Visor Saber Masks

[Capt. Slo-mo]

Saw via e-mail from the USFA that the Lexan visor saber masks will be mandatory for the Cadet, Junior and Senior World Championships this season.

I've seen PBT and Leon Paul advertise them...any other fine purveyors of fencing paraphernalia offering them as well?

[prototoast]

Saw via e-mail from the USFA that the Lexan visor saber masks will be mandatory for the Cadet, Junior and Senior World Championships this season.

I've seen PBT and Leon Paul advertise them...any other fine purveyors of fencing paraphernalia offering them as well?

It looked like during the olympics, Negrini had one.

[DHCJr]

Below is a list of FIE visor mask as of last year that was listed in Escrime, 45. One note, the dates are important. Many manufacturers lost their FIE certifications, so any masks before the dates are not FIE.

Allstar(1999), Carmimari(1999), Eurofencing Italia(1999), Gajardoni, model 1(1999), Gajardoni, model 2(2003), Gliska Escrime (1999), ICL Technical Plastic(1999), Leon Paul(1999), Negrini(1999), PBT Hungary KFT(1999), Prieur(1999), Uhlmann(1999), Zivkovic model 1(1995), Zivkovic model 2(1998).

[S. Hunter]

What is it with the ****ing FIE and these ****ing masks. I'm really sick of the FIE trying to make fencing more TV friendly and just screwing with things in general - I would HATE to wear one of those lexax masks, especially by the description that they have a blind spot. Can't they just leave things the way they are - I LIKE mesh masks, the visibility is almost perfect. Sheesh.

[Inquartata]

Agreed on all counts!

[Event Horizon]

Same here, couldn't agree more. In fact, has it at all made any changes in amount of tv coverage? Maybe we'll have to wait and see, but I doubt it.

[Saber-Psycho]

What is it with the ****ing FIE and these ****ing masks. I'm really sick of the FIE trying to make fencing more TV friendly and just screwing with things in general - I would HATE to wear one of those lexax masks, especially by the description that they have a blind spot. Can't they just leave things the way they are - I LIKE mesh masks, the visibility is almost perfect. Sheesh.

Come on. Tell us how you really feel........

[FencingWench]

I tend to agree. And as we saw even during the Olympics, when fencers are really aggravated, the first thing they do is pop their masks anyway. So if fencer is getting really emotional, you'll know it! Not that I've ever popped my mask while directing a question to a ref...

[DHCJr]

A question was asked a while ago about the maximu size of the visor and I forgot to reply. The information came from the FIE Informational letter 7-04.

The maximum height is 12 cm and the maximum width is to the edge of the trellis, which is the band between the front and the side mesh.

[wbowman]

How do they get the visor to be conductive? (Does Lexan conduct electricity?) Or did they change the target area to exclude the front of the mask?

[DHCJr]

It is not conductive. Isn't it interesting, that with the smaller target area, that the FIE had to bribe fencers. (there was a $1,000 prize for any top 8 who wore a Visor mask through the whole competition at each World Cup or Worlds) and when that didn't work, they changed the rules that during the round of 16 they were required to wear a visor mask.

For a smaller target area and money and they still fought not to wear the visor mask! I wonder WHY!