Fencing Masks

Made in Wisconsin by Edwin "Giles" Gilbert.

The design was started by Edwin Gilbert. Then adopted and improved by Terry Tindil.  Terry made them popular with the HEMA and SCA communities as “That Guy Products” from 2007 to 2015.  Terry decided to retire That Guy Product in 2007 and handed off mask production to me.  He passed sales of his beautiful gorgets to www.darkwoodarmory.com.


These masks are designed to keep fencers safe! They are among the  best available worldwide for fencers playing hard with swords heavier than foils and rapiers. These masks allow greater freedom of motion, comfort, cooling, and  protection than the mass produced wire weave masks you are familiar with. Professionally I worked as a US Army medic and a Registered Nurse.  Acquiring a practical knowledge of sports injuries, beyond those I have personally taken.  Began making armor for SCA heavy fighting in 1978.   We have continuously improved these helms. Using advise from physicians who fence, instructors who have studied the findings of the NFL (USA football) concerning concussions. Army medics (who fence) with their experience with sports injuries.  

Pricing

Usual prices for masks, this is with all leather in place and ready to wear.


In stainless steel: $550 -- Mild Steel $450


A visor model is $100 more. That is either mild or stainless steels.


Mask Shells = the steel

The masks are made from 18 ga. mild steel or "stainless steel 304" flat plate and perferated plate.


The perforationed plate are .125" (1/8") in a staggered pattern with a 3/16" offset which leaves 40% of the surface open. The pieces are hand riveted together using 1/8" mild  steel rivets.


The back edge of the face is strengthened either by being  cut from the finished edge of the perferated plate or rolled. The front edge of the back of head rests inside the back edge of the face so not strengthened.   (that ought to satisfy the geekier of you).


The masks have a perforated (perf) steel face.
Fencing mask

Chin

Two chin designs, pointed or squared.


No difference in strength, mostly aesthetic but if you have a very full beard i suggest the square chin.

Fencing mask with pointed chin

Pointed chin

Fencing mask with square chin

Square chin

Brow

Two designs are half circle and quarter circle. The half plate adds more rigidity to the mask and crowd your field of vision above the eyebrows. Recommended for very upright German long sword.


The quarter circle is triangular point down toward  between the eyebrows.


This increases your field of vision above your eyebrows. Some rigidity is traded off , still very strong. Recommend for the hunched over stance of some Italian style rapier.


Having trouble visualizing? Trigonometry. Half circle is one fourth of a sphere. Quarter circle is one eighth of a sphere. . The circle I am refering to is an imagined circle around the head at the level of the eyebrows . So the half circle forehead is a solid plate from temple to temple.   The quarter plate a triangle from between the eyebrows up to top of head.


I use a mask with forehead plate made entirely of perforated steel. This allows even more air flow for cooling. I am old enough that I strive to avoid  overheating and do not play hard with long swords.
Fencing mask with half circle brow

Half circle brow

Fencing mask with quarter circle brow

Quarter circle brow

Steel

Here are the options and prices, for the bare steel. I wrote this out to encourage customers to use their skills in sewing or leatherwork to finish their masks. Pounding iron is what I prefer doing, if you do the leather or cloth parts I can get back to more pounding. E-mail conversation welcomed.


Stainless steel plate and perferated plate is 304 (all rivets are mild steel ) = $230 front and $90 back. Can add 16ga stainless steel perferated plate is available, but only works for the quarter plate forehead and adds $50. Stainless steel is half hardened in the perferating process, forming it into a half circle forehead or a face works hardens it  to the point it cracks. Tempering stainless steel requires equipment I do not have.


Mild steel is low carbon rolled plate = $170 front and $70 back + can add:


  • 16 ga mild steel perforated plate is available for face or forehead.  A 16ga  face is more resistant to denting and adds weight to helm. More weight slows acceleration of helm hence helm is moving slower when it accelerate skull. Concussion occurs when the brain is hit by the skull.  Add $50. Foreheads of 16ga perf improves ventilation  while retaining about the structural strength of 18ga solid plate.  Add $25.
  • painted most any color for $30
  • mild steel fore head of 16ga solid steel may be available. $50
  • mild steel fore head of 16ga perforated plate $40


I would like to talk you into ordering mild steel.  Structural strength is nominally less than stainless steel, not enough to be noticed while in use. Rust is not as much of a problem as most folk assume.


Put a helm in a bag with a sweaty jacket and it will rust.


A coat of paint protects well.


If you want shiny helm, a coat of wax protects almost as well,  better if you reapply occasionally. A designated cloth bag for helm gets waxy.


The first one I made in 1998  is mild steel, painted, and still being used. I refurbished it in 2020. A few dents hammered out, rust brushed off. The leather was still functional, barely, so I replaced it.
Fencing mask with red leather bib

Trim and Bib

Leather bib, nape and edgeing are 2-3 ounce chrome tanned leather.


Bib and nape have 20 ga. stainless steel fender washers riveted between. Historically this armor is called brigantine.  I do not overlap the washers  thus the bib is flexible for the mobility a neck needs. Brigantine with  overlaping plates  is quite siff , good for a breast plate but not for a neck.


Edging is a strip of leather folded over and riveted on the back edge of the mask and fromt edge of back of head. 


These colors of leather are available on a regular basis:

  • Black
  • Dark Blue
  • Dark Green
  • Medium Brown
  • Dark Brown


Other colors may be available, email me for my current on hand supply.

