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[edit] Uniform
Masks are of wire-mesh construction, intended to protect the front and sides of the face, not the back of the head. They generally have two retention mechanisms: a stiff "tongue" out of the back which can be bent to the wearer's preference, and an elastic strap located just below the tongue.
[edit] Jacket
[edit] Plastron (Underarm protector)
[edit] Knickers (Breeches)
[edit] Socks and Shoes
There are a variety of popular shoes on the market for competitive fencers. While many athletes like fencing specific shoes, shoes that are not specific for fencing are rising in popularity.
Fencing Specific:
- Adidas D'Artagnan II
- Adidas Adistar
- Adidas En Garde
- Leon Paul Hi-Tec
- Leon Paul Scimitar
- Viktoria Competition High/Low
- PBT Fortuna
- PBT Fortuna Plus
- PBT Silverstar
- Li-Ning
Not Fencing Specific:
- Adidas Feather
- Adidas Stabil (5, 6, and 7)
- Asics Gel Beyond
Older fencing shoes that are still popular:
- Adidas Equipment (Asymmetrical)
- Adidas D'Artagnan
[edit] Electronic Equipment
Modern fencing relies an electronic scoring system to determine when one scores a hit and whether the touch in on or off target. This necessitates a number of other items on the part of the fencer.
The lame is a garment worn over the jacket that covers the valid target area in foil or saber (épée does not require a lame since everything is considered valid target). Foil lames need only cover the torso and as such are sleeveless. The arms are valid target for saber so saber lames have sleeves. Saber lames also have a small tab near the collar where the head cord can connect.
Lames are made of special fabrics that contain metallic fibers, such as copper, nickle or stainless steel, or of special conductive fibers. A "waterproof" liner on the inside (usually nylon although some early lames actually used plastic) helps to minimize the risk of electrical shorts between the lame and a sweat-saturated jacket.
The maximum resistance allowed between any two points on the outer surface of a lame is 5 ohms.
[edit] Body Cord
The body cord serves to connect the reel (and the scoring machine) to the individual fencer's weapon. and/or lame. One end will plug into the three-pronged socket of the reel, the cable will then run underneath the fencer's jacket up their back and down their sleeve before exiting through a hole near the wrist of the glove where the other end will connect with the weapon.
Each body cord actually has three wires that are electrically insulated from one another, with specialized plugs at each end. The end that plugs into the reel will have a three-prong plug, the general dimensions of which are dictated by the rules in order to ensure compatibility between body cords and reels produced by different manufacturers. The middle pin is connected what is commonly referred to as the "B" line and will connect to wire running to the tip of a foil, or one of the two wires running to the tip in epee. The pin closest to the middle is commonly referred to as the "A" line and will connect to the foil or saber lame or the other wire running to the tip in epee. The pin furthest from the middle is commonly referred to as the "C" line, and will connect to the grounded portion of the weapon.
The end that plugs into the weapon can vary so long as is allows the scoring machine to operate properly and is securely connected. Épées generally use the same three-prong plug at each end, with the "A" and "B" lines connecting to the two wires and the "C" line connecting to the weapon via the metal bracket holding the socket inside the guard. Most foil and saber body cords use either two-prong or bayonet (twist-and-lock) plugs at the weapon end. The "B" line will generally connect to the smaller of the two pins of a two-prong plug or the center of a bayonet plug, whichever is connected to the wire running to the tip. The "C" line will connect to the larger of the two pins or the outside of the bayonet plug, where it can connect to the weapon via the uninsulated metal bracket. For foil and saber the "A" line will end in a clip that will be connected to the fencer's lame.
The plugs are supposed to be securely fastened at each end, although the retaining device may be mounted on either the plug or socket. Typically some form of retaining strap or bail will be incorporated into the fencer end socket of the reel. The weapon end may be secured with an integral clip in the body cord that fits around the socket, or by a strap, plastic clip or metal bail mounted on the socket that holds the plug securely in place. Bayonet plugs typically lock into specific sockets that are matched to plug, holding them securely.
The maximum resistance allowed in a single wire from end to end is 1 ohm.
[edit] Head Cord
The head cord serves to electically connect the mask to the lame in saber.
It generally consist of a single length of wire with a clip on each end. One end will clip to either the metal frame of the mask or the lame of the bid. The other end will clip to a special tab near the neck of the saber lame.
The maximum resistance allowed from one end of the head cord to the other is 1 ohm.
[edit] Overglove
The saber overglove fits over the glove and lame sleeve. It is made of a conductive fabric, similar to the lame, and helps to ensure that valid target area is covered with conductive material down to the wrist.
Originally the overgloves were developed as an inexpensive, easily replacable alternative to an specialized saber glove. Over the years the saber target area has slowly retreated, first from the fingers and palm, then from the back of the hand so that now it starts at the wrist. This has reduced the number of problems to a point where specialized electic-saber gloves with a conductive cuff that serves the same purpose as the overglove have become more practical.
The maximum resistance allowed between two points on a saber glove or overglove is 5 ohms.
