Updated October 2024:
This is a guide to what equipment you 'need' to get into HEMA, and the costs. I have tried to include links to as many retailers and manufacturers of equipment as I can, giving options for UK, EU and USA (and some elsewhere). Much of the guidance in this blog post is broadly applicable, but do check local competition rules, and with your club.
Perhaps controversially, I have tried to set out what the current consensus is on steel swords. This is to help beginners avoid purchasing swords that may not be allowed in competitions or in clubs. I cannot be held responsible if you purchase an item that is not suitable even if it is listed on this blog; use your own due diligence.
If training alone
If you are training alone, then really all you need is a stick, a broom handle, a bokken, etc. and to practice guards and techniques in your garden. The weight of the 'sword' wouldn't be right so you might want to get a synthetic sword or similar. If you plan to train with other people, then a synthetic sword would be useful.
I personally recommend buying a 4-legged bike repair stand, such as this: Amazon.co.uk : bike repair stand. This allows you to mount a second sword/broom handle and position it into various 'guards' or even straight upwards. This gives you a Pell, and importantly gives you an 'opponent' to practice against. You can practice cutting the master strikes against different guards. You can practice binds and disengages, thrusts in opposition, etc. It is an invaluable tool if you have space for it.
If training in a group of friends
Foam boffers such as the GoNow swords or foam LARP swords can be a low cost and low gear way to get into HEMA, if training as a group of friends. You may only need a mask and a light pair of gloves. However, these sorts of trainers are not usually 'thrust friendly', i.e. they don't flex, and so thrusts need to be practiced with care or not at all (although there is a GoNow 'rapier' / smallsword with a springy tip). I only have a little experience with foam swords and I'd say that, although they are foam, they still need to be treated as swords and not as clubs. They can cause concussions if swung excessively hard. Remember, a sword needs little force to injure; that's the point of them (no pun intended)!
If training as part of a club
If you are joining a club, then the best advice is to ask the club what equipment you need. There is no point buying stuff you can't use. But, here is a list of typical stuff you will likely need in due course:
Your first 6 months
In your first 6 months, you just need enough protective equipment to keep safe when training with synthetic swords at low intensity. You will need:
A fencing mask. 350N (CEN 1) is fine for synthetic swords and is commonly used with steel swords, however if you plan to compete in competitions these usually require a 1600N (CEN 2) mask and this is preferred for steel swords due to the risk of breakages. The Newton rating refers to the soft parts, not the mesh, although the mesh of a CEN 2 mask may be stronger than of a CEN 1 mesh - see here: https://www.keithfarrell.net/blog/2017/09/difference-350n-fencing-mask-1600n-fencing-mask/). You can save money in the long run by buying a 1600N mask from the get-go, but you will also want an overlay (which is recommended regardless of which mask you use) to provide additional protection to your head (especially back of head), and to help make sure your mask is still in good condition by the time you get to competition level. Look for a mask that is CEN 1 or CEN 2 (FIE) rated.
Gloves: this depends on what type of sword you buy and how intensely you will be sparring. Gloves are quite personal but in terms of cost effectiveness, Red Dragon lacrosse-style gloves are generally fine for synthetic longswords and synthetic or steel one handed swords. (I personally do not use them for any longsword sparring as I prefer something more protective, but many people do). However, especially for steel longsword, more protective gloves (e.g. clamshell or gauntlet-style gloves) such as the SPES Heavy, Sparring Glove, HF Armoury Black Knight, or similar are required. Make sure you get the right size - if they are too big (or too small!) you will hate whatever you get. Also, any glove you get will take you a few weeks/months to fully get used to. Buy a cheap pair of thin knitted/lining gloves to help reduce chaffing (the Sparring Glove does not have an inner lining, so you will need an inner glove regardless). You may also want a pair of padded leather gloves for low intensity training. There are more expensive gloves available if you have the money. Most people have several pairs of gloves simply because some gloves are better for longsword, some better for sabre, some for rapier, etc. I'd recommend a more protective pair for longsword, and a second lighter pair such as Red Dragons for other swords depending on what other swords you use and what will fit in your hilt.
