Mask SAFETY Warning

[pkt]

http://www.britishfencing.com/safetywarningmasks.html
SAFETY WARNING — MASKS

All fencers — please check that your mask has a back strap that works, ie. the elastic is strong enough to fit firmly around the back of your head and any velcro fastening will stay closed whilst fencing.

At the GBR Junior Championships in Norwich a sabreur’s mask fell off during a fight and the cut to head landed on the head! Luckily not on the face. The mask had a completely useless back strap and should not have been allowed.

This is a very rare occurrence; let’s make it impossible.

All referees — please check this along with the other safety aspects of fights.

Clare Halsted
Hon. Medical Officer and on behalf of the Safety Committee

November 2003

==)------------------

i've actually seen this happen before.

It usu. happens when one is using a club mask that's ill fitting and not in the top of shape esp. if it's got a weak tongue.

Can you imagine it happening in epee?
Here's a poke to your eye!

So, if everytime you recover from a lunge, you have to poke the chin of your mask to get it back into place, your mask's is too loose. Either get a bigger head or a smaller mask.

There's also another aspect to this safety probelm: Masks that are too small.

If you can see the head behind the sides of the mask, then that mask does not offer the proper protection to the fencer, FIE or not!

In fact the X-change mask's side is a full 2 cm shorter than an Allstar sabre mask. Hence my urgency in getting more protection for the back of my head while using the X-Change mask.

in view of this and the fact that i've got bashed and bled too many times in the back of my head over my long career in fencing, i've finally done something about it.

http://www.fencing101.com/gallery/d...?album=13&pos=5

i've sent Barry one of these back plates from a [ice] hockey goalie's mask. It is padded on the head-side. So presumably they're working on their own version of this.

Then i got tired of it visually sticking out vis-a-vis my black hair, i painted it black and stuck some pins and logos on it. There are fencing - CFA, F1 - Ayrton Senna, and of course, ice hockey pins and logos.

It's easy to get in if one's not wearing glasses. It's a bummer when one is since the LP elastric stap is rather short relative to the back plate.

Here's an idea for you, Barry , make two slots where the strap is, so one can attach the velcroed elastic straps easily. Removing the strap is not a problem.

pk

[Victor]

Originally Posted by pkt

This is a very rare occurrence; let’s make it impossible.

An admirable attitude. Such safety precautions should be taken at all times to reduce accidents.

Because you never know when crap is gonna happen. Sometimes even during an otherwise 'safe' private lesson....

[pkt]

To paraphrase a bumper sticker:
An epee in your eye can really ruin your day.
A sabre cut to your bare head can really ruin your day.
ad nauseum

PK

[scarlet_woman156k]

Originally Posted by pkt

Can you imagine it happening in epee?
Here's a poke to your eye!
pk

Actually, this DID happen in epee at a tournament I was at the other weekend! As fencer A began to retreat really fast, his mask fell straight off his face as fencer B proceeded to fleche at fencer A at the same moment. I totally yelped in fright. Fencer A had a look of complete fear on his face (because you could now see it plain as day...GOOD LORD!), as fencer B was in full flight. Luckily, fencer B was shorter than fencer A and his point landed on fencer A's torso...thank god. Could you possibly imagine what could have happened? It left everyone stunned for a moment.

[D'Artag-NOT]

Please, God, don't anyone tell my mother about any of this.

[fencingguy]

This happened to me at NCAAs a few years ago. I was fencing epee and pulled distance hard to avoid a touch and my masked popped off. I was so focused on scoring though that I kept right on going, reversing direction and trying to score with a lunge. Luckily my opponent looked scared ****less and was trying to stop his extension at the same time as I was realizing that "hey, it seems a little more breezy in here..."

[Sabresque]

I actually take the elastic band on the back off on purpose, and tape the velcro on the sides together. It always gets hopelessly caught in my hair and likes to try to rip it off my scalp. I've seen it happen w/ a friend's mask at JO's but I've never had issues with this. Now I'm paranoid.

[Peach]

I've never had a mask fall off, and I do the same thing as Sabresque. Having the mask fit well is more important for keeping it on my head.

[epeefencer74]

Ok that's it, I'm checking all of my students' masks at the next training. They'll need to have it fitted properly and have a spare elastic just in case. I can't afford this kind of accidents, their parents will just have my blood.

[DHCJr]

The bands seem to get lost a lot, whether through happenstance or on purpose. A suggestion: Sew one end in place and leave one end free.

This will minimize the loss, minimize the getting caught in the hair, but still allow to be put on more easily.

A second suggestion is to sew both ends. This does stop the catching of the hair, but it does make it harder to take on and off.

[Cerian]

I lost my strap long ago, but my mask fits snugly. Never even come close to coming loose, let alone coming off. If it fits well and you have the tongue there, I don't really see how it could come off.

[DHCJr]

Just to throw this tidbit in.

Last sentence, M.25.7.

[telkanuru]

Typical FIE. Define 'safty strap'. can I sew on a bit of cloth, label it 'safty strap', and be fine? What makes a strap 'safty'? oy.

And I have seen quite a few fencers who have removed the elastic from the mask.

[Tireur]

In all the years I fenced before there was a strap, I never had a mask fall off.

[DHCJr]

Your right, I was a little incomplete in my post.

In answer to your question. Appendix A, Section 2.2, part 4, last 2 sentences.

[sabreur]

Originally Posted by Tireur

In all the years I fenced before there was a strap, I never had a mask fall off.

Me neither, but I like having the strap. A limited number of trials does not ensure that the outcome will always be what you want it to be...

MR

[fence1848]

And sometimes even the strap doesn't help too much. One time I was fencing a foil pool bout and made an attack to the shoulder. I was paried over my opponent's shoulder, but my foil went beneath the mask to the left of my opponent's neck. When I recovered my arm, my foil accidently lifted his mask entirely off and he found himself in a bad situation.

I think that a snug fit on the strap is much more comfortable, anyhow. My foil/epee mask's starp is getting worn and lose, and when someone hits me directly in the mask, it has a tendency to turn the mask on my head, which I do not like. My saber mask, on the other hand, has a snug strap that keeps the mask (which might normally be too big) firmly in place.

[Louweasel]

Originally Posted by D'Artag-NOT

Please, God, don't anyone tell my mother about any of this.

What he said!!!

[kalivor]

Originally Posted by fence1848

And sometimes even the strap doesn't help too much. One time I was fencing a foil pool bout and made an attack to the shoulder. I was paried over my opponent's shoulder, but my foil went beneath the mask to the left of my opponent's neck. When I recovered my arm, my foil accidently lifted his mask entirely off and he found himself in a bad situation.

But this isn't nearly as bad a situation, as it occurred as you withdrew your arm.

My old mask, just before I got rid of it, had a strap that would often come loose. It fell off two or three times ... each time it was either as I finished my lunge, or began my recovery ... in other words, at a time when I was within hitting distance of my opponent, who was (presumably) about to riposte.

My new mask is just fine, though the velcro looks like it's about ready to go ... I'll be replacing it soon, though.

[D'Artag-NOT]

Originally Posted by Louweasel

What he said!!!

"She", actually--the Churchill avatar is just for inspiration. (And, incidentally, I'm 50 years old. It's just that you never want your mother to hear this kind of stuff . . .