Equipment & safety

Safe equipment

The club's safety policy requires everyone fencing in the club (even with size 3 blades) to wear:

a mask of CEN level 1 (350N) or higher, with backstrap
a jacket of CEN1 (350N) or higher
a plastron of CEN2 (800N)

In addition fencing breeches of at least CEN1 (350N) are required for electric foil and any sabre or épée fencing, and are strongly recommended even for non-electric foil. All equipment must be in sound condition.

For further information see the British Fencing safety guidelines.

Safe pistes

It is important to maintain a safe distance between fencers and non-fencers and between adjacent pairs of fencers.

Please do not stand at the end of a piste when you are not fencing. When going to or from a piste please be very careful about crossing the ends of other, active pistes: if necessary wait for a break in the fencing.

More generally it is of course important to fence and behave in a safe and sensible manner.

Fencers must carry weapons carefully, without raising the point towards anyone who is not wearing a mask, and should avoid standing or walking behind, or standing too close alongside, those who are fencing.

Club and personal equipment

The club has a good stock of non-electric and electric equipment; please take care of it and return it to its proper place after use. The non-electric kit is intended primarily for beginners, and also to allow recent beginners and new members to buy their own set of kit gradually in the course of their first year in the club rather than all at once.

Equipment suppliers
Fencing equipment cannot be bought in sports shops in Oxford and is normally obtained by mail order. Many suppliers have informative websites, and may give helpful advice by telephone; some have showroom-shops that can be visited in person. Links are given here to a dozen or so currently active websites (you may be able to suggest other links that could usefully be added).

2020 Alpha	Blades Brand UK	Leon Paul	Negrini
Allstar Uhlmann UK	Duellist	Millers Musketeers	PBT UK
Athos	Jiang UK		Sword Price Fighters

Our club and its members have bought equipment from some but by no means all of these suppliers. If you are buying fencing kit for the first time you will find that other members of the club and the club coach will be pleased to offer advice about deciding what to buy. Guidance is also available on the BFA buying equipment page.

Oxford Fencing Club