Hurray for a wonderful holiday season! For the first time in two years, the holiday season is finally back to some kind of normalcy, thanks to the miracle of vaccines, and we are excited to publish our traditional fencing holiday gift guide.
This year, we’ve put together our annual holiday gift guide, and it’s as big and broad as we are. It’s hard not to be excited about this year! One thing of note here is that supply chain issues are a real problem in 2021. While most of the gifts we’ve included in this holiday gift guide are likely to get to you in time for Christmas, part of the reason we made this gift guide bigger than in years past is to give you more options and ideas in case your favorite fencing gift falls through.
You’ll find this gift guide broken down into five different categories – mental training, exercise/fencing training, books & media, fancy fencing gifts, and silly/fun fencing gifts. There’s something in here for everyone and for every budget, and we can honestly say that we don’t know a fencer who wouldn’t love to find any one of these fencing gifts under the tree!
Fencing gifts for mental training
One of the things that we talk about over and over again is how failure isn’t a bad thing in fencing – it’s a means of growth! This journal really backs up that idea in a practical way that allows a fencer to put all of that down on paper.
Peppered throughout the book are pieces of wisdom related to failing and resilience. It’s a really fantastic gift for any fencer.
Where to buy: Amazon
Cost: $16.50
Everyone says that fencing is physical chess, and the strategy that you learn in chess can really help fencers to engage tactically. A travel chess set is a wonderful gift for a fencer because it allows them to practice those thinking skills anywhere!
This is also a great gift for siblings of fencers who aren’t quite ready for swordplay yet. Kids who are six or seven years old can learn to play chess, and it’s an excellent way to prep them for becoming fencers in the future.
Where to buy: Amazon
Cost: $24.99
This fencing poster is absolutely motivational and completely awesome. What young woman fencer wouldn’t want this hanging in their room?
The quote “Some girls are just born with fencing in their souls” is absolutely spot on for the fencing women we know.
Where to buy: Amazon
Cost: $11.99
It’s challenging to keep pushing yourself as an athlete, and these simple bracelets are a fantastic way for a fencing athlete to stay motivated while training. If you do just one more lap or one more push up, then you’ll be one step closer to your goals.
Where to buy: Amazon
Cost: $7.99
Cross-training is big for fencers, especially competitive fencers. Though there are lots of options with apps to track fitness goals, there’s nothing that quite matches the act of writing all of that down in a book.
The Fitlosophy Fitbook allows fencers to track everything from nutrition to exercise, and it’s small enough to stash into any fencing bag. The spiral is perfect for holding your pen, and it’s an overall supportive gift for the growing fencer in your life.
Where to buy: Amazon
Cost: $18.49
Hydration is such a key part of health and fitness, especially for athletes like fencers. This motivational water bottle is super helpful in getting fencers to stay on track with their water intake. The great thing about this particular bottle is that it comes in a ton of colors and it’s small enough to fit into a standard cup holder and into any kind of fencing bag!
When your fencer drinks all the way down to the bottom, this bottle reminds them to fill it back up again. Two of these 32-oz bottles full is just the amount of hydration that a fencer needs. The little motivational sayings all the way down are really just awesome.
Where to buy: Amazon
Cost: $13.95
Fencing exercise/training gifts
Fencing is an equally physical and mental sport, but in order to execute all of those amazing strategies, the body has to be in great shape. These fencing training and exercise gifts will give your favorite fencer some new tools in their toolkit in their quest to improve their athleticism.
Honestly, it was a toss-up as to whether these went under mental or physical training, because they realistically offer both for fencers. This seven-pack of grip strength exercise trainers are awesome fidgets for fencers who need to let off some steam during the intensity of fencing competition season, but they’re also essential training for a fencer’s physical grip when holding the sword.
Hand muscles in fencers can get really tense. This isn’t just uncomfortable, that tension is also bad for fencing performance. The variety of tools in this hand grip strengthener set allows fencers to hit all of the different muscles in their hands and to drain out all of that tension.
Where to buy: Amazon
Cost: $17.99
Professional athletes are known to get massages regularly to help keep their muscles loose and to reduce tension. Youth fencers, and if we’re being realistic adult fencers, can carry a lot of tension in their muscles during training. Getting the knots out is good for blood flow and performance.
