looking for rapier gear for a starter.

[MommyPixxie]

i am wanting to get rapier stuff but can't aford it till mid to late feb. can't aford much. anyone looking to sell for cheep

[InsaneIrish]

price points would help.

Also, a list of what specifically you are looking for. As well as sizes.

[MommyPixxie]

something to get me started. I want to start learning how to fence in the sca. i need a mask, rapier, gloves, dagger, blade tips, and gardsfor both dagger and rapier. I am going to make my own tunic/undergarments. i am realy new at fencing so i am starting out and need everything.

[Amanda M]

If you're on a real budget you can probably pick up a used three weapon mask from ebay. If you can afford new equipment I get a lot of my stuff from James the Just. His prices are reasonable and he guarantees the quality of his products for their lifetime.

[MommyPixxie]

does james the just have a website. and i will look on ebay as well. thanks.

[Saritor]

http://www.jamesthejust.com/

Also, Darkwood has an economy line of blades:
http://www.darkwoodarmory.com/

[Tibbie Croser]

I'd also recommend Zen Warrior Armory (http://www.zenwarriorarmory.com). They sell gear for SCA. The blades are sturdy. The masks are very good, especially the stainless steel mesh ones.

Before you invest in any gear, though, talk to your local rapier marshals. Do they have loaner gear available that you can use while you're assembling your own kit?

Do you have a gorget already? You'll need one if you're using heavy rapiers (not epees).

Have you read the Society rules for rapier gear? Have you read your Kingdom's rules?

It's better to buy a new mask than a used one. Masks get damaged or weakened over time, and a used mask with dents, rust, or other problems may not get passed by an SCA rapier marshal. If you have to get a used mask, try getting one from another SCA fencer and have your marshal inspect it before you buy.

Also, get on your kingdom's rapier e-mail list, if you can. It can be a good place to ask for advice on gear and the rules.

Hope this helps. I'm a (relatively new) fencer in Atlantia myself.

[MommyPixxie]

I love Zen Armory. I love their stuff. Not sure, I want to by the starter kit from them because I don't need the jacket. I am reading the sca handbook right now. Then will be moving on to the kingdoms. A friend of mine said I could use her stuff until I get mine so I am planning on it. Thanks everyone for the help.

[Dauyd]

Gloves- Go to a Hardware store or garden center and buy a pair of well-fitting gloves. Use some of the left over fabric from your tunic and sew some long cuffs on.

Weapons- Loaner gear. Seriously. Especially the Sword/Dagger. You won't need the dagger for a few months, and until you've done it for a while you won't know what you want for a sword (and neither does anybody else!). Don't go spending the money until you have done it long enough to know what you want.

Mask- Cheapest I have found is a place called Fencesmart. I've had to make repairs to the fabric and elastic, but after 3 years of heavy use, the mesh is still like new. Not a single dent- and not from lack of getting hit, either! IIRC, it was about $45. Better option- Zen Warrior outlet sells one for about $85 with a removable/washable liner. My advice would be to use loaner gear until you have the money for the Zen.

Gorget- You didn't list one, but I'll add it anyways- Otto on here sells a mild steel gorget that is pretty much indestructible. About $20-25, unless you catch a sale. Zen sells one that is really nice looking for about $45.

[MommyPixxie]

yep i love Zen its great. my husband has set aside 400 for me to get all the stuff i will need. I was looking at gorgets. hadn't found one i like. The mask i like was the 89 at zen. I like the fact i can wash it. My husband does heavy and he thinks i should get the mask that was 150 ish because it is stanless steel and i wouldn't need to worry about damage what does anyone think? is it worth the money for the stainless steel?

I am in love with 2 diffrent rapiers one is from Zen and the other is from james the just.

anyone have suggestions for chest protectors? I am a DD cup size and i believe the handout said i needed them. any suggestions to where i could get them? i do need them right?

[Dauyd]

yep i love Zen its great. my husband has set aside 400 for me to get all the stuff i will need. I was looking at gorgets. hadn't found one i like. The mask i like was the 89 at zen. I like the fact i can wash it. My husband does heavy and he thinks i should get the mask that was 150 ish because it is stanless steel and i wouldn't need to worry about damage what does anyone think? is it worth the money for the stainless steel?

I am in love with 2 diffrent rapiers one is from Zen and the other is from james the just.

anyone have suggestions for chest protectors? I am a DD cup size and i believe the handout said i needed them. any suggestions to where i could get them? i do need them right?

Get the $89 mask. Stainless is not needed. The regular ones only get damaged by being hit too hard, rust isn't a problem. Stainless is no stronger than the regular ones- they are built ot the same standard.

Gorgets don't show when you are fighting. Just get one that fits right and is comfortable.

Chest protectors are not mandatory. They are completely up to personal tastes. I know a lot of women use them, but I know a lot that don't as well. It really comes down to your pain threshold and if you mind the occasional bruise. I think zen carries them- as far as I know, one is pretty much the same as the next.

Like I said earlier, I'd very much encourage you to wait a while beofre spending the money on a sword or dagger. Until you've fought for a little while and have an idea of what your personal sty.le is, you don't know what you want in a sword beyond "Ooh, pretty". It happens way too often that somebody starts out and buys that "pretty" sword, only to realize after a while that it is all wrong for them.

As far as Sword makers, Darkwood is defenitely the cream of the crop. Even their "Economy" line is a better sword than most anything else out there.

I can't comment on James the Just since I've never used one. He does get good reveiws, and has nice looking stuff and decent prices.

Hanwei is cheap, but consistent. Not a blade you'll likely want forever, but it is good beginner stuff.

At the risk of starting a flame war, IMHO Zen's swords are horrible. I started with one. 2 of my shire mates started with one. I know at least a dozen people that have one in their bag. I know of NONE that use theirs as anything but a backup sword. The blades are too stiff. The balance is horrendous (I ended up with tendonitis that didn't go away until I got a better sword). All of Zen's other stuff is great, but I can't reccomend their swords to anybody.

[MommyPixxie]

thanks so much. i will keep that in mind while i look at everything.

[ARMOURER ERIC]

My brig gorgets are popular with the local SCA rapier crowd

[MommyPixxie]

thanks i will take a look at your stuff

[losthelm]

If your making a fencing coat you can add extra layers or quilting for extra chest protection.
Many of the plastic versions end up being discarded quickly for the light calibration used in SCA rapier combat.

Cut and thrust is a bit stiffer but thats a bit farther down the line.

[MommyPixxie]

thnaks so much i will do that.

[Tibbie Croser]

The LadyRapier Yahoo group (for female SCA fencers) has a lot of discussions on female chest protection. It's not required by the Society rules, but check your kingdom's rules.

A lot of choices in rapier gear depend on personal preference and local customs, especially local calibration (how hard they hit). Talk to your local fencers about what gear they like. Every brand of blade seems to have folks who love it and folks who hate it (although I've seen nothing but praise for the Darkwood blades).

Edited to add the link for the LadyRapier group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ladyrapier/ You can search on "chest protection" and find lots of debate on one-piece protectors versus "cookie cutters" (separate cups) versus no extra protection.

[MommyPixxie]

sweet thanks so much i can't wait to start