Colored lames legal

[hpfencing]

I have heard that colored lames are legal and that they are not! I cannot find anywhere in teh rule book where it adresses the lame color.

Thoughts?

[kalivor]

The 2003 FIE Congress apparently made the following change which never made it into the rulebook (much like the max 1 cm bend in foil blades):

"Fencers’ clothing may be of different colours, apart from black."

The current USFA rules are as follows:

"Fencers’ clothing may be of different colors, but on the body it must be a single color, white or a light shade.

Note: At USFA local, divisional, and sectional competitions, there are no restrictions on colors or decorations on uniforms, providing that the uniforms still comply with all other requirements."

[KD5MDK]

I believe the color change was made at the 2005 Congress; at least, it was reported at the time as having been passed then. Perhaps it was repassed in an attempt to change the rulebook?

[hpfencing]

SO at local levels a black lame with red on the back is legal.

Physical chess is selling them and I want to make sure before I allow any of my fencers to buy them!

[brtech]

SO at local levels a black lame with red on the back is legal.

Physical chess is selling them and I want to make sure before I allow any of my fencers to buy them!

It's really up to the division or section what rules they have. In our division, we usually enforce the then-current USFA rules. We sometimes have a longer grace period. The thinking is that we are preparing our fencers for higher level competitions, and we want them to be prepared to fence in NACs and above. We don't want to create a situation where a fencer gets to a NAC, gets some equipment flunked and is left with only "but they let me fence with it in Division" as an excuse.

[kalivor]

I believe the color change was made at the 2005 Congress; at least, it was reported at the time as having been passed then. Perhaps it was repassed in an attempt to change the rulebook?

You're right. The heading (in red) for the rule change preceding this on the British Fencing list is for the 1 cm bend at foil, which was a 2003 change. I mistakenly thought that it was the heading for an entire section.

Regardless, "anything but black" is the current FIE rule. I'd be a bit cautious about a lame that's black on the front -- the USFA could easily decide to adopt the new FIE standard, making such a lame illegal.

[DHCJr]

I would also worry that the rule may change again on the FIE level. Suppose someone wore a dark blue lame' or jacket like Leon Paul is selling. The last name and country must be on the back in dark blue.

Dark blue lettering on dark blue material, an interesting concept.

Think also about a abstract design on the front of the jacket. There is a restriction on the mask and there USED to be the rule of single color, but this new replaced it.

[Frank Pratt]

blue lettering on dark blue material, an interesting concept.

I saw a few of these at a big tournament this past weekend. The stenciling looked new, but it was very hard to read. I wonder how it will look after a few years of fading. If they are going to allow colored lames, they need to provide another choice of color for the name/country (white?)

[cmedalis]

I too saw a Blade blue lame with blue letters stenciled on the back.
You could read it, if you were no more than 3 feet from the fencer.... :-/
The poor girl probably had paid for the stencil work when she ordered the lame, but had brand new stenciling on her leg too.
I hope they make an addendum to allow white or metallic a valid colour for names on dark lames.

Personally, I like the light coloured lame, since it blends into the whites and makes the edges hard to see