This set of three massage balls helps to get rid of stubborn knots, and it can be used either with someone else or all by yourself. The three different textures and sizes allow for different kinds of stimulation, so there’s something here for everyone.
Where to buy: Amazon
Cost: $15.99
Before you laugh, just hear us out on this one. Balance is an extremely important part of fencing, and improving balance is one of the ways that fencers can really improve their performance.
These giant, inflatable balls force you to work on your balance when an opponent is bumping against you with what amounts to a big balloon. It might seem easy to stay up straight, but it’s actually quite difficult. What a nifty way to work on your footwork! Just wait till your coach sees you in one of these – just don’t try it with a sword.
Where to buy: Amazon
Cost: $49.99
We always list a towel as essential equipment for our fencers. This is a key piece of equipment that mops up the sweat underneath the mask and glove during fencing practice or a fencing tournament.
While any towel will do, sports towels are specifically designed to wick up lots of moisture and hold it there. Their quick-drying nature means that you won’t be stuck with a wet towel in the fencing bag that turns smelly. As a bonus, they come in tons of fun colors!
Where to buy: Amazon
Cost: $10.99 – $16.99
Here’s something refreshingly unusual for that special fencer in your life – toe socks!
Fencing involves spending a whole lot of time in those athletic shoes, and that can lead to blisters that hurt or even just sweaty, uncomfortable feet. These Injinji toe socks pull away moisture and protect the toes from rubbing against each other.
Where to buy: Amazon
Cost: $13.00
Anyone who has done any kind of athletic training knows that good nutrition is a key part of the process. Fencers need good fuel!
A personal blender means a fencer can make protein shakes and smoothies quickly and effectively. Packing on protein is particularly important for building muscle, and that’s a critical piece for fencers of all ages. A protein shake in the morning before school or in the afternoon after practice can make a big difference.
Where to buy: Target
Cost: $15.29
Fancy fencing gifts
Elevating the sport of fencing, one piece of beautiful fencing jewelry at a time. These pieces will showcase your love of fencing in style, and they all make amazing gifts for a fencer!
Well, this is just really cool looking. This 3D fencing lamp changes colors and is a fantastic night light for literally any person who loves fencing. It’s easy to imagine this in a college dorm room, right next to a kid’s bed, or even in the hallway of a fencing house to guide everyone to the kitchen in the middle of the night when they go to get a snack from the fridge.
This lamp is available in with a remote control and custom engraving options! What a fun and fantastic gift for a fencer or a fencing coach.
Where to buy: Etsy
Cost: $34.49-$44.49
These pendants are made to order out of real coins, and they make a whimsical but also beautiful gift for a fencer of any age. Depending on which coin you choose, the piece will be larger or smaller.
Though most of this fencing gift guide is focused on gifts for fencers, this one is a great gift for fencing moms or fencing dads too!
Where to buy: Etsy
Cost: $21.35-$23.35
Every time a fencer goes to a competition, they give it their all. When they win a medal, it’s a big deal, no matter how many they’ve earned in the past.
This beautiful fencing medal hanger is a perfect way to display the hard-earned medals that they win! This fencing medal display is available in four different sizes, ranging from twelve to thirty inches. In addition, you can order a display with one bar or three bars to accommodate any number of fencing medals.
Where to buy: Etsy
Cost: $39.00-$89.00
Of all of the fencing jewelry we’ve seen, none has ever been quite this realistic, nor has it been quite this striking. These foil earrings stab the wearer right through the ear, and they’re absolutely amazing to see.
If you read the reviews, you’ll see that Olympic fencer Lee Kiefer is a fan of these! Here’s her review – “I am an Olympic foil fencer, and I think these earrings are fuego! Thank you for the meticulous details, Alice!” That’s as high a praise as one could ever imagine.
Where to buy: Etsy
Cost: $17.99 each
For something a little less dazzling but also incredibly elegant, check out these stylish fencing earrings. They feature a mask with crossed swords behind, and they’re a great gift for any fencer who wears earrings.
Where to buy: Etsy
Cost: $43.00
Do you love a fencer who loves their old fencing weapon so much that they don’t ever want to give it up? This fencing sword display is a fantastic way for them to be able to keep their beloved fencing weapon hanging as a piece of art, letting them appreciate all of the good times that they had with their beloved foil, epee, or saber.
The holder has a simple design and it’s easy to hang up, plus you can get it in one of four different colors to match the taste of your favorite fencer.