A gorget (throat protector). Lasts a long time and saves your life.
A box (groin protector). Saves your future! Any box from a sport shop will do.
A synthetic sword. Such as Red Dragon, Black Fencer or Pentti, depending on what is available in your area. If your club provides these then there may be little point in buying your own, with many people suggesting you save for a steel sword - however, it is up to you.
Red Dragons come in three varieties: longsword, one handed sword and messer/falchion. Parts are interchangeable, meaning you can turn a one handed sword into a two handed bastard sword (but you can't turn a longsword into anything else because the grip length is longer than the arming sword). What you get depends on what you need for training. Assuming you are doing longsword, in my opinion, the Red Dragon longsword is OK when you add the extended grip and the steel cross guard (you can also get a steel pommel but this is not extended, making your grip length a little short for some gloves). This brings the weight close enough to a steel (about 1150g vs 1350g+ for a steel) to reduce bad habits. The plastic cross guard makes the sword too light (about 700g, OK for the first few months of training) and people end up doing unrealistic techniques with this set-up. Don't bother with the steel pommel if you get the steel cross guard.
The arming sword is pretty good with the plastic cross guard or the basket hilt, as the weight is much closer to an arming sword than the longsword is (650g vs 800-900g for a steel arming sword). You will need padded leather gloves that offer decent wrist protection if you get the basket hilt as Red Dragon lacrosse-style gloves will not fit. This is a good option for sabre or broadsword.
The downside with the Red Dragon swords is they are slippery in the bind. You really need to get edge on to manipulate the opponent's sword. You also don't get much feeling/vibration as the swords slide in the bind like you do on a steel.
Black Fencer synthetics are more expensive than Red Dragons. However, they are generally superior, coming in at about the weight of the steel counterpart. They are not perfect, and the shorter swords tend to be better than the longer swords due to less flex. However, they are less slippery in the bind, and you do get some feeling/vibration when they slide in the bind.
Pentti are similar to Black Fencer swords. I have no experience with these as they are not available in the UK, but are in the USA. However, I will assume that everything I said about the Black Fencer swords is true of Pentti swords.
What to avoid: Polypropylene swords (which are usually coloured black). Polypropylene longswords, arming swords etc. are stiff, not weighted correctly, and are generally not allowed by clubs. For comparison, the Red Dragon, Black Fencer and Pentti swords are made from materials like Nylon and are designed to be flexible and weighted towards the hilt.
6-12 months
After your first 6 months, you are now basically buying more protection to allow you to spar with more intensity. You are also buying the protective kit needed to use a steel sword, and to train the art in full (e.g. thrusts). Do not buy a steel sword before you have the protective kit! You will need:
Chest protector. As soon as you are using steel or are practicing thrusting, get one!
Fencing jacket. Get something you are going to be comfortable in. You want something that is not too big, or too small. I'd recommend getting something with reasonable protection, but not too bulky. My advice is to try on other people's jackets to find one you like.
Trousers or a skirt. You can get away with not having trousers/skirt when using synthetics, but it limits you in terms of sparring and what are valid targets. I have personally not used a skirt. You generally don't need a skirt and trousers. The skirt has an advantage in that you can wear it over normal trousers.
Knee pads. Protects your knees!
Shin pads. Protects your shins! There are a few options. I personally wear hockey pads underneath long rugby/football socks (I wouldn't recommend football shinpads as they tend to be smaller). There are HEMA equivalents that you can wear over your trousers.
Elbow pads.
Forearm protectors. Often elbow pads and forearm protectors are sold together.
Mask overlay. This is a leather or padded 'hood' that goes over your fencing mask. It primarily provides back of the head protection, but has the added bonus of protecting the lining of your mask from damage. You want one that is solid on the back of the head, to protect your neck and the back of your head from stray blows. (Back of the head is not a valid target.) Without an overlay, the lining around the edge of the face on your mask will get damaged quite quickly, which is not ideal if you have purchased a nice expensive 1600N mask and want to use it in 1-2 years' time for competitions!
