What do you need to know to be an armorer

[Manethrin]

I enjoy working with people and I enjoy working with the equipment, I have already shown myself as having the ability to fathom out how things work and fix them at any rate. I would like to know what else it takes to be an armorer

[DangerMouse]

A passion for insanity

[CvilleFencer]

A huge tolerance for abuse, and either an offensive smell (clouds of pipe tobacco smoke for example) or be really large or mean looking so that you do not have to spend to much time listening to knuckleheads tell you how their coach was the 1914 champion from whereeveristan and he assured him that his X would pass. Being legally deaf is a benefit (as opposed to being legaly blind, which is a benefit for a ROW ref). It also helps to know how fencing exuipment works also.

Seriously, travel to a couple of NACs or very large tourneys, volunteer you services to the armourers as a runner or helper and LISTEN. Don't try to impress them with what you already know or offer you great idea you just had as to how to do our job better. Listen, learn, figure out why we do things how we do, and keep a little pad handy and wright down your questions for when we say something like "what the h3ll do you want now?!" instead of interupting them with silly questions every 3 seconds. At least that would be the advice for working with me...

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Start fixing stuff. Get some broken fencing gear, and make it work again. Read the rule book alot. Learn it. Live it. Buy an ohmeter, and learn how to use it. Ask every armorer you meet for tips, keep your ears open, and your mouth shut.

[Manethrin]

I think I have the passion for insanity covered. As to the pipe tobacco I have always had an afinity for cherry tobacco

[oiuyt]

Start fixing stuff. Get some broken fencing gear, and make it work again.

Meh, if you can't find broken equipment start fixing working equipment. You'll have broken equipment soon enough. :)

Fixing everything you can get your hands on is a good start. Try to additionally do as much armoring near/with someone who really knows what s/he is doing. Hang with the armorers at big meets/NACs. If you REALLY want to learn a ton attend Armorer's College at the Olympic Training Center some summer. Then do more armoring. And more. Figure out how everything works. Figure out what all the common problems are and how to fix them. Keep going until you find most of the uncommon problems and how to fix them. Continue for another several decades to find most of the rare problems.

-B :)

[EricS]

In the words of armorer extraordinaire, Dan DeChaine, "Armoring is all about how many tricks you know."

And the best way to pick up tricks is to help alongside the armorers at NACs or Nationals. They'll appreciate it (as long as you stay out of the way when necessary.)

[Purple Fencer]

In the words of armorer extraordinaire, Dan DeChaine, "Armoring is all about how many tricks you know."

And no one...NO ONE....knows more tricks of the trade than Dan!

And the best way to pick up tricks is to help alongside the armorers at NACs or Nationals. They'll appreciate it (as long as you stay out of the way when necessary.)

Just bring a good supply of exotic beers and most armorers will be your friend!!!

[neevel]

In the words of armorer extraordinaire, Dan DeChaine, "Armoring is all about how many tricks you know."

And the best way to pick up tricks is to help alongside the armorers at NACs or Nationals. They'll appreciate it (as long as you stay out of the way when necessary.)

To clarify, "when necessary" typically means the first hour of the morning (first couple of hours if it's the first day of a NAC, first 4 hours if it's first day of summer nationals), and the hour before the listed start times of the later events in the day. By early afternoon, when all the events for the day are out, we've usually got plenty of time on our hands. With the copper strips now history save for summer nats, we're usually ready to head for the bar & dinner as soon as fencing ends.

-Dave

[kalivor]

Continue to figure out how things work, and how to fix them. The advice above will help.

What's not mentioned above is that you also have to know the rules ... at least those that pertain to the equipment being used.