A Fortnightly Primer for T˙ Per'picaciou' Fencer
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“Fencing Esta Stercore” A Fortnightly Primer for t˙ Per`picaciou` Fencer Royal Holloway Fencing VOL.II. No.2 OCTOBER 19, 2020 A word from the President Borrowing Kit Buying kit By MARCUS MESSER By ZAK WHEELER Hi All, All paid-up members can borrow kit I hope you are doing well. Training from the club. This kit is yours for the A question I have heard from many is has been going well with lots of interest time you are a member, so you can take how and where to buy kit. Whilst buying from new members. We have fencers in it home and are in charge of washing it your own kit isn’t necessary, as you can all three weapons at both our sessions, and bringing it to training. Just ask a loan kit from the club, we strongly encour- but have room for more. If you have any committee member at training if you’d age anyone who wants to fence seriously friends that are looking for a fun sport feel like to do this. to eventually get their own. free to bring them along to our Sunday If you have already borrowed kit from Complete beginners won’t have de- sessions. the club, please fill in the google form cided which weapon they want to fence here. yet, so I’d recommend waiting until you’ve given all three weapons a try. Christmas is a good time to ask for kit. You’ll have Upcoming Events had a term to decide what you want, and BUCS Update parents can be very exited that their child is taking a sport seriously; milk it whilst you can. Details on all our socials can be found on our Facebook page, @RHUL Fencing, Following on from BUCS and British Suppliers or by clicking here. Fencing guidelines, we have taken the de- There are a number of fencing suppli- cision to only put forward two teams this ers available, some with physical shops 22/10/20, Strodes Training year: a Men’s Team and a Women’s Team. and some online-only. Take a while to This training is on Thursday in Strodes The Men’s Second Team is being put on shop around to find the best offers. College Sports Hall (down Strodes hold. BUCS have confirmed that there Leon Paul - Together with Allstar, Lane, the post code is TW20 9DR and will be no promotion or relegation at the Leon Paul is the Ferrari of the fencing What3Words location is zips.eagle.layers). end of the year, and the Men’s Second world; their kit is good, but you pay for Booking essential from the SU website Team will be able to resume in the same the label. Leon Paul is a British brand, here. league position for the 2021/22 season. with a physical shop in Hendon (North This session is only for those who We have taken this decision as we London). They have a fencing centre at can bring kit. If you don’t own believe we will only have enough active their shop which is worth a visit to train. kit, then please speak to a committee fencers to warrant one team this year, and There are also competitions held there, so member during training, or email fenc- because the SU need us to pay for each you can combine trips. [email protected]. teams entry ourselves. Team selection cri- Allstar Uhlmann - Allstar Uhlmann 25/10/20, Main Training Our main teria will be announced nearer the time. is a German brand, and is the interna- training session in the RHUL Sports Hall BUCS competitions will resume in tional fencers supplier of choice. Their on Sunday from 14:00-16:00. Book your Term 2. We are not participating in BUCS website is not as flashy as Leon Paul’s, place from 2 days before using this link. Friendly matches in Term 1. In the mean- but their kit is on par. Allstar have a phys- You need to login and go to Classes and time we will continue training twice a ical shop in Slough, a 25 minute drive Active Sessions, then RH Fencing. Be- week in preparation for the return to com- from campus. The Number 8 bus from ginners welcome, as kit can be borrowed. petition. Egham/Englefield Green goes to central VOL.II. No.2 A Fortnightly Primer for the Perspicacious Fencer OCTOBER 19, 2020 2 Slough, where you can take a 20 minute review them. Their coloured weapon tips mask is normally cheapest, a sabre mask bus ride to the shop or walk the 2 miles. are pretty though. the most expensive. The difference be- PBT - PBT is a Ukrainian brand, and Ebay - a good source of second hand tween the three is the presence of conduc- is seen as slightly below Leon Paul and kit is eBay. Second hand kit is risky; tive metal. A sabre mask is completely Allstar, but is still very popular. PBT kit is always make sure you know what you’re conductive, and is a metal silver colour all very good value, balancing affordability buying. Look for CEN-1 or CEN-2 marks, over, whilst a foil mask has a metal strip and price. They have a physical shop in and only buy kit from manufacturers you on the bib. An epee mask is completely Aldershot, a 30 minute drive from campus recognise. It’s also worth checking, as non-conductive. or about an hour by train. Ian at the PBT some people buy kit from brands like shop is very friendly and knowledgeable, Leon Paul and sell it on for more than the and will often be able to find something cost of the same kit new! Use at your own discounted at the back of the shop not on risk. the website. They give a discount to Royal Holloway students, and occasionally there Safety ratings is a friendly dog in the shop. Before you buy kit you need to make L-R a Foil, Sabre and Epee mask Duellist - Duellist was founded by sure it is safe. All kit is given a safety Bruce Dickinson, the lead singer of Iron rating measured in Newtons (N). This Leon Paul, Allstar and PBT sell masks Maiden. Whilst Duellist closed some measures the amount of force needed to that can be converted from foil to epee. years ago, their kit can still be found sec- break the fabric, so a 350N jacket is made Leon Paul sell their X-Change mask that ond hand. Their multi-coloured gloves with material that withstands at least 350N can easily have a new bib switched in, are (in my opinion) some of the most of force. however the second bib will cost £40-50. comfortable around. Only buy kit that has a European CEN Allstar sell their AMI-V range of masks Sword Price Fighters - Sword Price mark. Kit will either be CEN-1 or CEN-2. and PBT sell the Combi mask that use a Fighters (aka Sword Fighters or SPF) are CEN-2 is safest, but for many things level different system to clip on a foil bib. a budget fencing brand with no physical 1 is sufficient. Most fencers won’t need to switch be- shop. Their kit is very cheap, but most The World Governing Body for fenc- tween foil and epee regularly, and one of their kit is not FIE rated. In the past ing is the FIE (Fédération Internationale mask should be enough. there have been concerns about the safety d’Escrime). Any kit with an FIE mark is of their kit (however there are allegations CEN-2, snd is approved for international Gloves this was a ploy from some of the more competition. Again, there is a difference between established brands to put them out of For jackets, plastrons and breeches sabre gloves and foil/epee gloves. A foil business), so I’m always hesitant to rec- CEN-1 kit withstands at least 350N force, glove is the same as an epee glove, but a ommend them. Personally, I have found and CEN-2 kit withstands 800N. sabre glove has a conductive gauntlet. It their kit to be sufficient for the beginner, FIE kit is required for international is possible to use an epee/foil glove for and whilst their swords won’t last as long competition, but for domestic competi- sabre if you buy a conductive gauntlet, as a maraging steel blade, they more than tions only an FIE plastron is needed. For but I’d recommend just getting a glove make up for this with the price. sabre you will also need an FIE glove. specific to your weapon. Excalibur - Based in Herefordshire, Many different styles of glove are Excalibur Sports is a new entry, having available, and I would suggest taking only been going since 2017. They don’t some time to look through the club kit and make any of their own kit and have no see what brands/models you like. Talk to physical shop, but sell kit from good experienced fencers and find recommen- manufacturers, including very colourful A range of acceptable labels, all at least dations. blades. They have been setting up stalls CEN-1 / 350N Whites: Jacket, Plastron and to sell kit at competitions over the past Breeches few years. As they are so new, I cannot Your First Kit These are available from any supplier. vouch for the quality of their kit or speed The first kit I would recommend buy- You will need to get an FIE (800N) plas- of delivery, but they are not a scam and ing is a glove and/or a mask.