Fencing.Net - Your Guide to Fencing & Fencing Equipment

Dalrathki · 09-05-2002, 12:58 PM

Currently my fencers are working on a concrete floor, this is very hard on the knees as well as slipery, does anyone know where and what i can get to put down on the floor to use as a piste that is not overly expensive?

HilandDoug · 09-05-2002, 03:11 PM

Have you thought about getting those really long rubber matts that are used as commercial rugs in convenience stores? Many years ago at school, we used to put them under the steel screen pistes as cushion, and they worked pretty well. Afterwards, we'd just roll up the matts and put them away. Your local janitorial supply could direct you to a supplier, or perhaps acquire some used ones for a cheap price from one of their clients.

Purple Fencer · 09-05-2002, 03:59 PM

Yeah, we use those mats both at SwordPlay and at SoCal Division events. If I can find the email address for Fr. Lawrence Calhoun I'll send it to you and you can ask him about it. he was the one who bought them.

Dalrathki · 09-05-2002, 04:22 PM

thanks i needed some good options if you find that email thats great. i will start looking around for those janitorial mats online and around my town!!

Gav · 09-05-2002, 06:34 PM

We have to work out on a concrete floor. I've been attending my current club for about 4 years now and I am beginning to worry about my knees. I've not had any problems - yet however I am concered about the long term affects.

On the subject of Piste material. We use rubber mats, indoor bowling greens in fact. They make a huge difference. The concrete floor is slippy and hard (obviously) but the mats gice you grip and you can really feel the cushioning. We need new mats which we are currently awaiting delivery of, this time we are getting them from a convetor belt manufacturer (courtesy of the local Allstar guys I believe).

neevel · 09-06-2002, 01:56 AM

Another route would be to check with carpet stores to see if they have any remnants of low-pile or outdoor carpeting that could be used.

Assuming you've got a permanent place to set up, remember to lay down some rug-grip padding below whatever matting/carpeting you get, and tape the sides down securely (as you'd tape a copper strip down).

The ideal would be the big, thick rubber fencing mats that were often used prior to conductive pistes. Allstar still lists rubber pistes in their printed catalog, but at 475 Euros.

-Dave

edew · 09-06-2002, 02:39 AM

Ouch! I can just feel the concrete, sitting here typing away...

Gav · 09-06-2002, 03:02 AM

Apparently the Allstar rubber mats aren't full sized - at least that's what they tell us. We are currently awaiting delivery of full sized ones and we'll be testing them out. Neevel makes a good pont about using removable pistes - make sure you tape them down - when we run out of tape we don't, and it can make fencing at the end of the piste a bit hair raising.

135711 · 09-07-2002, 10:52 PM

is the salle your building? if so, why not start replacing the floor with wood? it costs a lot, but it'll be worth it in the long run

Dalrathki · 09-07-2002, 10:55 PM

i currently coach and work at a school, so i have only a very small budget to work with. if i had the money i would love to install wood floors but at present that is not an option. i looked into industrial commercial carpeting and i think that it will work for the time being!

135711 · 09-07-2002, 11:21 PM

any school that can afford to hire a fencing coach can consider putting in a wooden floor for you. ask the board of directors to consider a move to a gymnasium.

counter riposte · 09-09-2002, 01:02 PM

If you work at a school, a wooden basketball court will do just fine if you have an indoor gym. Just use the post lines on the court for your enguard lines.

135711 · 09-10-2002, 08:01 PM

i used to fence on a tennis court with someone, we also fenced on a bandstand, a lawn and a demonstration plank about 3 feet from the ground that we almost fell off of, but the show went on.

KShan5[PrFC] · 09-18-2002, 06:51 PM

My club is made up of kids from my school, but is still a USFA club, not a school club. But we still fence at school. And we hav practiced many different places.

* Basketball court
* Tennis court
* Parking lot
* The cafetaria
* Hallways

and a few more. All of these places work fine. Pick one

counter riposte · 09-23-2002, 08:24 PM

I heard of a campus once that had a fencing program (I don't know where), but the administration refused to put it in the gym where it belonged. The coach then decided to fence in the hallways instead, where capricious bystanding students occasionally cross.

The fencing team was moved to the gym immediately.