Armoury resources

FIE rules for fencing equipment

MFC armourers can help you with your gear, but if you'd like to learn how to do some things yourself there are many resources online. Here are some to get you started:

Assembling your weapon

From Sam Signorelli at I Can Haz Armoury YouTube

• Bending the tang of the blade (also called 'setting' the weapon. For sabre bend the tang down about 6 degrees, and for foil and epee about 6 degrees down and 6 degrees in (in means towards your non-dominant side, so for a right hander, when looking at the top edge of the blade, bend it to the left). 
• Assembling a foil and epee (after setting the weapon)
• Assembling a sabre (after setting the weapon)

From Leon Paul

• Assembling a foil (including setting the weapon)
• Assembling an epee (including setting the weapon)
• Assembling a sabre (including setting the weapon)

From Michael Mergens' YouTube

• Assembling a foil
• Assembling an epee
• Assembling a sabre

When assembling/disassembling your foil or epee, take extreme care not to break the wire and not to pinch it between the grip and the guard. If the wire is broken, or compressed too much, the blade will need to be rewired.

Rewiring your blade (foil and epee)

From Sam Signorelli at I Can Haz Armoury YouTube

• Rewiring a foil blade
• Rewiring an epee blade

From Michael Mergens' YouTube

• Rewiring an epee blade

Protecting your weapon

When you've assembled your weapon, make a rigid sleeve to protect it. Use a piece of something like rigid conduit, about 20mm internal diameter (this size should fit all weapons, but if the base of your epee blade is very wide you might need a larger size). Cut a length of about 92cm (or a couple of centimeters longer than your blade), slide it over your blade et voila! If you want to secure it to your weapon, drill a hole it it and add a piece of elastic cord to loop over the grip of your weapon.

Taping your blade (foil)

NB for foil fencers, make sure you tape the end of your blade and the barrel. If the tape is missing or tatty it can cause your touches on your opponent not to register on the scoring aparatus.

From Sam Signorelli at I Can Haz Armoury YouTube

• Taping a foil blade

Repairing cords

From Sam Signorelli at I Can Haz Armoury YouTube

• Repairing bodycords
• Repairing mask cords

From Michael Mergens' YouTube

• Repairing bodycords and mask cords

Extra detail

If you want to delve into technical detail, try this Fencing and Armourer Competition Module from the Canadian Fencing Federation.

This YouTube channel by Michael Mergens (author of The Care and Feeding of all things Fencing) is also an excellent resource.