What I want in a mask

[Dee EffEll]

Surely somone can improve on the current state of the art in fencing masks. I don't mean the lexan see throughs, I mean an upgrade in the major features.

The current basic design is fine - keep the mesh front and fabric bib -all very useable, but the method of securing the mask to my head/face needs some work. The tang is totally useless, and seems to be mostly a fail-safe security feature. My mask is held in place on my face with the velcro elastic strap pulling the unit onto my face. (An FIE Uhlmann model.)

However, I have a specific feature I need in a mask, mostly because of two reasons: I wear glasses and a reversed baseball cap under my mask. I have to wear glasses, contacts don't work as well for me. This means I have to put my mask on "chin-first," and remove it "chin last." I wear a baseball cap for two reasons, primarily because I sweat a lot, and have to keep it off my glasses. Secondly, I have been flicked in the back of the head more than once, and I like the bill of the cap as protection for the back of my head. (Although since I stopped fencing foil in favor of epee, this has been less of an issue.)

I noted with interest the new Leon Paul masks with the hockey goalie type rear strap, but the placement of the strap (from near the ear lobes) prohibits the wearing of my hat. I could probably go with a hat without a bill, but I would prefer a securing mechanism that swings down a back piece that latches (with some adjusting) in place. Replace the tang with such a device, and you'll have a big seller. I see lots of people (especially us veterans) struggling with glasses, and the tang is more of a hinderence (although I know the rules require a device like this.)

Might be nice if such a device was made that could be retrofitted into an existing mask. I'd drill out my tang and replace it with such a thing, if someone was to manufacture them.

[Gav]

When you say 'tang' do you mean the retaining bar at the back of the mask? In fact, according to the rules, the only feature that is necesssary (with regard to keeping the mask on your head is the elastic strap. I took the cup of the back of my LP mask (new type) and it fits just fine.

[Inquartata]

Why don't you just wear a sweatband instead of a hat, and hang a drape of some sort over the back of the mask itself? I have an old 3-weapon mask I use for rapier fencing, covered the whole back by attaching mail to it like an aventail. Of course, that makes it even MORE difficult to get on, not less...but a less, er, inflexible drape would probably work.