Where to buy: Etsy
Cost: $30.00
Getting to fencing practice on time has never been this classy. This fencing watch is absolutely beautiful and it’s also absolutely functional. You have the option to have it engraved on the back with a message to your favorite fencer or your beloved fencing coach, and it’s as wonderful a gift as any fencer could possibly want!
This is definitely the kind of fencing gift that will become a treasured piece for a person in your life who you love.
Where to buy: Etsy
Cost: $40.49-$57.25
Silly fencing gifts
Sometimes you’ve just got to let it go and let things be fun. Even for serious fencers, we don’t always need to be serious!
This is the most personal gift for a fencer on this list, and it’s also the quirkiest! This artist will create a custom drawing of your favorite fencer in the style of the Simpsons and send you a digital copy of it. You can then have it printed or even send them a digital version.
This is a phenomenal gift for your favorite fencer, but it’s also a fantastic gift for your favorite fencing coach. It’s just one of the coolest things that any fencer could get! The artist has a quick turnaround time, so there’s plenty of time to get this one before the holidays. The artist will personalize the portrait with a foil, epee, or saber, and will base the image on a picture you send of your fencer!
Where to buy: Etsy
Cost: $30.00
Yes indeed, this is a fencing sculpture made out of pieces of hardware. It’s pretty cool, and it would be perfect for any fencer to have on their dresser or desk. The piece is detailed and so full of character. How could you not laugh every time you saw these two fencing against one another?
Where to buy: Etsy
Cost: $45.78
Yes, there is indeed a fencing tabletop game out there. This fencing board game or fencing card game, it’s a little bit of each, includes moves like parrying and lunging. There are interesting characters and variations on moves, all driven by the rules laid out in the instructions.
If you know a fencer who loves to play games, this is the absolute perfect gift for them this holiday season! Unfortunately, the game itself is out of print, but fortunately, you can find a copy of it at Board Game Geek.
Where to buy: Board Game Geek
Cost: $10.00 – $15.00
There are a lot of fencing t-shirts out there, and there’s something to be said for all of them. Let’s be realistic though, is there such a thing as too many fencing shirts? Of course not! Something cool has got to go under that jacket at practice and competitions.
What’s so great about this one is that it communicates a true sentiment in an irreverent way. When that fencing mask goes on, the whole world disappears.
Where to buy: Amazon
Cost: $14.99
Do you know a fencer who’s also a big fan of Harry Potter, or fantasy in general? This customized tumbler is available in over a dozen colors and can be customized to have an epee, a foil, or a saber.
It’s a wonderfully fun twist on fencing weapons, and a tumbler is a great thing to have around for hot drinks on cool airplane rides as you travel to fencing competitions.
Where to buy: Etsy
Cost: $30.00-$32.00
What could possibly be more fun than pretend fighting with a set of foam swords on Christmas morning? This isn’t just a gift for a single fencer, it’s a fun thing for the whole family to do together – even the grandparents. You could even stage some fun fencing matches with these and have the kids act as referees while mom and dad battle it out in the backyard.
What’s great about this set is that they have a handle that looks at least in the realm of an epee, foil, or sabre. Not only that, but they’re reasonably priced and come in a large quantity. The whole family can have silly fencing fun together!
Where to buy: Amazon
Cost: $17.99 for 6
Bonus fencing gift: Fencing ugly Christmas sweater!
Finally, we just couldn’t leave this guide without a very cool, very ugly fencing Christmas sweater. This sweater comes in two different colors and every size, and it’s just the coolest thing we can thing to wear when you’re giving presents away to all of your favorite fencing folks.
Where to buy: Etsy
Cost: $41.36-$49.93
Another Bonus: Fencing Reading for Christmas
There’s one more thing that you can give your fencer this Christmas – our book From Cool Runnings to World Superpower: The Rise of American Fencing. It details how American fencing came to be what it is today, which happened through a winding history that is closely tied to world history. And judging from the fantastic performance of American fencers in recent years, culminating in Lee Keifer’s historical Gold Medal in Tokyo, this book will give you a great insight into what waiting for us going forward.
Where to buy: Amazon
Cost: $9.99
We wish you all a Merry Fencingmas and hope that you have joy throughout the holiday season and find something in this holiday gift guide for a fencer in your life! Of course, the best fencing gift ever is our wonderful fencing community, but the presents are nice too.
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