12-18+ months
After 12 months you probably want to get a steel sword. Of course you can purchase a steel sword at any time, however most people purchase one at least 6 - 12 months after they begin HEMA.
Steel swords.
There are lots of swords made by companies such as Regenyei, Kvetun, Sigi Forge, HF Armoury, Castille Armoury, Black Fencer, Fabri Amorum, plus others. Hanwei also offer several HEMA-suitable steel swords, often on the cheaper end of the price spectrum, although they have suffered in reputation due to a number of breakages that happened several years ago. Sword breakages are rare in swords made by commonly used manufacturers, and most manufacturers offer a 1 year warranty.
Swords should last several years with heavy use, and much longer with lighter use. The wrapping on sword handles will typically only last a year or so before it needs to be rewrapped. Hilts coming a little loose, or threaded pommels needing to be tightened, etc. is fairly common. Most damage comes from usage, whether that is edge damage from normal usage or using a softer sword against a harder sword; blades bending due to getting caught in side-rings or following a hard thrust, etc. Steel swords should be looked after and cleaned regularly, ideally wiping them down with a cloth and some oil after each use. There are various opinions on this, but 'gun oil' is popular, and I personally use WD40.
You have various options for buying steel swords:
You might be able to buy them at a trade fair or large HEMA event. For example, TORM: Home | The Original Reenactors Market and TARM Artisans & Reenactors Market (armarket.uk) reenactors markets in the UK.
Order them from a local retailer (such as HEMA Shop in the UK, with usually 1-2 days delivery time if in stock).
Order them from outside your country (e.g. an EU store like Faits D'armes - in which case you may pay additional customs and shipping costs).
Order them directly from manufacturers. If ordering into the UK, you will need to pay customs (20%) and shipping (typically £50-£70) on top of the price you pay the manufactures. Check your local import tax law and decide whether purchasing from manufactures is cheaper than purchasing from a local store. Typically you do not need to pay until the item is made. It can take anywhere from 6 weeks to 6+ months to receive a sword you ordered (time to save up!). Often this is the only option to buy a particular sword that you want. Note that since 2024, importing swords into the UK is more problematic as Royal Mail/Parcel Force no longer deliver these items - check that the manufacturer is able to deliver to your country.
Buyer beware! There are few official 'standards' when it comes to HEMA equipment (with the exception of masks and general marks such as European CE marking, however there are unofficial standards that have developed based on 1) what swords your club-mates are using, b) what's popular, c) manufacturers offering similar products and d) what is allowed in competitions. Therefore, there is a general 'consensus' being developed on what equipment is usable and what isn't. Do not buy a HEMA training sword just because it looks nice. Check that you will actually be allowed to use it. Use my guide at the bottom of this blog post to help you.
Choose your HEMA build!
I have put a list together of all the kit you need. I've given several options to meet various budgets. Price is not necessarily an indicator of quality, but generally higher priced items may be more protective, more comfortable, or perhaps just more expensive to manufacture.
I have not made this kit list exhaustive. I have mostly stuck to kit that is easily available from retailers. There are other options, especially when it comes to swords and fencing jackets. I advise you to shop around. I have included a small list of swords that I feel meet the current 'standard' or 'consensus', however many others are available.
Here is a list of retailers I am aware of who may carry HEMA-related products.
UK
EU
USA
Other
Here is the hard truth: unless you use loan equipment, getting into HEMA isn't cheap. You are looking at a cost of £200-£250 in your first 6 months, an additional £400-£600 in your second 6 months if you want to spar with more intensity or prepare yourself to get a steel sword, and then £300+ for each steel sword you buy. Expect to spend £1200+ in the first 12-18 months, depending on how fast you progress and depending on what weapon you train (e.g. longsword generally requires the most protection, smallsword the least).
The good news is that, after that, you only need to buy replacements (e.g. gloves may break after two years) or additional things that you really want such as additional swords (which should last you many years) or different gear if you don't like what you have bought. So, although the costs up front are quite high, the ongoing cost can be fairly low unless you can't resist buying more steel swords!
