Fencing Gear: The Complete Fencing Equipment List

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The moment a fencer stops borrowing the club’s sweaty loaner mask and gets their own kit is a rite of passage: a bag that’s longer than they are, a fresh white jacket, a weapon with their name on the guard, and two body cords (because one always fails right before a pool). Fencing gear is what makes a sword sport one of the safer sports there is, so it’s worth getting right. Here’s a plain fencing equipment list: what the rules require, masks and their 350N or FIE ratings, jackets, plastrons and chest protectors, gloves, weapons, body cords, shoes and bags, plus the recovery gear for after a long tournament day.

Prices change often. The prices below are what we saw at the maker or a major retailer in October 2026; check the current price before you buy.

What the rules require

• Clothing: a regulation jacket, an underarm protector (plastron), knickers fastened below the knee, knee-high socks and a glove covering about half the forearm. In foil and épée the jacket must be a full jacket with a groin strap. No warm-up pants, and no rips or holes.
• Ratings: FIE-labeled (homologated) uniforms and masks aren’t required at USA Fencing events; standard gear is fine. FIE events require 800N clothing and FIE masks.
• Chest protector: required for women, allowed for men, worn under the jacket; in foil it goes under the plastron and needs a soft foam cover.
• Weapon-specific: a lamé (conductive jacket) and mask cord for foil and sabre; a conductive-bib mask for foil; 800N gloves for sabre at every level.
• Blades: up to 32.5 inches in Y8 and Y10 events; full-size blades for older fencers.

Our top picks

Masks: 350N, FIE and fit

The European standard for fencing protective gear, EN 13567, sets two levels: level 1 (350 newtons of puncture resistance) and level 2 (800N for clothing). Masks sold as “CE 350N” are level 1, the usual choice for clubs, kids and USA Fencing events; “FIE” or “1600N” masks are homologated for international FIE competition. Every mask needs a back strap, a bib that protects the neck, and must survive the 12-kg punch test at equipment check; one that fails is marked unusable. Foil masks need a conductive bib (it’s part of the target), and foil or sabre masks with a metal bib can’t be used in épée. The LEONARK foil mask (about $75) and LEONARK épée mask (about $74) are CE 350N certified with an adjustable back; check the size chart, since a loose mask can shift. Replace any mask with a dented mesh or a torn bib.

Check the LEONARK foil mask price on Amazon

Jackets, plastrons and knickers

The jacket and knickers (fencing pants) are the outer layer, and the plastron is a half-jacket worn underneath on the weapon-arm side, doubling protection at the armpit, where a blade could slip in. For club and USA Fencing events, 350N gear works; FIE events need 800N. Buy a jacket for your fencing hand (left and right differ) and make sure it overlaps the knickers when you’re en garde. The Fencing Club Novus jacket is a 350N men’s jacket in a breathable stretch fabric for foil, épée and sabre (about $60), and the LEONARK 350NW plastron is about $27. Foil and sabre fencers add a lamé, the conductive jacket that covers the target area (in sabre, down the arms to the wrists).

Check the Novus fencing jacket price on Amazon

Chest protectors

Women and girls must wear a rigid chest or breast protector in competition, and men may. In foil, it goes under the plastron and must be covered with 4 mm of soft foam; older “hubcap” protectors can be retrofitted and inspected. The integral fencing chest protector (about $25) is a one-piece thermoplastic guard with adjustable elastic straps covering the chest and sides, and the LEONARK chest guard (about $26) comes in several sizes. Check that a foil protector meets the soft-cover rule before an event.

Check the fencing chest protector price on Amazon

Gloves

The glove’s cuff must cover about half the forearm so a blade can’t run up the sleeve. Sabre is special: after a run of penetrating hand injuries from unbroken sabre blades, the FIE made stronger gloves compulsory internationally in 2014, and USA Fencing requires 800N sabre gloves at all levels. For foil and épée practice, the LEONARK padded glove (about $30) has a padded back of the hand, a grippy palm and a long forearm sleeve. Wash gloves often, and replace them when the palm wears through.

