So you have a friend or family member who is a fencer, but you aren’t very involved in the sport yourself. To try and help guide you along the way, we’ve compiled a nice tier list of gift ideas below to help you find the perfect gift for a fencer. Whether you’re buying a gift for a birthday, the holidays or a special occasion, you should be able to find something to fit your budget on this list!
We compiled this list in pricing tiers for easy shopping. And we also left out a few commonly suggested items, instead favoring some really safe staple items that almost any fencer would love to get. We also would always make this suggestion: if in doubt, ask! Maybe you don’t want to buy a book they already have – it can’t hurt to just ask what’s already in their library.
Under $10
Etsy user InfraLunam has a few cute fencing-themed stickers and enamel pins that make for great small gifts or stocking stuffers.
Under $20
If your fencer is a foilist or epeeist, you can’t go wrong with buying them some essentials. These are all consumable items that over time they just run through. If they’re fencing, they’ll always need this stuff. If your fencer is a foilist, buy them some tip screws, springs, and/or tip tape. If they’re an epeeist, buy them some tip screws, and one of two sets of springs. These aren’t necessarily the largest gifts, but they are gifts that will absolutely get used.
For tournaments, fencers are required to wear long socks to protect their shins. So a great but relatively inexpensive gift would be an extra nice pair of either Nike or Adidas soccer socks. Not just the basic kind – no, we’re talking the cushioned, moisture-wicking compression socks. These are maybe a little spendy for a pair of socks, but they feel and look great. And consequently fit right into that ideal gift zone for most fencers.
The Princess Bride on Blu-Ray or DVD. This is the movie that brings many people into the sport of fencing and is just in general a modern classic. If your fencer doesn’t have a copy already, they’d probably love to get one.
A few of the books noted in the next section would also fit well here.
Under $30
A great place to start in the $30 or below category would be some Nike fencing apparel, which you can find at the APS Nike Fencing store. Some of the fencing shirts and shorts are nice, fairly safe gifts for both men and women. Most of the things at the APS store except for jackets and shoes are in the $30 or below territory.
This price range includes most fencing books. Here are a few great choices to start (some may be out of stock or out of print):
- Epee 2.6. While this book’s focus is on Epee, many of the the ideas and concepts presented here work for all weapons. And the stories and historical perspectives make for great reading.
- Winning Ugly. Not a fencing book per se, but a great sports psychology book. A must read for anyone taking the sport seriously.
- Fencing Is My Life. A little less on the strategy and more on the storytelling, this autobiography from Sergei Golubitsky, one of the best modern foilists, is a great read for anyone in the sport.
- By The Sword. A great read full of historical stories and anecdotes on the sport of fencing. An entertaining and informative read for anyone interested in the sport.
- Modern Saber Fencing. Since we have an epee and foil entry, let’s round off the list with a saber one. This book is a strong overview of modern saber fencing.
Under $40
Another thing that any fencer would certainly appreciate is an another high quality body cord. While we don’t wear through them as quickly as the items in the Under $20 section, body cords don’t last as long as other parts of the kit. Additionally, if you’re unfamiliar with the rules, they require that you have at least 1 spare one with you when you’re at a tournament in case one breaks. One of the few pieces of equipment that the rules mandate you have multiples of. For that reason, any fencer would welcome an extra or two.
The Stick is a great product that helps aid in post-workout or post-tournament recovery. Its a sports massage tool built to help dissipate lactic acid buildup in the muscles. It looks simple, but works wonders. And the price point for most options comes in under $40, so it might make a great stocking stuffer for the serious fencer (or someone who is generally tense or prone to sore muscles) in your life.
Another great massage option that is surprisingly affordable is a deep-tissue percussion gun. This one gets to targeted, deep muscle issues. The prices on these fluctuate some, and the link above takes you to search results that will probably range from $30-$100, depending on the manufacturer and features.
$50 and Over
Etsy user Modernitie has an epee body cord themed men’s necktie, which is popular amongst the epee referee crowd.