Key
When to purchase | Colour | How much will you need to spend? |
First 6 months | £210 - £240 (more if you want more expensive options) | |
6 - 12 months | £400 - £600 depending on whether you buy a second, more protective pair of gloves | |
12-18+ months | £300-£400 for a single steel sword. More if you want more swords! (Hobbyists tend to have 2 or 3; enthusiasts tend to always have one more on order) | |
What I use | Orange font |
A selection of kit options
It should be noted that there are lots more options than listed below, especially if you go to manufacturers directly. I have tried to select a few examples of kit that I have seen people using, linking to retailers from UK, EU and US (and elsewhere where relevant). Each retailer may stock many more options.
Item | UK | EU | US |
Fencing mask | Red Dragon 350N (£70) Red Dragon 1600N (£150) (only if you plan on competing in future) HEMA Warrior mask 1600N (£218) | ||
Gorget (throat protector) | Red Dragon (£20) Vytrix Light Articulated Gorget (£49.50) PBT throat protector (£53) - includes some protection for shoulders Vytrix heavy articulated gorget (£125) | Gorgerin Swordmaster (faitsdarmes.com) (49 euro)
PBT Gorget for HEMA (faitsdarmes.com) (65 euro)
| |
Gloves (light), lower intensity | Red Dragon (£60) - for synthetic swords or steel one-handed swords only (do not use with steel longswords) | ||
Gloves (heavy), for higher intensity | Search results for: 'Dreadnought' | The HEMA Shop (£150) (may not be suitable for longsword) SPES Heavy lobsters (v1, V2 or V3) - £162 - £198) Sparring gloves (with hour glass or standard cuffs) - (£200) - with the long cuffs you don't need separate forearm protectors | Lobster V3 Heavy Gloves for HEMA (faitsdarmes.com) (228 euro)
"Black Knight" Gauntlets for HEMA (faitsdarmes.com) (290 euro)
Sparring Gloves - Spécial "5 doigts" for HEMA (faitsdarmes.com) (294 euro)
Infinity Gloves for HEMA (faitsdarmes.com) (345 euro)
Thokk Weaponmaster (349 euro+) - not suitable for longsword except with added special attachment
| |
Box (groin protector) | Red Dragon (£10) I'm sure there are lots of alternative options from any sports shop. I will not list them here. | Check local sports stores | |
Synthetic sword | Red Dragon Longsword or arming sword (£53) Add a basket hilt for sabre (arming sword only): (£16.50) Red Dragon longsword with steel pommel or steel cross guard (£80-97) | Synthetic swords: Search (faitsdarmes.com) Black Fencer synthetic longsword, sabre, sidesword, rapier, etc. | |
Chest protector | PBT-UK (£25.99) SPES chest protectors (£97 - £110) | Plastrons for HEMA (faitsdarmes.com) (34 euros +) | |
Jacket Note: lots of jackets are available. 350N is the standard. 800N will be heavier. Newton rating refers to puncture resistance, not padding. Choose something with the padding you require. 'Light' and 'officer' usually means less padding. More padding = heavier, but more protection from blunt force | Red Dragon Light (for sabre/rapier) or heavy (longsword) - (£145 - £155) SPES AP Plus, SPES Kafkan, or equivalent 350N (~£200) SPES AP Plus Light (for single sword) 350N (£185) or similar SPES AP Plus Pro (~£320), SPES AP Pro 800N (£332) Basically, jackets with plastic armour | ||
Fencing trousers or skirt (you don't need both) | Trousers for HEMA (faitsdarmes.com) - (99 - 120 euro) | HEMA Pants (woodenswords.com) - average price around $100-$150)
| |
Knee pads | Red Dragon HEMA Knee Protectors (£9) - fit into the knee pockets on the Red Dragon sparring pants Red Dragon HEMA Knee Guards (£15) - include some side protection SPES HEMA Shell Knee Protectors (£20) | ||
