Buying your own gear is the biggest expense in fencing, and it’s easy to get wrong. This page explains what to buy, when to buy it, and how we help.

Always talk to a coach before you order anything. We’ll tell you what suits you, check sizing, and make sure you don’t buy something you’ll regret.

Our Equipment Offer

After three months in our Beginner class, we’ll take 50% off your next three months of membership if you let us help you buy a starter kit.

Here’s how it works: a coach sizes you up and works out exactly what you need, the club places the order with Absolute Fencing, and you pay the club. You get gear that fits and is correct for our club, without having to decipher a catalog on your own — and three months of half-price membership for taking the step.

If the cost of equipment would stop you from fencing, please talk to a coach in confidence. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit we offer scholarships and a sliding scale, and we would much rather help than lose you.

When Should I Buy My Own Gear?

Not during your Intro class. Fencing may not turn out to be your thing, and your weapon can still change while you’re finding your feet. Use our gear until you know you’re sticking with it.

Once you’ve settled into the Beginner class and know you’re sticking with it, start thinking about your own kit — particularly if you want to join open fencing or attend tournaments. That timing also lines up with our equipment offer above.

What Gear Does the Club Provide?

Everything you need for class. Mask, jacket, glove, weapon — all of it, for Intro and for the Beginner class. You do not need to buy anything to take a class with us.

Open fencing is different. It’s fenced with electric scoring equipment, and we have only a limited amount to lend. A fencer who is actively working toward their own kit can borrow while they build it, but we can’t lend a full electric set indefinitely — there isn’t enough to go around. Please talk to a coach about where you are and what you still need.

Why Buy Your Own?

It’s required for tournaments, camps, and visiting other clubs.
It fits you properly, which matters more than people expect.
You’re the only one who has ever sweated in it, and you can wash it when you want it washed.
You can practice at home — point control drills only need a weapon and a wall target.

Where Do I Buy It?

Online — there are no fencing stores in North Carolina or any neighboring state.

We recommend Absolute Fencing Gear. They’re our club supplier, they have good prices on their house brands, they also carry higher-end equipment as you progress, and because we order through them regularly we know their sizing and can help you get it right.

Order with the club and you’ll pay less. We place group orders on behalf of our members, which splits the shipping across everyone and earns a small discount off sticker prices. Fencing gear is heavy, so the shipping saving alone is worth waiting for the next order. Ask a coach when one is going in — this is open to any member, whether or not you’re taking up our equipment offer.

We’d steer you away from Amazon, eBay and Craigslist, at least to start. Once you’ve owned fencing gear it’s easier to spot a good deal; before that you can’t tell what’s a bargain and what’s junk. Ordering direct also gets you better customer service and help with sizing, returns and exchanges.

What Will It Cost?

It’s generally cheaper to buy a complete “starter set” than to assemble the same equipment piece by piece. As a rough guide, a full electric starter set from Absolute runs roughly $440 to $600 for epee and roughly $550 to $760 for foil, depending on the set and sizes. A non-electric practice set costs considerably less, roughly $190 to $340 depending on the set and sizes.

Prices change — treat these as a ballpark for planning, not a quote. A coach will give you current numbers before you order.

If a full electric kit is out of reach right now

A non-electric practice set is a perfectly good stepping stone. It covers the expensive basics you’ll keep using either way — mask, jacket, glove, underarm protector and a practice weapon — at roughly half the cost of going straight to electric.

With a practice set you can take classes in your own gear that actually fits you, and you own the pieces that don’t change when you go electric later. You can then add the electric items one at a time — an electric weapon, body cord, lamé, and a foil mask with a conductive bib if you fence foil — rather than facing the whole cost at once.

The one thing to know: a practice set alone won’t get you into open fencing or a tournament, since both need electric scoring equipment. If you can stretch to an electric set now, it’s the more economical path overall. If you can’t, start here — and talk to a coach, because between our group orders, the Beginner class equipment offer, and our sliding scale and scholarships, there’s usually a way to make it work.

Our advice: start with inexpensive gear and upgrade one piece at a time, as you learn what you wear out, grow out of, or want more performance from. You don’t have to buy everything at once.

What Exactly Do I Need?

To fence comfortably at open fencing

Two electric foils or epees. If you buy only one it will break and you’ll be borrowing until you learn to fix it. Your first foil should have a pistol grip — most fencers get on well with a Visconti, but try a few at practice first. Do not buy a French grip. Get a two-prong socket, which is what the rest of the club uses. We recommend German points rather than French. Your first epee should also have a pistol grip unless you’re certain you want something else and have fenced with it.
One body cord (foil or epee; two-prong for foil).
Lamé (foil only).
Mask. A foil mask has a conductive bib; an epee mask doesn’t.
Head cord (foil only).
Glove. It needs to cover the lower half of your forearm.
Jacket.
Underarm protector (plastron), and a chest protector where required — see below.
Fencing bag. Strongly recommended for keeping track of all of the above.

That list is roughly in order of importance. If you buy a starter set, make sure the mask and weapon are the electric versions.

Additionally, to attend tournaments

Fencing knickers.
Long socks that fully cover the gap between knickers and shoes.
A second body cord.
A second head cord (foil only).

Everything must be free of rips, tears and holes — tape over a hole in a glove won’t pass. You won’t need your name stenciled on your uniform until you want to compete at the national level — local and regional events don’t require it. When you reach that point, talk to a coach well before you enter, since it isn’t something you can sort out the morning of.

Chest Protectors

Chest protectors are required for female fencers. In foil, any chest protector — worn by any fencer — must include an approved neoprene layer, so check that before buying. Rules change from time to time; a coach can confirm what’s current before you order.

What Size Weapon?

Adults should buy adult size (size 5) blades. For fencers under 13, ask a coach — the right blade length depends on the individual, and we’d rather get it right than have you buy twice. For everything else, follow the sizing guidance on the supplier’s website, or let us size you as part of our equipment offer.

What Should I Avoid?

Non-electric gear. You can borrow a non-electric mask or weapon from the club if you really need one.
French grip foils. Helpful for some beginners, but fencers grow out of them quickly.
Coaching equipment or extra padding.
Fencing shoes, unless you can try them on first or are certain of your size. Clean indoor athletic shoes are fine for a long time.
High-end gear before you know why you’re paying extra for it.
FIE-rated gear. Local and regional events don’t require it, and it’s expensive.
Used gear from auction or classified sites, until you know enough to judge it.

Still Not Sure?

Ask a coach before or after practice, or get in touch. We’d much rather spend ten minutes talking it through than watch you spend several hundred dollars on the wrong thing.