The Complete Handbook of Fencing Protective Gear
A practical reference for fencers, coaches, equipment managers, and serious hobbyists
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
The complete reference guide to fencing protective gear: what it is, how to choose it, maintain it, and build a business around it.
About this book
Fencing protective gear isn't generic sports equipment—it's engineered to protect against puncture, impact, and abrasion from weapons moving at speed. Yet most fencers and coaches choose gear based on price or brand familiarity, without understanding the materials, construction standards, and specifications that actually affect safety and durability.
This handbook gives you the knowledge to evaluate gear on substance: how much protection different fabrics and padding provide, what FIE certification actually means, which specifications matter for foil versus epée versus sabre, and how maintenance practices extend gear life by years. Whether you're outfitting a club, managing a facility's inventory, preparing for competition, or exploring business opportunities in the protective gear market, this book covers the full picture—selection, installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and the landscape of suppliers and business models.
Written for coaches, equipment managers, competitive fencers, and serious hobbyists, this reference cuts through marketing and gives you concrete, actionable knowledge grounded in how gear actually performs in real fencing environments.
Reader Reviews
Michael Taylor
★★★★★Finally—a reference that treats fencing gear like the engineered equipment it actually is. I've been coaching for twelve years and was tired of guessing why one jacket lasted two seasons and another fell apart in one, or whether I should pay for FIE gear for my intermediate students. Chapter 1 alone explained the material science and protection levels I wish I'd understood when I started. The whole book is practical without being condescending, and the maintenance chapter saved me money on repairs. Highly recommend for any coach or club running on a tight budget.
Karen Lewis
★★★★★This handbook is thorough and well-organized, and the breakdown of standards and specifications is genuinely useful. My only real gripe is that Chapter 1 could have been shorter—it covers the same conceptual ground a few times before getting to the concrete protection differences. That said, once you're past the introduction, the book delivers exactly what it promises. Good reference for serious buyers.