US equipment regulations

[epeewannabe]

Hi,

I currently fence in the UK, and a girl in our club is looking at buying her first pieces of kit. The thing is that she may well be studying in the US next year and therefore needs to make sure that anything she buys now will be useable when she goes abroad.

Our equipment regulations for standard (non-FIE) opens from Jan 2006 will be
Jacket - 350N min
Underplastron - 800N min
Breeches - 350N min
Mask - 350N min bib

Are any of these different from the regulations in the US? I've tried looking on the web, but seem to get conflicting advice.

Thanks

[keropie]

Honestly they're all above US requirements which consist of (in terms of strength): the mask has to pass a 12kg punch test on the mesh. The end. There are size requirements (10cm overlap of knickers and jacket, jacket to wristbone on sleaves, etc.), and breast protection (solid, not underplastron) is required too (either 'hubcaps' or the full chest shield).

[telkanuru]

The materiel must be "sufficiently robust" or some such nonsense that amounts to no regulation at all.

[Purple Fencer]

Hi,

I currently fence in the UK, and a girl in our club is looking at buying her first pieces of kit. The thing is that she may well be studying in the US next year and therefore needs to make sure that anything she buys now will be useable when she goes abroad.

Our equipment regulations for standard (non-FIE) opens from Jan 2006 will be
Jacket - 350N min
Underplastron - 800N min
Breeches - 350N min
Mask - 350N min bib

Are any of these different from the regulations in the US? I've tried looking on the web, but seem to get conflicting advice.

Thanks

She's fine with that level gear. if she buys from one of the major Euro makers (Uhlmann, Allstar, Leon Paul) she'll get good stuff.

If you want a rundown on US tourneys, go to the prep package listed in my signature block (the one that says "Choose yer weapon, laddie")

Where in the US will she be studying??

[KD5MDK]

Honestly they're all above US requirements which consist of (in terms of strength): the mask has to pass a 12kg punch test on the mesh. The end. There are size requirements (10cm overlap of knickers and jacket, jacket to wristbone on sleaves, etc.), and breast protection (solid, not underplastron) is required too (either 'hubcaps' or the full chest shield).

Breast protection AND underplastron. Must be both.

[keropie]

Breast protection AND underplastron. Must be both.

Sorry, didn't mean to imply that the breast protection took the place of the underplastron, merely that an underplastron wasn't the breast protection I was speaking of. Though I see how my post was ambiguous. Clearly, both are required.

[epeewannabe]

Thanks everyone - I'll pass it on to her. As to where she'll be studying I have no idea - I doubt they've even arranged placements yet, as they wont be going until Sep next year!

[DHCJr]

I don't have access to e-mail, except on Weekends, so I am answering this a little late. Technically, you would need a new mask. The minimum bib requirement in the US is 700 Newtons. See the Note at the end of M.25 in the USFA rule book which is on-line.

Now considering most bibs I see have no Newton designation and I have never seen this rule enforced. This is one I am going to check about.

[Purple Fencer]

I don't have access to e-mail, except on Weekends, so I am answering this a little late. Technically, you would need a new mask. The minimum bib requirement in the US is 700 Newtons. See the Note at the end of M.25 in the USFA rule book which is on-line.

Now considering most bibs I see have no Newton designation and I have never seen this rule enforced. This is one I am going to check about.

Ahhh....I hadn't seen the new rulebook....that note is not in the 2004 edition.

Thanks, Donald.

[DHCJr]

I have more information on that Note: First of all it is a typo. It is supposed to match the CE-2 requirements. So the mask she has will be no problem. Whether even the 350 requirement will be enforced is unlikely.

[KD5MDK]

That's interesting. Among other things, I thought the CE-1 requirement was 350N, and the CE-2 requirement was 800N (and 1600 for masks). However, I've never actually seen them. In any event, when these decisions are made (by who?), they need to be publicised, not buried in the rulebook for people to read for insomnia.

[DHCJr]

Typing to fast. You are right. CE-1 is for 'Local' levels for Common Europe. CE-2 is FIE level.