Elbow pads and arm protectors (you will need both, unless your gloves include arm protectors) | SPES PRO Forearm and Elbow Protector (£35) Red Dragon Forearm and Elbow Protectors (£45) - I personally like the elbow pads, but not the forearm protectors SPES "Geko" Forearm and Elbow Protector (£51) SPES Vectir Forearm & Elbow Protectors (£52) | ||
Shin pads | Grays G60 Hockey Shin Pads Protection (£18) - go under long socks SPES HEMA Shin Guards (£19) Red Dragon HEMA Shin Guards (£20) - bulky but can go over trousers Red Dragon HEMA Knee & Shin Protectors (£42) - don't need separate knee pads SPES Vectir Lower Leg Protector (£42.50) | ||
Mask overlay | Red Dragon leather or full-mask overlay (£45) SPES Unity Mask Overlay NG 800N (£66), SPES Trinity Mask Overlay (£66.50) SPES Trinity Leather Mask Overlay (£103.50) | Mask-overlay Unity for HEMA (faitsdarmes.com) (79 euro) More options (it depends on your mask): Mask Overlay for HEMA (faitsdarmes.com) | SPES Unity Cover (woodenswords.com) ($88) More options (it depends on your mask): HEMA Back of the Head (woodenswords.com) |
Steel sword |
Current consensus on steel swords suitable for sparring and competitions
This varies by region and is strongly influenced by local competition rules. However, the following should help you understand, broadly, what is likely to be acceptable in competitions, clubs, and to your fellow sparring partners. Use this table as a rough guide to avoid buying unusable equipment; but do ask club members and check local competition rules etc. to make sure the local consensus isn't different to what is below. Generally, having broadly 'matched' weapons is the ideal so that one weapon does not damage the other, and no weapon has a clear advantage over the other.
To be fair, I have linked to one 'typical' base model from a sample of manufacturers that I am familiar with, and that may broadly meet the 'consensus'. Each manufacturer will have various other options with different hilts, weights and cosmetic features, and there are probably other manufacturers that I have missed out. Do also check whether you can purchase a specific model of sword from a local retailer if you want it more quickly. My inclusion of a sword in this list is NOT an endorsement of that sword, so I suggest you watch or read reviews of swords on YouTube, Reddit, ask clubmates, etc. before buying.
*'Wall-hangers' are overly heavy, often stainless steel 'decorations' (often of fantasy weapons), not useable training weapons.
**Reenactment blades are 'blunts' - effectively real swords with thickened, blunt edges, and so are stiff bladed and overly heavy, intended for living history or armoured reenactment.
***Sharp swords are 'real' swords often used for test-cutting, although manufacture quality may vary.
Sword style | Current consensus | Avoid (unless purchasing for a specific purpose): |
Longsword | A federschwert with or without a schilt. Blade flexibility between 9-15kg. Simple crosshilt (side rings may or may not be allowed by some competitions). Weight 1.3-1.6kg. Blade length 90-110 cm. 20-30cm grip length (enough to get two hands on). No sharp pommels or schilt corners! E.g.: Standard Feder – Regenyei Armory FFG Federschwert (kvetun-armoury.com) SIGI Feder - Sigi Forge Build Your Own Long Sword – Castille Armory Federschwert - Steel Generation (blackfencer.com) Federschwert 125 cm – Fabri Armorum (fabri-armorum.com) Federsword with a blade without fuller (swordsviktor.com) Federschwert Сlassic Light - HF Armory (hf-armory.com) Feder 1 - Fechtfeder (lixa-rebellum.com) | Sharp schilt corners, sharp pommels. HEMA-specific longswords with a 'longsword' blade shape rather than a Federschwert shape (e.g. Sigi King, some Blackfencer swords) - in the UK at least, a major competition now only allows federschwerts as they are easily identifiable from reenactment swords. Overly light or overly flexible blades (e.g. Sigi Light) may not be allowed in some competitions and may need to be paired with each other to prevent damage. Reenactment swords (too inflexible, too heavy in the blade). Sharp longswords. Wall hangers. |