Suspension

Suspensions are 3-4 ounce  leather straps. Arranged similar to most most safety helmets and military helmets. Since they will get soaked with your sweat, they are made of vegetable/oak tanned leather. This is for two reasons: 1) To avoid the irritation some people's skin get from the chrome tanning chemicals; 2) Allow the leather to "wet form". When wet, the leather will tend to change shape and it becomes form-fitted to your skull. Suspensions are fastened to the mask with screw rivets (Chicago rivets). These allow you to adjust the suspension in any dimension. I suggest you lock these closed with "lock tite" or similar glue. They will eventually unscrew themselves and sneak away. So pack a few spares - I shall send 3 spares.


Leather an inch across in a T shape goes from temples to top of head.


The top of head suspension is 3 straps. A thin short one attached to center of forehead strap. Two wider straps attached at 2 points on sides of head. Adjusted  with a set of holes tied together with a shoe string such that top of helm is kept away from top of the skull.


Not the only  way to create a suspension but it has been used for about as long as helms.
Suspension
Suspension

Back of Head Protection

Many fencers do not need one. If you practice a style that needs one - you know it. Usually two handed-sword, cut & thrust, and other free flowing combats.


A perferated steel plate about the shape of the back of skull. It is fastened to the top of the back of the mask with a cotter pin in a 16ga hinge (mild steel) . Straps run from back plate under chin of mask; to keep it in place as you move.  A recent customer asked the strap be fastened to mask and run behind back plate , seems to also work well.  The nape of the neck is draped with brigandine of leather and washers like the bib. Front edge (the only edge) is covered with the 2-3 oz leather for beauty and protect you from the saw tooth shape of sliced perferated plate.


Back plates may be ordered as a stand-alone item. Be aware that adding the back plate will require some metal work on the mask. Two holes drilled. Rivets installed, screw rivets or hand hammered rivets. Or this could be done with a leather hinge-sewn or riveted.

Ordering a Mask

Answer all 8 questions:


  1. Style (pointed or square chin)
  2. Brow plate style (half circle or quarter circle)
  3. Leather color for bib and trim
  4. Rivet color (silver, gun metal, brass - sometimes copper and red available)
  5. Steel type (18ga mild steel or 18ga Stainless steel)
  6. Back of head (18ga mild steel, 18ga. stainless steel)
  7. The following four measurements: head height, height to brow, head width (measurements are on the flat 2D plane, don't try to follow the face contours. Pretend you are measuring for a box to put your skull in sans ears).  Best done with assistance. Using a mirror usually causes errors, a matter of angle of view.
  8. Circumference of head- like measuring for a hat. I do not actually use it for the mask, but gives me a check to see if other 3 measurements are near correct.  I am amazed by how many times there have been errors in head measurement. 


Do you wear glasses with the mask? I can bulge the face slightly to accommodate corners of glasses.


Email me at horsebows@gmail.com with questions. 


My intent is that once this webpage is published I will be able to use Gileshelms@gmail.com.


We shall discuss time till completion and payment.

Head height

Head height: underside of chin to top of head

Height to brow

Height to brow: underside of chin to brow ridge (eyebrows)

Head width

Head width: measure skull from side to side using the area just infront of the ears.  I will leave room in mask for your ears, The ears will be pressed back some as too much open space on the sides allows the helm to accelerate more before it starts to accelerate the skull.

Payments

I like PayPal. My account is my usual email address horsebows@gmail.com.


Do not like holding other peoples money and life (yours or mine) could change while waiting in queue.  The queue has been as long as 14 months. Jan 2024 it is 8 months and with the sale of Horsebows archery import business, should get shorter. I ask for money when I am ready to start mask.  About one month before will be finished. Half of mask price then. The balance and cost of shipping when mask ready to ship.


Shipping cost will be determined at time of final payment. Packaged the mask weighs 3 kilo, 30x25x25 cm. For my fellow Americans that is 6 pounds and 12x10x10 inches.



When you have emailed me all the measurements and color choices I will put your order in the queue.


If you would prefer to send a check, that is fine, less money to the credit card companies. Remind me to send you a few spare screw rivets or rapier blunts.
Fencing mask

Rapier tips / Rubber arrow blunts

These come in four diameters to match the diameter of arrow shafts.


They are also used in fencing to blunt the ends of fencing rapiers, schlagers, and daggers.


Available diameters:

  • 1/4 inch blue
  • 5/16 inch red
  • 11/32 inch black
  • 23/64 inch green
  • Large HTM brand: they kinda look like a small crutch tip. These are the largest blunts a few rapiers do not fit in smaller, Also some two handed swords will fit in them. Many two handed swords need custom made leather ends.


For fencing some clubs require a metal washer or rawhide strip be put in to protect the rubber from the wear of the metal tip of the sword.


Any combination of blunt sizes are: $2 each, 6 for $10
Rapier Tips & Rubber Arrow Blunts

Available diameters

Large HTM Brand

Large HTM brand blunt


Bucklers

I manufacture steel bucklers. These are the simplest and most frequently pictured in paintings and manuals.


For rapier or small sword they are of 18-gauge steel and curved forward from the boss to catch sword points as pictured in the 17th century Bolognaise fencing manuals. 8 to 10 inches in diameter with steel handle. Price: $100


For broadsword — either steel or wooden — the bucklers are of 18-gauge steel and curled back to guide the cutting blows away. These are in many old paintings – for example hanging by the sword of English long bow men of the “100 years war”. I am attempting to reproduce the ones from the fighting manual that was written about 1325 in Germany and is called by its museum number "I-33" (Roman one, Arabic threes). Mine are 12 to 14 inches in diameter, a pronounced boss and then the rest slopes back at a lesser angle to guide the sword cut away. Not the one that looks like a straw hat. Price: $100


CAS Iberia offer these in 14ga. I find them too heavy for fencing and in my opinion over weight for broadsword.
Buckler examples
Buckler back
Buckler front

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