Check the LEONARK fencing glove price on Amazon

Weapons

A dry (non-electric) weapon is for practice and drills; an electric one has a wired tip (or, in sabre, a wired blade) for scored bouts. The rules cap a foil under 500 g and 110 cm, an épée under 770 g and 110 cm, and a sabre under 500 g and 105 cm. Blades come in sizes: kids use 0 or 2, and Y8 and Y10 events limit blades to 32.5 inches. Grips come in French (straight) or pistol (orthopedic) shapes for right or left hands. The LEONARK electric weapon (about $75) comes as foil, épée or sabre in size 0 for children or 5 for adults, with a cloth sleeve; for home footwork, a dry practice foil is about $49. Carry at least two working weapons to a tournament, and retire any blade with a crack or a sharp kink: broken blades cause fencing’s rare serious injuries.

Check the LEONARK electric weapon price on Amazon

Body cords and mask cords

The body cord runs from your weapon, up the sleeve, to the reel behind you. Foil and sabre cords have an extra wire with a clip for the lamé; épée cords don’t, and the plug at the weapon end must match your weapon’s socket. Foil and sabre fencers also need a mask cord. Cords break often and a dead one means no touches, so bring spares. The LEONARK cords come as a set of two (about $22) in two-pin or three-pin versions.

Check the LEONARK body cords price on Amazon

Shoes and bags

The rules don’t require special shoes, and USA Fencing suggests athletic shoes for a first class. Fencers lunge and push off hard on a slick strip, so look for flat, grippy soles and a snug heel; dedicated fencing shoes like these standard fencing shoes (about $90) are built for it. With ankle sprains the most common time-loss injury in international fencing, fencers returning from a sprain often add a brace like the ASO EVO ankle stabilizer; see our ankle brace guide. For carrying it all, the LEONARK wheel bag (about $66, 43.3 inches long, 1680D Oxford fabric) works as a backpack or a trolley; younger fencers do fine with a junior fencing bag (about $60).

Check the LEONARK fencing bag price on Amazon

Recovery gear for the bag

A tournament can run all day, and lunging hits the front knee, hips and quads. Recovery slides like the OOFOS OOahh (about $60, APMA Seal of Acceptance, washable) feel good after hours on a hard floor. A foam roller like the TriggerPoint GRID 1.0 (about $40) or a small massage gun such as the Hypervolt Go 3 (about $149, 1.6 lb) helps many fencers loosen legs and hips, and some like a knee sleeve such as the Bauerfeind GenuTrain for a sore front knee. These are comfort tools, not treatment; knee or hip pain that keeps coming back is a reason to see a sports medicine doctor, physical therapist or athletic trainer. Compare more in our best recovery shoes, best foam rollers, best massage guns and best knee sleeves guides.

Check the OOFOS OOahh Slide price on Amazon

How to choose fencing gear

• Buy for your level: 350N gear is enough for club and USA Fencing events; buy FIE gear only when you’ll fence FIE events.
• Buy for your weapon and hand: masks, lamés, cords and grips differ by weapon, and jackets and gloves by fencing hand.
• Fit first: a mask that shifts or a jacket that gaps isn’t safe. Kids outgrow gear fast, so check fit every season.
• Carry spares: two weapons and two body cords at every tournament.
• Inspect often: retire cracked blades, dented masks and torn jackets.

Back to the fencing hub, or see fencing rules, youth fencing, fencing injuries and the best wearables for fencers.

Fencing gear questions

What equipment do you need for fencing?

A mask, jacket, plastron, knickers, knee socks, glove and a weapon, plus a chest protector for women, and for electric fencing a body cord (and a lamé and mask cord in foil and sabre). Most clubs lend beginners gear at first.

What is the difference between a 350N and an 800N fencing uniform?

The number is the puncture resistance in newtons under the EN 13567 standard. 350N (level 1) is the usual club and domestic gear; 800N (level 2) is required for FIE international events. USA Fencing events don’t require FIE-labeled gear, except that sabre gloves must be 800N.

Do I need an FIE mask?

Only for FIE competitions. A CE 350N mask is fine for clubs and USA Fencing events, as long as it fits, has a back strap and passes the 12-kg punch test.

Can you use the same mask for foil and épée?

Not always. Foil requires a mask with a conductive bib, and foil or sabre masks with a metal bib aren’t allowed in épée, so many fencers who do both weapons own two masks.

Do women have to wear a chest protector in fencing?

Yes, in competition. Men may wear one too. In foil it goes under the plastron and must have a soft foam cover.