Maintenance of conductive fencing jackets

In this article, we offer you some tips to maximize the life of your conductive jacket and prevent premature wear and tear.

Drying your equipment is important!

Contrary to what many fencers seem to think, a fencing bag is not a storage bag. It is very important to hang up your fencing clothes after each practice and tournament to air it out. In the case of a conductive jacket, it rarely gets drenched after a practice. However, it usually is a little humid and this is enough to cause problems if it is not properly air-dried.

It is very important to never put fencing clothes in the dryer. They need to be air-dried on a hanger.

The towel trick

A conductive jacket has three worst enemies: wrinkles, abrasion and moisture. When it is being worn, or when it is suspended (drying), it is relatively sheltered from these elements. However, the part often forgotten or neglected by fencers is what happen between these two moments: the time that the conductive jacket spends in the fencing bag.

The worst thing that can be done to a conductive jacket is balling it up in the fencing bag. Some fencers gently fold their jacket before placing it in their bag. This is a good way to limit abrasion, but it doesn't help wrinkles and moisture. Others turn it inside out before putting it away. This helps with moisture, but increases abrasion since the jacket now rubs on itself. The best trick we have found so far is to use a shower or beach towel.

The towel trick is to place a towel (a dry one, very important) flat on the floor or on a table. Then, do up the zipper of the conductive jacket (right side out) and place it flat on the towel as shown above. For sabre jackets, an extra step is required for the sleeves. Finally, you just have to roll the jacket and the towel loosely together. When you get home, you absolutely must hang your jacket to dry.

The advantage of this method is that the three enemies of the jacket are mitigated:

• Moisture in the jacket is absorbed by the towel over its entire surface.
• The jacket does not rub on itself or on the rest of the equipment in the bag.
• The only wrinkles in the jacket are the original pleats which follow the seams. The fact that it is rolled avoids tight folds which damage the conductive threads.

Can I wash my conductive jacket?

Some conductive jackets are advertises as washable. These are typically stainless steel, nickel, or non-metallic jackets. In the case of silver-plated copper jackets, washing can even destroy the jacket and render it completely unusable. See the article Metallic jackets: Which fabric to choose? to learn more about the different materials and their properties.

Although technically washable, we recommend that you avoid washing them unless absolutely necessary. If you need to wash your conductive jacket, we recommend that you follow the these tips:

• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions and recommendations.
• Wash your jacket by hand.
• Use little soap.
• Never use bleach and never use fabric softener.
• Be sure to thoroughly rinse your jacket.
• Hang it up to dry.

Imex Sport does not recommend washing your conductive jacket. It is a fragile piece of equipment that seldom gets wet with sweat. We cannot be held responsible for the results if you attempt to wash your conductive jacket.

My jacket is corroded, what do I do?

Refer to the Emergency repair of conductive fabrics article to learn how corrosion can affect your conductive jacket and the steps to restore it.

My jacket is refused at a tournament, what do I do?

If your jacket is refused due to its high electrical resistance, ask the armorer in charge of weapon control what the problem is. If it's corrosion, a small hole or a "spot" where the metallic threads are too worn or even broken, there are possible solutions. See the article Emergency repair of conductive fabrics for more information.

If the armorer determines that the affected area is too large, or if there are too many small areas all over the jacket, it will no longer be usable in tournaments. However, nothing prevents you from keeping it for training at the club and saving your next new jacket for tournament use only.