This page is to provide a summary for quick reference. Please see the Fencing Handbook for official rules. Materials are tested at the Marshal’s discretion. Please also note that this is the MINIMUM requirement for armor and many people use more padding and protection than required.
Abrasion Resistant Armor (Appendix 1: Glossary: pg25)
Material that will withstand normal combat stresses (such as being snagged by burr on a metal
blade) without tearing.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
- broadcloth
- a single layer of heavy poplin cloth (35% cotton, 65% polyester; “trigger” cloth)
- sweat pants
- opaque cotton, poly-cotton or lycra/spandex mix tights
Nylon pantyhose and cotton gauze shirts are examples of unacceptable materials.
Penetration Resistant Armor (Appendix 1: Glossary: pg25)
Material that will predictably withstand puncture as demonstrated by passing a penetration test.
The following materials are known to pass these tests when new:
- four-ounce (1.60 mm) leather
- four layers of heavy poplin cloth
- ballistic nylon rated to at least 550 Newtons
- commercial fencing clothing rated to at least 550 Newtons
- chain mail made of welded or riveted steel rings that will not admit a 5/32″ (4 mm)
diameter probe. Rings no greater than 0.155” (4 mm) in internal diameter made of wire
no less than 0.020” (0.5 mm) thick meets this requirement
The above materials need only be tested at the marshal’s discretion; all other materials must be tested the first time new gear is used, or if no marshal on the field knows a given piece of gear to have been tested. UnderArmour, Spandex, and other similar stretchy materials are not suitable as puncture resistant materials and must not be included in testing. Kevlar is not an acceptable material as it degrades rapidly.
Rigid Armor (Appendix 1: Glossary: pg26)
Material that will not significantly flex, spread apart, or deform under pressure of 12 Kg applied
by a standard mask tester, repeatedly to any single point.
Examples of rigid material are:
- 22 gauge stainless steel (0.8 mm)
- 20 gauge mild steel (1.0 mm)
- 16 gauge aluminum, copper, or brass (1.6 mm)
- one layer of hardened heavy leather (8 ounce, 3.2 mm)
Perforated material that meets this requirement must have holes no larger than 1/8″ (3 mm) in any direction, and a spacing of at least 3/16″ (5 mm) center-to-center. In using these measurements, the perforated material must meet all the requirements of either the imperial or the metric units (or both).
Resilient Padding (Appendix 1: Glossary: pg26)
Material which compresses under pressure from a thumb but returns to its shape within three
seconds once pressure is removed.