Gloves#

We’re spoiled for glove options nowadays, so this guide will be covering the most common gloves rather than covering everything. If it’s here it means it’s good for one of the systems we practice (sabre, broadsword, or longsword) and someone at the club owns a pair.

Recommendations#

As a general recommendation, sabre and broadsword fencers should always seek out five finger gloves to achieve the necessary finger and wrist movements. Mittens don’t work very well for sabre, and are physically impossible to fit inside a broadsword’s baskethilt.

Beginner longsword fencers are strongly recommended to seek out mittens as their first pair of gloves. Five finger longsword gloves do exist, but carry with them additional risk. Your first job is to learn the cuts and guards without breaking any fingers, and if you find yourself limited by your glove as you advance, then you can start exploring five finger options.

Thokk Weaponmaster Gauntlets#

These are high-quality five-finger gloves that offer good protection and dexterity. They are accepted at local tournaments for single-handed weapons. They’re hard to find through Canadian distributors, so you will have to order them directly from Thokk. They come in 350N and 800N “Blade Proof” variants.

These gloves do not fit in a broadsword hilt.

Although some fencers use these for longsword, it is strongly discouraged, as these gloves cannot adequately immobilize a finger from a hard lateral hit.

Superior Fencing Kevlar Gloves#

These are medium-light gloves and one of the best choices for a baskethilted broadsword. That’s because the basket is providing near impervious hand protection from cuts, and the glove is only there to protect you from a freak thrust or a cut to the forearm where your forearm guards should overlap. Broadsword baskets will chew these gloves up over time, but that’s ok, because they’re cheap compared to many of the other options here. Tournament organizers generally allow these gloves for use with broadswords.

You can get these from North Armoury, from Swordshop, or directly from Supfen.

These gloves are not recommended for sabre users as they are too soft to provide adequate protection at higher intensities. These gloves are completely unsuitable for fencing with longsword.

Superior Fencing Impact Resistant Gloves#

Sometimes called “Thokk Offs,” these gloves offer almost as good protection as the real thing. They do wear out faster (you get what you pay for), and can be stiff to break in. They are accepted at local tournaments for sabre.

You can get the “v2” from Swordshop or Supfen directly.

You can get the “v3” from North Armoury, Swordshop, or Supfen directly.

Impact Resistant Gloves are suitable for use with sabre but not longsword. They typically do not fit inside a broadsword’s baskethilt.

CHFG Gabriel Gloves#

Gabriels are a popular premium quality glove that are designed for longsword, though they work well for sabre too. If you have the budget and are looking for one glove to rule them all, CHFG Gabriels can be a good choice that are accepted at local tournaments for both longsword and sabre. You can get them through Swordshop and HCA.

For all their versatility, Gabriels do not fit in a broadsword’s baskethilt.

HF Armory Black Prince#

Black Princes are a premium quality glove with a few interesting quirks. They are smaller than many other hardshell five finger gloves, allowing them to fit inside smaller cups like the Sigi Sabre PRO. The gloves’ resting position is a handshake grip, meaning you don’t have to fight them to keep your grip closed when fencing. Be aware that these only come in a single size (M/L) which is somewhere in between. If you have medium hands, they will fit. If your hands are on the smaller side of large, they will fit after a break-in period. If your hands are larger, they will definitely not fit.

Black Prince gloves can be ordered directly from HF Armory.

These are generally allowed in tournaments for use with sabre. Due to the plastics being thinner, they must never be used in longsword. These gloves will trick you into thinking they can fit inside a broadsword’s baskethilt, but you should not attempt this as the plastics can catch on the basket and break.

Superior Fencing Clamshell Gloves 2.0#

Gabriels get all the glory, but Supfen 2.0 Clamshells get the job done. These are the workhorse of the longsword world: they offer great protection for a comparatively good price, break in quickly, and are carried by practically every distributor. They are accepted at local tournaments for longsword.

You can get Supfen 2.0 Clamshells from North Armoury, Swordshop, or directly from Supfen.

SPES Lobsters#

SPES offers a variety of different mittens under their lobster/heavy brand. Allegedly one of our clubmates lobster heavies survived being run over, so they can probably hold up to longsword sparring pretty well too. Be sure to check the SPES Outlet for possible discounts (though avoid earlier models, as those had inadequate thumb protection).

SPES Heavies are accepted at local tournaments for longsword use.

HF Armory Black Knight#

Black Knight gloves bear a striking resemblance to the Supfen 2.0 Clamshells, likely because the latter was “inspired” by the Black Knight gloves. These mittens are accepted at local tournaments for longsword.