Gear Guide
This is a comprehensive buying guide to all main HEMA gear components, arranged in three tiers according to the order which we as a club recommend you start buying. You can also download our full guide here.
Primary Gear
These are the essential pieces which we recommend you start with
Plastron
Chest protection which is worn under your fencing jacket. There are a few options available, but we recommend the following:
Articulated hard plastron by PBT
Jackets
We recommend you start with the jacket first. Recommended brands would be ARCEM or SPES. For a better fit, we recommend ordering a custom jacket, unless a standard size works for you.
We also recommend asking in the club to try out a few different jackets to know what size/brand is the best fit for you.
Trousers
We recommend trousers with leg protection (padded), either ARCEM, DOHEMA or SPES.
We do not recommend light versions, as they are not padded. Same as with jackets, we would advise that you ask the club to try out some available options and opt or custom sizing if standard ones do not work for you.
Groin Guard
There are several options available and are pretty common to find at sports shops. However, we recommend this one:
DO HEMA Groin guard
Mask
We generally recommend to save up for a Cobra Mask as they are excellent and the only mask designed specifically for HEMA. However you can buy a fencing mask + overlay instead.
Cobra Mask
Secondary Gear
For intermediate levels of training
Forearm Guards
We recommend buying from the same
supplier as your jacket, as they usually fit best together. Also take into account what type of gloves you have, or are planning to buy, as not all gloves and forearms work together well.
This is something that we recommend talking with coaches or experienced members before buying.
Tertiary Gear
Full Arm Protection
If you have a good jacket, upper arm protection is not essential, but if you want additional protection it is a nice-to-have. Some jacket suppliers provide an add-on full arm protection option (e.g. Pro SPES series) or you can buy them separately.
Gorget
Throat protection. We recommend the following:
ARCEM or PBT gorgets
Knee and Shin Guards
Knee and shin guards can be bought together or separately. If you buy separate shin guards, note that some of them need to be fitted into a long sock to be held in place, so keep that in mind if buying them (check for straps or velcro in photos).
A few things to note:
While you will need full gear to compete, to train you can get by using primary gear as a beginner. For any intermediate training, we recommend primary and secondary gear. In time, ideally, you want to have all three levels of gear.
Please try out available gear and consult with coaches, committee members, and experienced members before ordering gear.
When buying via club order you will have a 10% discount applied to your order, but please note that we will add shipping cost to your price.
We recommend buying gear that is in stock. While we will allow buying out-of-stock gear, that has long production times or is on backorder, please note that it can take up to 6 months or longer for your gear to arrive.
Please avoid any gear marked as light or mini
350N, 800N and 1600N refers to puncture resistance. Less protective gear will give you more mobility, but less protection and vice versa.
To place an order, please contact Ivan Miletic in the gear-orders channel in the Club Discord. Or send us an email at dublinhemaclub@gmail.com
Please include the link, size, and colour in your order, or measurements if making a custom order.When in doubt consult coaches, committee members, or experienced members
Committee members are volunteers, so please think through your orders before making them. Changing orders several times increases the workload and increases the chance of error.
For all other gear not listed above, please visit https://www.blackarmoury.com/ - if it is on the site, we can order it for you.