Rapier | HEMA-specific rapier from reputable manufacturer. Blade typically lighter and more flexible than sidesword blade. Blade typically 37-45 inches. Complex swept hilt, cup hilt, or pappenheimer (or similar). 900g - 1.2kg. E.g.: Rapier HEMA complex hilt – Fabri Armorum (fabri-armorum.com) “Cup-hilt” Rapier – Regenyei Armory Rapier 1 (kvetun-armoury.com) SIGI Rapier - Sigi Forge Build Your Own Rapier – Castille Armory Cup Hilt Rapier - Steel Generation (blackfencer.com) Rapier | HEMA Rapier for sale | Rapier with cup hilt and back-curved point (swordsviktor.com) Club Rapier GDF - HF Armory (hf-armory.com) | Wall-hangers, reenactment swords, sharp rapiers, stiff blades, sideswords more suited to cutting than thrusting, smallswords, Musketeer blades |
Sidesword | HEMA-specific 'sidesword' from reputable manufacturer, often with thicker blade than a rapier but lighter than an arming sword blade. Knuckle bow, one or two side-rings and finger rings. Less-complex hilt than a rapier. 33-37 inch blade. 800g - 1.1kg. E.g.: Sidesword for HEMA fencing (swordsviktor.com) Sidesword HEMA – Fabri Armorum (fabri-armorum.com) Sidesword "Velox" Simple - Steel Generation (blackfencer.com) Build Your Own Side Sword – Castille Armory Side-sword 1 (kvetun-armoury.com) Firenze Trainer – Regenyei Armory Side sword Light - HF Armory (hf-armory.com) | Wall-hangers, reenactment swords, sharp sideswords, rapiers |
Arming sword or messer | HEMA-specific one-handed trainer or arming sword from reputable manufacturer. Typically 28-33 inch blade length, simple cross guard (with nagal for messer). 800g - 1kg. E.g.: Arming sword - HF Armory (hf-armory.com) Sword for fencingtrainings (XVI. style) - HEMA (swordsviktor.com) Arming sword HEMA – Fabri Armorum (fabri-armorum.com) Build Your Own Arming Sword – Castille Armory SIGI Junior Arming Sword - Sigi Forge Arming 3.0 (kvetun-armoury.com) MS I.33 – Full contact – Regenyei Armory | Re-enactment sword (usually thicker, heavier and stiffer bladed - may be allowed by some clubs), wall-hangers, sharp arming swords |
Sabre | This depends whether duelling sabre or military sabre. Olympic-type sabre may be acceptable against itself. For heavier sabre, typically a HEMA-specific sabre from a reputable manufacturer. 30-33 inch blade (straight or curved), bowl hilt (knuckle bow as minimum), 600-700g for duelling sabre, 800-900g for military sabre. The below examples vary in weight, so do read the specifications carefully! E.g.: “Tournament” – Saber – Regenyei Armory Easton sabre 3 (kvetun-armoury.com) SIGI Saber Pro - Sigi Forge Build Your Own Trooper Sabre – Castille Armory HEMA Sabre – new design – Fabri Armorum (fabri-armorum.com) Light sabre for Historical European martial arts fencing (swordsviktor.com) IN MOTU Old School Practice Sabre M2 - IN MOTU Shop (inmotu-shop.com) | Cavalry sabres, wall-hangers, sharp sabres, reenactment sabres. |
Smallsword | Size no. 2 or 3 epee blade from reputable manufacturer on a smallsword or foil hilt (although length is just a preference). HEMA-specific blades are probably OK. Some use 'Musketeer' blades, which are thicker epee-style blades. 300-500g. E.g.: Smallsword Starter Weapon (leonpaul.com) Smallsword AHF - HF Armory (hf-armory.com) Build Your Own Small Sword – Castille Armory Colichemarde (kvetun-armoury.com) Products | FEATHER SMALLSWORDS | Overly stiff blades, wall-hangers, sharp smallswords |