Maintenance of fencing masks

Drying your mask is important!

You must at all costs avoid leaving your mask in your fencing bag after practice or a tournament. At home, it should be air-dried to prevent odors from developing in too quickly. You should also avoid carrying your mask in a plastic bag, since moisture will remain trapped inside.

Can I wash my mask?

Some masks have a removable liner or padding, others have a fixed interior.

In the case of a removable interior, it should be removed from the mask and hand-washed in a sink filled with slightly soapy water. To dislodge as much dirt as possible, gently rub the liner on itself, being careful not to damage it with the velcros. Once clean, rinse the liner thoroughly to remove all traces of soap, then hang it to air-dry.

If you have a mask with a fixed interior, you can follow the same steps as for washing the linings, provided you have a mask with a stainless steel mesh and that the conductive bib, if present, is also made of stainless steel. Dunk the entire mask in water and use a soft brush (like a toothbrush) to loosen the dirt inside. Never use the brush on the conductive side of the bib.

Lastly, if your mask or conductive bib is not made of stainless steel and the inside of your mask is fixed, we do not recommend that you wash it. To control odors, you can use disinfectant wipes or some anti-odor aerosol products.

It is important to never use bleach or fabric softener when washing a mask. Also, some websites talk about washing a fencing mask in the dishwasher, but we don't recommend it. Dishwasher soaps are very aggressive and can damage your mask.

Mesh

In foil and épée, the mesh is electrically insulated by a plastic coating. Over time and repeated hits to the mask, this coating flakes and reveals the metal below. This is entirely normal and is not harmful to the mask. If your mask is not made of stainless steel, the exposed mesh may start to rust. This is not problematic either.

In the case of sabre masks, the mesh must be conductive over its entire surface. Masks that are not made of stainless steel sometimes rust or oxidize. In this case, if they no longer conduct electricity well enough, you will need to clean the mesh with sandpaper to remove the rust or surface oxidation.

Conductive bib

The bib of sabre masks is particularly sensitive to wear, at cheek height. Here, the conductive fabric is attached directly to the metal of the mask, and it is one of the protruding points of the mask that is always in contact with the ground or the bottom of the fencing bag when mask is not being worn.

To avoid wearing out this part of the bib too quickly, we suggest that you always place your mask so that the "face" is looking up at the ceiling, both on the ground and in your fencing bag.

In foil and sabre, if your conductive bib is worn, oxidized, corroded or has a small hole, refer to the article Emergency repair of conductive fabrics to learn how this can affect your mask and how to restore it.

Elastic band

Over time, the elastic band at the back of the mask deteriorates and can lose its shape, or the velcro that holds it in place no longer sticks. The elastic band is an essential part of the mask attachment system and the mask itself is a plays a crucial role in the safety of fencing bouts. It is therefore very important that the elastic band be in good condition.

If you notice that the elastic band at the back of your mask is no longer in good condition, you can have it replaced with a new fastening system. Over the years, it has happened a few too many times that a mask fell off during matches in high-caliber tournaments because of a faded rubber band. For this reason, the FIE (Fédération Internationale d'Escrime, which governs the regulations on fencing equipment) voted for the implementation of a new fastening system which includes a doubled elastic band and a doubled velcro. This new system is not yet mandatory for tournaments in Canada, but manufacturers are still gradually transitioning to this new system with all of their masks.

Imex Sport is fully certified and has all the tools and parts necessary to convert the fastening system of masks of the following brands:

• Absolute
• Allstar
• Blue Gauntlet (BG)
• Leon Paul
• Negrini
• Uhlmann

Please contact us to learn more about this process and how to get your mask converted.

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

If your mask is refused due to the electrical resistance of the conductive bib, 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 bib, the mask will no longer be usable in tournaments. However, nothing prevents you from keeping it for training at the club and using your next mask for tournaments only. For foil, it is also possible to install a Mask Upgrade (2018) to extend the lifespan of your mask.

If your mask is refused for safety reasons, check with the armorer to see if this is a problem that can be fixed. If so, follow their instructions. If the problem cannot be fixed, the mask is no longer safe and it is dangerous to use it, even for training. A mask that is no longer safe should be clearly identified as such and either destroyed or discarded.