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Comment by greedo | Hacker News Reader

I had just started fencing in college in the Fall of 1982, and the gear we had was definitely not safe in hindsight. Our coach was scrupulous about safety, but how can you cope with a blade break from carbon steel? Kevlar etc wasn't a thing back then as I recall. The first time we learned flèche was exhilarating, but now seems like we were pushing our luck. And we were a D2 school without a lot of high quality fencers.

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Modern polymer textiles are a beast. One time, my fencing coach had to replace the clip for the electric connector at the back of his jacket which had worn out and broken off. The tailor couldn't puncture it to sew in a new clip, and had to get some specialized equipment to perform the repaier.

Accidents can still happen, though, especially if a broken weapon slides into the sleeve. But still way safer than in the past.

https://fencing.net/66/ukrainian-junior-dies-after-accident/

Always wear your plastron!

What have been the major advancements in safety equipment since the 80s? You mention Kevlar (although I imagine it's more than that since Kevlar vests if I recall are not stab-proof). Have there been any others?

Most equipment doesn't use Kevlar anymore due to its weight, but they use similarly strong materials. There's also testing done at every major competition for mask and gloves. At the international level fencing blades are made from maraging steel which is fairly durable and breaks in a cleaner fashion. Freak accidents can happen but with the right precautions it's very unlikely.

I've managed to snap a sabre blade on a parry. It just cut in two and fell to the ground, was impressed.

Felt bad for the guy as it was his new blade bought off ebay. Although saying that I need get back in to the sport.

> I've managed to snap a sabre blade on a parry. It just cut in two and fell to the ground, was impressed.

best time to have it break, most folks will notice the balance change immediately.

i had someone snap their blade off on my chest, and keep going. they went right through my lamé, but were stopped by the jacket.

having a patch in my lamé right over my heart was helpful when convincing others to take safety seriously.

>Felt bad for the guy as it was his new blade bought off ebay. Although saying that I need get back in to the sport.

Non Fencer: So what is fencing like? Fencer: lots of electrical work and buying blades...

A guy in the next strip had his mask puncture and the blade (saber) went into his mouth, and punctured through his pallet into his sinus. Could have been a lot worse.

This guy never let his mask dry, storing it in his bag, thus even the stainless will corrode. Thus mask testing every tournament.

Clueless question: how exactly do you test a mask in fencing?

A sharp punch (like a center punch prior to drilling). It is pushed in with a certain force and the mask mesh can only spread so much; there is a groove on the neck of the punch that defines the depth limit. You do this on a few areas of the mask then date the side of the mask to indicate it was tested.

Wouldn't repeated testing (punching etc.) itself weaken the mask?

Yes. That said, if the testing causes the mask to weaken enough to fail, that means it's time to replace the mask.

To add to that, the mask is in some sense "punch tested" nearly every time you use it. Far better for it to fail in a test.

Agree. One punch test is nothing compared to the 20 - 30 times you might take one to the face (sometimes intentionally) in a single bout. Absolutely do not want that thing failing.

last i fenced they also had manufacture dates printed prominently and were considered expired after a few years.

they’re wear items; it is their job to take the damage so you don’t.

There are standards for the amount of force the mask must withstand and punch test devices like these [1] to exert them repeatably. Officials punch a few times across the front and the sides, look for failure or severe deformation, and the mask passes for the event.

[1] https://radicalfencing.com/products/rf-pbt-mask-punch-tester

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