Foil was the second of the three weapons to switch to electric scoring, owing to the difficulty in distinguishing between valid and invalid touches. The electric foil has a special electric point at the end that acts as a switch, indicating that a touch as landed. The scoring machine must then determine whether or not the touch was valid. In addition to the electric point, and electric foil also has a socket located inside the guard for the body cord. The socket will generally have two connections, one for the wire that runs out to the electric point and another that is shorted to the guard.
Épée was the first of the three weapons to use electric scoring. An electric épée has a special electric point at the end that acts as a switch, indicating that a touch as landed. Since there is no "off-target" in épée there is little need to determine between valid and invalid touches - every touch is considered valid unless the referee has reason to believe otherwise. In addition to the electric point, an electric epee also has a socket located inside the guard for the body cord. This socket will generally have three connections, one for the each of the two wires that runs out to from the electric point and a third that is shorted to the guard.
Saber was the last of three weapon to switch to electric scoring, largely due to the difficulty associated with determining whether or not a touch was valid when landed with either the point or the edge of the blade. The electric saber is almost identical to the standard (non-electric) saber. Since there is no electric point the same blade can be used for both. Electric sabers have a socket for the body cord but since there is no electric point there is no need for a wire - in fact the two contacts are shorted together. The only other differences between an electric saber and non-electric are that the guard of the electric saber guard must be insulated on the inside (usually with paint) along with the pommel and the last 7-8 cm of the guard. This is done to minimize the possibility of a fencer's saber from shorting to their lame.
In the early days of electic saber (1988 until about 1996) electric sabers has a second socket inside the guard for a motion sensor known as the "captuer" that was intended to ensure that touches landed with a certain amount of force before being considered valid. This system proved unreliable and the captuer was eventually abandoned in favor of simply detecting contact between the blade the target area.
[edit] Piste Equipment
[edit] Scoring Machine (Box)
An electronic scoring machine (often simply referred to as "the box") is used to determine the validity of touches in electric fencing.
Electric scoring machines were first used for epee in the 1936 Olympics, followed by foil in 1956 and saber in 1988.
Appearances may vary, but just about every scoring machine has a green light and a red light for valid touches, two white lights for invalid touches, a buzzer or other audible signal to indicate when touches are scored, a weapons selector switch and some form of “on-off” switch. Most scoring machines also have yellow lights to indicate shorts between a weapon and lame or ground. Some also have integral timers, which block any touches from registering after time expires, and an integral scoreboard. Some machines also connect to extension lights which are slaved to the box, making it easier for both referees and spectators to see both white and colored lights.
Reels come in many different shapes and sizes, however they all serve the same basic function – they provide an alectrical connection between the stationary scoring machine and the moving fencer.
Reels contain a cable which pays out as the fencer pulls at one end of the cable, then pulls the excess cable back in as the fencer retreats. The cable contains three individual wires which provide connections between the scoring machine and the fencers' weapons and lames (in the case of foil and saber). The basic design of the plug at the end of the cable is specified in the FIE rules, ensuring that every fencer can use every reel.
Some reels wrap the excess cable around a rotating drum, while others use a rotating arm to wrap the cable around a stationary drum. Most reels contain a spring (or set of springs) that serve to pull the cable back into the reel.
Reels that use rotating drums may use the spring(s) as a connection between the cable on the rotating drum and a stationary socket somewhere on the reel, or a system of slip rings and brushed, or some other form of contacts. Reels using stationary drums often simply connect the wire to the socket at each end. The primary concern is that the electrical connection be continuous with a maximum resistance from one end to the other of 3 ohms.
[edit] Floor Cords
Floor cables (or cords) connect the reels to the scoring machine. Floor cables are essentially very long epee body cords, consisting of long lengths of three-conductor cable, typically with a three-prong plug at each end.
The strip (or piste) is the field of play. Per FIE rules it shall be rectangular in shape, 14 meters long and between 1.5 and 2 meters wide. The strip shall be marked with a centerline running across the width of the strip at mid-length (7 meters from either end) and two on-guard lines running across the width of the strip 2 meters to either side of the centerline (5 meters from each end). The last two meters at either end of the strip shall to be clearly distinguished, preferably being a different color from the rest of the strip. A run-off area shall be provided beyond each end of the strip to allow fencers to room to retreat. The run-off shall be between 1.5 and 2 meters in length. The scoring machine will be located to one side of the strip, at mid-length and at least 1 meter from the side of the strip. For foil and epee the surface of the strip shall be conductive and connected to scoring machine in order to prevent touches on the strip from registering.
It should be noted that many strips used in local-level competitions do not entirely satify these rules. Often space constraints lead to use of strips narrower than 1.5 meters in width and scoring machines being located within 1 meter of the side of the strip. Ungrounded strips are also common, often marked simply with lines painted or taped to the floor. When fencing on ungrounded strips it is up to the referee, sometimes aided by floor judges, to determine whether a touch was valid or the point hit the floor.
[edit] Equipment Vendors
Armory
