RESOURCES

Here is a list of helpful links to help new HEMAists find the right equipment or the best online resources to help deepen their knowledge of the art. 

Fencing Gear

Note: new students should consult their local club on what gear to buy first. 

• HEMA gear list - a mostly up-to-date list of sword, jacket, and glove options

• Trusted sites for gear:

  • Purpleheart Armory ships from the US, has a large variety of training weapons (as well as solid options for protective gear), and is very good at restocking and shipping on-time.

  • South Coast Swords is the US distributor for Blackfencer training weapons and Superior Fencing (rebranded as Lynx) protective gear. Weapons they ship reliably but are slow on restocking, protective gear is less reliable.

  • HEMA Supplies is the US distributor for Regenyei feders, Sparringglove-brand gloves, and Black Armory jackets, all highly recommended brands within the HEMA community.

Further Reading

• Wiktenauer - a wiki for historical fencing masters and manuals.

• Liechtenauer Compilation PDF - Johannes Liechtenauer's recital, foundation of the German longsword system, had been interpreted many times over the centuries. This document lists three such interpretations (and their English translations) side-by-side.

• Academy of Historical Fencing offers some useful resources for a variety of weapon systems.

• ORVL League: The Ohio River Valley League’s website, our local HEMA community

Instructional Videos

• Superior HEMA have made many videos covering German swordsmanship.

• Academy of Historical Fencing has gear reviews and instructional videos for a variety of weapon systems.

• Blood and Iron makes many videos about various aspects of HEMA, from techniques to gear reviews.

• Martin Fabian has instructional videos for longsword and rapier.

• Broadsword Academy Manitoba has instructional videos for Highland broadsword.