Equipment
What we train with and what you might eventually own
Your First Night
Here is the thing: you do not need any of this yet. We have spare Red Dragon synthetic longswords and safety glasses at the club, and we lend them to anyone who is just starting out. So your first Tuesday? Just turn up in comfortable clothes. Tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt, something you can move around in. Avoid zips, hard buttons, buckles, anything that could snag on a sword or a training partner. That is genuinely all you need.
Most people come back after their first session. And when you do, you will start thinking about your own gear. There is no rush at all. Nobody is going to prod you about it. But here is roughly how it builds up over time.
Your Sword
So naturally, everyone’s first instinct is to buy a sword. You are learning swordsmanship! Of course you want a sword. But as Steve or Andrew will tell you on your first night, gloves are actually the smarter first purchase. Techniques in Fiore’s system can target the hands, and they are also the most likely place to catch an accidental hit. Decent gloves change everything about how confidently you train. More on that in a moment.
You will still want your own nylon waster though, and soon. Everyone at the club has one. A nylon waster is a synthetic training longsword with the right shape, the right balance, a proper cross and pommel, and enough toughness to take thousands of hits. It is the sword you will use every Tuesday for paired technique work.
Almost everyone here uses a Red Dragon synthetic. The reason? They have a steel core running a third of the way up the blade, so they are not floppy like some cheaper synthetics, but they still have full flex where you want it. They are sized right for most people, they last, and they are about the most affordable way into the art you will find.
The other option worth knowing about is Black Fencer. Their edge-shaped blade models are stiffer than their standard ones (which can be a bit floppy in the bind compared to Red Dragons). Black Fencer also does more sizes, including longer swords for taller practitioners who sometimes prefer a longer blade. A longsword should reach roughly to your armpit when you stand it on the floor, so if you are six foot plus, that extra length genuinely matters.
Paired Practice
The first hour of every session is technique. Steve and Andrew demonstrate a play from Fiore, break down the mechanics, and then everyone pairs up to practise it: alternating attacking and defending sides, learning the remedy, then the counter to the remedy, then the alternate versions. It builds up beautifully. And for all of that, you just need your waster and a pair of safety glasses. We have spares you can borrow, but pick up your own pair as soon as you can. They cost next to nothing from any hardware shop or online.
But gloves. Get gloves as soon as you can. Your hands are right out there at the end of the sword and they catch more incidental contact than anything else. Even in slow, controlled practice, a good pair of gloves changes the way you train. You stop flinching, you start committing to your techniques, and that is when the real learning kicks in. Red Dragon gloves or the HF Armory Firestone 2 are both solid starting options that will not break the bank.
Sparring Kit
The second hour is where things get interesting. If you have the protective gear, you can spar: free fencing against a partner, no set sequences, just everything you have been learning put to the test. If you are still building your kit, you keep drilling during the second hour, which honestly is still brilliant training. But sparring is where you really start to feel the art come alive.
To get into controlled nylon sparring, the bare minimum is a gambeson (a padded jacket) and a fencing mask. Add your gloves to that and you are good to go. From there you build up your protection over time:
Fencing Mask
A HEMA-rated mask with a back-of-head protector. This covers your face, head, and throat. HEMA masks are rated to a higher impact standard than sport fencing masks, because longswords hit considerably harder than foils.
Gambeson / HEMA Jacket
A padded jacket that absorbs the impact of strikes to your torso and arms. Most of the sparring members of the club wear SPES gambesons, or Red Dragon for a budget-friendly option. You can also wear a chest protector underneath for extra impact absorption. This is one of the two things you need before you can start sparring.
Gloves
Heavily padded around the fingers, knuckles, and wrist, but still flexible enough to let you grip and move the sword properly. You will want these well before you start sparring, and they make paired practice more comfortable too. Red Dragon gloves or the HF Armory Firestone 2 are solid budget-friendly starting options. For steel sparring, the HF Armory Black Knight clamshell gloves are widely recommended in the HEMA community for longsword work.
Gorget
A rigid throat protector worn under the mask. It covers the throat and upper chest where the mask does not quite reach, and some models extend to protect the collarbones too. Essential once you start doing any thrusting work.
Elbow & Knee Protection
Hard-shell joint protectors. Fiore’s system is full of grappling, locks, and throws, so your elbows and knees will thank you.
Steel
This is the one people get excited about. Once you have full protective gear, you can spar with steel training swords, and the difference is something you feel immediately. The weight, the flex, the way steel responds when two blades meet in the bind. It changes how you think about distance, timing, commitment. Everything becomes more real.
Now, before you picture sharp medieval weapons flying around a leisure centre: training steel has no edge at all. The tips are spatulated (flattened and widened, which is the standard for safe thrusting) or rolled (curled back on themselves, which you see a lot on Regenyei swords). Rounded tips are not safe enough for sparring, so you will not see those. And the blade itself has flex built into it, so when a thrust lands it gives on impact rather than driving all the force into one point. It is a real sword in every way that matters for training, and safe in every way that matters for going home in one piece.
Practically everyone at the club goes for historical profile swords with good flex rather than feders. A historical profile blade looks and handles like an actual longsword, and with the right flex it is perfectly safe for controlled sparring. The SIGI King with its medium flex is a popular choice around here. There are budget-friendly options out there too, so do not write off steel as something way down the road.
One rule that never bends though: nylon pairs with nylon, steel pairs with steel. Always. Steel would chip and damage a nylon blade, so they never mix.
Have a chat with Steve and Andrew before you buy one. They have been through the whole process themselves and they will point you toward something that suits your build and your budget.
A Word on Buying
HEMA gear is a specialist market, and the difference between good equipment and bad equipment is enormous. Before you spend anything, have a chat with Steve and Andrew. They have been through it all themselves and they know exactly which products hold up to regular training and which ones fall apart after a few weeks.
Build your kit at whatever pace feels right. There is genuinely no rush. We have spare gear at the club for anyone who is getting started, and nobody is going to hassle you about it.
Suppliers We Recommend
These are the brands and suppliers that our members use and trust. Always talk to your instructors before making a purchase, but this is a good starting point for your own research.
Synthetic Training Swords
Steel Training Swords
Protective Gear
European HEMA Retailers
UK HEMA Retailers
Ready to Try?
We have everything you need for your first session. Just turn up in comfortable clothing and we will sort you out.
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