The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-02-14
MORE FENCERS THAN EVER.
The Demand for FOiIs. Masks. Etc,
Increasing-Many Women Are
Studying the Science.

Fencing goods" said dealer in
such articles, according to the New
York Sun, ARE imported. some from
France. but the greater part from Ger
many. The foil, made with a blade
81 inches in length for beginners. regu-
lation length being "a. is made in very
great variety as to details and manner
of finish. including foils designed es-
pecially for women's use. There are
two familiar standard kinds of guards
for the foil. the figure guard and the
bell guard. These mountings are of
iron, of steel and of brass, some pol
ished and some nickel plated and some
times engraved and gilded. the open
| guards being faced with leather of one
kind and another. including elk skin.
The foil handles are produced in
great variety. not only as to shape, but
as to the materials used in them. They
| are covered with leather of various
| kinds, including shark skin. Some are
| covered with velvet. some with plush
and some with wire. The handles are
| corded or wire wound. those of the cost
lier foils with silver or with gold wire.
As to the shapes of the handles they are
many; teachers of the various schools
of fencing might prefer one this shape
and another that; and individual fen
GERS have their preferences. and of
course men want handles suited to their
hands.
| THE foil blades are made in lighter
and in heavier weights, in various
| grades and in great variety 5 to finish.
some polished and some blued. and
blades are etched. and engraved. and
| gilded. Foils are sold not only for use
in fencing, but for decoration pur-
poses; some of the finest and most
handsomely finished foils, variously
ornamented, are put to such uses, and
such foils are bought for presentation.
FoilS are of course produced at a great
variety of prices. They are sold in
pairs.
Then there are sold rapiers and
fencing swords in a variety of styles.
| There are sold wooden broadswords
for beginners in sword exercise; and
| there are also sold, for fencing prac-
tice, and for exercise, singlesticks,
or fencing sticks, these being of wood,
| somewhat shorter and lighter and
also cheaper than foils and having
basket hits.
while the foils and rapiers and
swords are imported, almost all of the
other fencing goods are made in this
country. There are various kinds of
fencing masks, including masks for
| foils, masks for stick and sword prac-
| tice, and masks for sword and rapier
| practice, these being severally adaIt-
| ed to their special uses, and made, be-
| sides, each in some variety as to de-
tails of construction and manner of
| finish. Then there are of course fenc-
| ing gloves for men and for women.
| for use with the foils, and for sword
and rapier fencing. Then there are
| plastrons, made for the protection of
the chest while fencing, these being
of channels skin, padded and quilted;
and there are made plastrons for
women, these being of plush and
padded and quilted and made to fit.
There is fencing vest and jacket
for foil fencing, made of chamois
skin, padded and quilted; and there
are for foil fencing jackets made of
| heavy linen. There are for sword or
rapier exercise fencing jackets made
of heavy duck and padded and quilt
ed; and there are fencing belts and
fencing slippers.
There are more fencers in this
country now than ever before, includ-
ing more women fencers than ever;
and the number of fencers is all the
time growing. Fencing is of course
largely confined to cities and towns,
but there are fencers all over the
country. We sell fencing goods from
New York to San Francisco and from
st. Paul to New Orleans"