Gearing UP for la Verdadera Destreza

A good pair of fencing gloves are the first personal equipment you'll want to purchase for yourself.  You'll need a durable pair of leather gauntlet gloves with a long cuff that covers your wrists and forearms.  You can find them from a number of merchants in a variety of styles in a wide price range anywhere from around $20 to well over $100.

The training rapiers we use have complex hilts providing good hand protection and we don't allow intentional strikes to the wrists or forearms in our practice sparring sessions, so you don't really need to buy padded or reinforced gloves unless you want the extra padding for your forearms.  If you do want padded or reinforced gloves be careful not to buy gloves that are too bulky to comfortably fit into the rapier hilt.  Black or dark brown gloves are preferred, but not required.

Darkwood Armory offers an economical fighting weight leather glove for around $30 and a softer calfskin glove that's more comfortable, but less durable, for around $37.

Ravenswood Leather offers a high-quality deerskin gauntlet glove with a seamless palm for around $145.

The second item of gear you'll want to buy is a good mask.  You'll need a basic, three-weapon (3W) mask that meets the following requirements:

• The mask must have a bib that protects the front of your neck and throat that is rated for at least 350N penetration resistance.
• It must also have either a permanently attached or removable padded leather mask overlay.
• The wire face mesh must be rated to pass a 12 Kg punch test.  
• Black masks and overlays are preferred, but not required.

Masks are usually advertised as either FIE or non-FIE compliant.  Non-FIE masks are less expensive entry-level masks that meet the safety requirements for United States sport fencing competitions while FIE compliant masks are more expensive and meet the stricter safety requirements for  international Olympic competitions.  You may also see these ratings listed as either CE level 1 or CE level 2.  Generally, CE level 1 masks are non-FIE masks and CE level 2 masks are FIE masks.  Non-FIE/CE level 1 masks provide adequate protection to meet our club's safety requirements.

Some other features to consider are whether or not the mask has a removable liner for easier cleaning and whether or not the mask comes with back of the head protection, which is recommended but not required.

Absolute Fencing Gear offers a 350N mask with a leather protector and removable lining for about $119. You can get the same mask with back of head protection for about $165

When you are ready to start sparring against other club members you'll need to purchase a fencing jacket that meets the following requirements:

• The jacket must be rated for at least 350N penetration resistance.
• The collar of the jacket must be high enough to provide sufficient overlap with your mask's bib to help prevent a blade from slipping up under the bib and striking the throat.
• The jacket must not have any openings, gaps, zippers or other fasteners on the sword arm side of the torso portion of the jacket.
• The bottom of the jacket must overlap the pants enough that no skin or garments worn beneath the jacket are exposed when the sword arm is extended from the body in the right angle stance.

Zen Warrior Armory offers a 500N Classic Fencing Jacket starting at around $117.  This jacket in the steel color is the preferred style and color of our club, however you may use any fencing jacket that meets the club's safety requirements.

Purpleheart Armory offers a 350N SPES Officers Jacket in a variety of colors starting at around $229.

The rapier is by far the most expensive piece of gear you may want to invest in.  A good quality steel training rapier from a reputable merchant can cost anywhere between $300 to well over $800 depending upon the ornateness and complexity of the hilt and type of finish.  When purchasing a rapier make sure it meets the following safety requirements:

• It must be a steel training rapier.  Synthetic trainers are not allowed.
• It must have a blunt, unsharpened blade.
• The blade must meet either SCA standard rapier flex requirements of between 1.5" and 2" of drop @ 6 oz. -OR- SCA rapier cut and thrust/WMA/HEMA flex requirements of between 1" and 1.5" drop @ 6 oz.  If you aren't sure if the blade meets the requirements ask the manufacturer before you purchase it.
• Straight top and bottom quillons are recommended.  S-shaped quillons look nice, but some Destreza techniques are more difficult to perform with them.
• If you have a choice between long or short quillons, we recommend long quillons.  They provide better protection.
• A shell, cup, or complex multi-ring guard is recommended for better hand protection.
• It is recommended that the overall length of the rapier should be 42" or less.  Longer rapiers are okay, but Pacheco will think you are cowardly and King Philip II of Spain may confiscate your sword and exile you if he catches you with it.

You may use a rapier from any merchant you choose as long as it meets the club's safety requirements.  

Our club purchased its club-owned rapiers from Darkwood Armory.  They have excellent customer service and the quality and construction of their rapiers is superb.  The Darkwood Armory Economy Hilt Rapier, which starts at $355, offers a very good quality to cost ratio.  If you purchase an economy hilt rapier from Darkwood Armory we recommendthe following options:

• The 39" DA1PR blade meets the flex requirements and is recommended.
• We recommend the dish, pappenheimer or shell guard for the extra hand protection offered over the ring guard.  However, the ring guard is acceptable.

Another excellent rapier manufacturer is Castille Armory. The Castille Armory Complete Economy Rapier is a fantastic bargain, starting at around $289. The 38" or 40" blade option is best for Destreza. If you can afford it, we highly recommend upgrading to the Basic Rapier blade. Castille's turnaround time is around 15 weeks, but the quality of their craftsmanship is worth the wait.