Gear & Buying Guide

Our club has a stock of loaner gear on hand for new members to use as needed, but club members should make an effort to acquire their own equipment.

We at Masterless Fencing have a good collection of experience with various HEMA brands and vendors. We have included on this page lists of our recommended equipment and vendors, as well as guidance on the expected level of protection needed in order to participate in the hobby.

Gear that does not appear on the recommended lists may be allowed pending the approval of a club officer or appointed club member. If you have any questions about gear, please bring them to a Masterless Fencing officer.

For practicing with boffer swords, all fencers are expected to be equipped with, at a minimum:

  • An approved three-weapon fencing mask in good working condition

  • Light padded gloves

  • An approved gorget (throat protector)

  • Athletic footwear (we recommend any cross-training shoe, something with lateral movement in mind and a zero-drop heel is preferred)

  • Groin protection

For practicing with steel weapons, fencers must be equipped with:

  • An approved three-weapon fencing mask in good working condition

  • A mask cover or back-of-head protection

  • Heavy HEMA gloves

  • An approved gorget (worn under a jacket collar if possible)

  • Athletic footwear

  • A fencing jacket or sparring-safe jacket comparable to the standard 350 Newton rating for puncture resistance

  • Hard elbow protection

  • Knee and shin protection

  • Groin protection

Additional Recommended Items:

  • Chest protector / “plastron”

  • Forearm protection

  • Newton-rated pants or knickers

  • Newton-rated HEMA jacket

A Brief Intro on Recommended Gear

HEMA gear is a continuously evolving topic. This section is meant to provide club recommendations for high-cost items and is not an exhaustive or complete list of items used in our club or in the wider HEMA community. Talk to club members for gear advice and vendors not covered here.

Wait Times: HEMA has surged in popularity in recent years, which means that in most cases, demand has outstripped supply for HEMA gear manufacturers. Wait times for certain pieces of gear, in particular swords and gloves, of between three months and a year are not uncommon. We highly recommend you talk to other fencers before purchasing either of these items. Also please note that our fencers currently own and use examples of most gear currently on the market, and would happily let you try it out. Try before you buy!

Buying Tip: Look at your local second hand sports stores to help fill in your kit for a lower price point than most other purchasing options. This is especially helpful for finding elbow and shin/knee protection.

Note for AFAB (Assigned Female At Birth) fencers: Unless specifically noted, most HEMA gear tends to be cut to AMAB (Assigned Male At Birth) body proportions. Keep this in mind while shopping for gear — particularly jackets, pants, and chest protectors — as the cut and fit of some gear may not be what you expect. Our AFAB members have valuable experience with this and can provide advice on finding the right fit.

U.S. Distributors of Swords and Protective Gear:

Longsword / Feder:

For new fencers and first-time sword buyers, we recommend the following manufacturers and models, based on the factors of safety, durability, and affordability.

Sigi Forge

The following models in either shorty or standard length are recommended:

Regenyei Armory

Regenyei makes many different types of swords; only feders with Light or Medium flex are recommended; any blade with Strong flex is not allowed. We specifically recommend the following models:

A Note on Nylons/Synthetics/Plastic Swords

we generally do not recommend purchasing or fencing with plastic swords. Although they typically cost less than steel and are readily available, we have found that they are not particularly accurate representations of the weapons they resemble, they are usually either too floppy to fence well with, or too stiff to be safe for thrusting, and do not hold up particularly well to prolonged use under pressure.

Arming Swords / Messers:

Our club recommends the following blades:

Masks:

We have a stock of AF Fencing Masks available as loaners and for purchase. Otherwise we recommend the following masks:

Recommended Back-of-Head protection (mask accessory required for sparring):

Heavy HEMA Gloves:

HEMA Jacket and Clothing Manufacturers:

Other jacket manufacturers: