equipment Notes

What you need to fence in the SCA, from the top down:

  • Mask
      This must be a fencing mask rated to at least 12K, and have a tie-down in the back (that is, the tongue is not sufficient—it must also have an elastic or cord securing it to your head).
  • Hood
      The back of your head and sides of your neck must be covered by puncture-resistant fabric. This is either worn as a coif under the mask or sewn directly to the mask. It must drape sufficiently that no skin is showing when you turn your head.
  • Torso
      You need puncture-resistant fabric from your neck to your groin and 3 inches down the inside of your armpit. Again, this coverage must continue during movement. A standard, properly fitted fencing jacket is sufficient.
  • Groin
      Men must wear rigid groin protection (an athletic cup or equivalent). It may not have any holes large enough to admit a blade.
  • Legs and arms
      Limbs must be covered with abrasion-resistant material (that is, something heavier than gauze or nylon).
  • Hands
      Hands should be covered with fencing gauntlets that overlap the sleeves sufficiently that no skin is shown during movement. If modern fencing gloves are used, the wire holes must be sewn or taped shut.
  • Feet
      Closed-toe shoes are required. Traction is recommended. Socks must be sufficient to cover the lower legs even if pants ride up with movement.
  • Blade
      SCA fencing allows foils and epees (no sabres). The blade must have a rubber tip and a contrasting tape color a few inches down the blade. Foils and epees with open guards (swept hilts, ring guards etc.) are prohibited. Pistol grips are not allowed unless medically necessary. Blades are inspected before every practice and tournament; blades with metal burrs, kinks, and s-curves will fail inspection.

      Heavy rapiers must have tips and contrasting tape as well as a metal washer or some other means of preventing the metal tip from cutting through the rubber. The same inspection process applies.
      See this list for blades allowed in the East Kingdom.

    • Optional or only sometimes required:
  • Gorget
      Rigid neck protection with padding or puncture-resistant material beneath is required for heavy blade combat. It is recommended for light rapier as well.
  • Breast protection
      Some women prefer to wear rigid breast protection in the form of metal plates that insert into a sports bra or fencing jacket, or an entire rigid breastplate. However, it is not required.
      •  
    Notes on Light Rapier Blades

    Mounting epée blades
      Please don't put these in upside down! The open part of the groove should be on top. Try to avoid bending them against their natural curve (which is downward, with the groove on top), even for testing or inspection. 

      If your blade (foil or epée) takes a bad bend out of the box, you probably aren't using it correctly. You need to train it -- thrust it gently against a target with a good over-bend (4" for an epée, more for foil), letting your hand ride up and to the outside with it. The downward bend is important to safety -- it lets the blade absorb and distribute the shock of the hit (instead of transferring it all to your target or a single weak spot), and it keeps the point from sliding up and under someone's mask. Put the point on, don't jab it.

    Maraging blades
      Some people ask us about maraging blades. These are treated so that they will tend to break flat when they break, but there are no guarantees. Some people (known to be hard on blades) report that they last longer than ordinary blades, while others have not observed this. YMMV. 

    Non-electric practice blades
      Non-electric practice blades (both foil and epée) have a very soft temper and are cheaper than competition (electric) blades. The soft temper means that they might hit less hard, which can be a good feature. However, they can also take bends and kinks more easily and tend to be less well-made than competition blades. If you're abusive towards your blades, this might not be a good choice for you. (Then again, you might consider changing the way you hit... :-)) Keep in mind that some marshals will test these blades in such a way that they will often fail.. 

      Unwired (dry) electric blades with a dummy tips have given many people good results. The France Lames Hostin Plus (both epée and foil) is a reliable favorite of many long-time fencers.

    Epée blades 
      If you order a house brand epée blade from Triplette, be sure to specify that you want one for SCA use, not USFA fencing. The SCA blade will be marked with a red dot, the USFA version with a green dot.  The USFA ones are not permitted in SCA competitions. 

      The folded sheet metal blades from Leon Paul seem to be just about unbreakable. When they fail, they tend to just crumple into a silly-looking bent-noodle, but they don't break. You must order them direct from Leon Paul US. Be aware: for an SCA style grip, you'll need the French Grip tang, not the pistol. Paul has started selling their French grip epee blades with a custom slotted tang -- it won't work with other makers' pommels, only Leon Paul's. If you're interested in using a standard French Grip epee, this is fine -- order theirs. But if you want a custom hilt built, you must check with your swordsmith before purchasing the blade to ensure he or she can work with it.

      Note that double-wide epée blades will be treated as ordinary epées. If anyone is hitting too hard with one, then they'll be asked to use a foil or ordinary epée.

    Foil blades
      Some of us still like to use foil blades, and we recommend it for beginners. Like epées, practice (dry) foil blades have a softer temper than electric ones, with the benefits and flaws that go with that (see above). 
    Testing blades
      There will probably never be agreement on how to test blades, and persons of great wisdom and experience can become quite violent when discussing this topic. However, at Carolingian fencing practices we do not encourage the inspection of blades by bending them against their natural bend (which ought to be a gentle downward curve). We do touch the point against the floor, a boot, a wall to make a deep-enough bend to check for sharp bends, twisting in both X and Y planes, and the dreaded S-curve. If a blade takes a really bad curve, do not try to straighten it -- retire it. Visual (and maybe tactile) inspection for burrs, cracks, dips, and kinks is also expected (and no, we aren't describing our local dons). 

      The  society policy requires blade inspection even at practices, starting May 1, 1997.