Generally, an armorer is someone who fixes fencing equipment. A tournament armorer (sometimes called a “technician”) has a different set of tasks:
- Being responsible for the scoring system at a tournament (reels, scoring machines, floor cords, metallic strips), making sure that it is properly set up and operating.
- Testing personal equipment to make sure it meets the Rules and marks equipment that passes.
- Responding to problems on the strip, a tournament armorer may be summoned by the director to diagnose the problem, and if necessary, fix it.
A tournament armorer’s job usually begins before the tournament, helping to set up strips and the scoring equipment. Then comes the line: all competitors bring masks, body cords, lame’s and (for saber) glove/manchette to the tournament armorers to have it tested. If it passes, a mark (a stamp or wire marker) is applied. Directors will check for these marks on the strip. During the running of bouts, sometimes a problem appears which the director is unable to clear. Then the call comes out (“Technician to Strip 12”), and a tournament armorer runs off to the strip to diagnose the problem, and if it’s not in the fencer’s personal equipment, to repair or replace the broken component.
At USFA tournaments, a staff of 5-8 armorers, directed by a “head tech” staff the armory, which is a set of tables located somewhere in the venue. They arrive two nights before the tournament starts, and spend an entire day setting up the strips, unpacking shipping crates, testing, supervising laying of the strips, placing of the scoring equipment, and making sure it works. Usually, in the late afternoon, they will open the armory for personal equipment testing. When setup is complete (usually by around 7 pm the night before the tournament), the venue is closed, and they retreat to the nearest watering hole.
Early in the morning, usually by 7 AM, the entire staff works the line, testing personal equipment.
- Body cords are tested to make sure all leads meet the 1 ohm per lead limit. The armorer uses a test box, often one he constructs himself, to test your cords. Since problems often show up as “intermittent” connections, the armorer will bend and pull on the wires to make sure they will work as you lunge, stretch and twist on the strip. If your cord passes, a colored wire marker is placed on the cord.
- Masks are inspected to make sure they are safe. The bib is inspected to make sure it has no holes or other weakness. The mesh is tested with a “mask punch” to make sure it can withstand 12.5kg of force at any point on the mesh without allowing the punch to push through. For saber masks, the surface is tested to make sure it exhibits less than 5 ohms at all points on the bib and mesh. A mask that passes gets a stamp applied to the side of the bib.
- Lames (for Foil and Saber fencers) are tested to make sure they have less than 5 ohms over the entire surface to the back. A special probe is used to wipe over the lame looking for dead spots. If the lame passes, a stamp is applied to the back.
- Head cords (for saber) are tested like body cords, and marked with a colored wire marker
- Saber gloves/manchettes are tested like lames for less than 5 ohms between any points on the conductive surface
At normal USFA tournaments, weapons are not tested at the armory; they are tested at the strip before the bout.
When the line is long, we may restrict how many of each item we will test. We never get below two (two cords, two masks, two lames, etc). If we restrict the number, you will have to return at another time to get the rest of your equipment tested. When the line is short, the armorers will usually test whatever you have, as long as you are reasonable :)
You can bring your equipment to be tested at any time, although occasionally, if the line gets very long, we may restrict testing to competitors in events that will start soon. You can have your equipment tested at any other time, and in fact, if the line is short (or non existent), that would be a GREAT time to have yours tested. You don’t have to wait until just before your event. The line is longest the first morning of the event, and the second longest line is the morning of the second day of the event. Please plan accordingly.
Once it’s been tested, you don’t have to have it retested unless a repair is done on it; the test is good for the entire tournament, no matter how many events you compete in.
When there is no line, armorers will, if you ask politely, help you with problems or questions you may have. They can help you diagnose what is wrong with your equipment, they can teach you how to fix it yourself. Normally, tournament armorers DO NOT repair equipment at USFA events, although a simple problem with a trivial fix might just be solved when the armorer hands it back to you. There are vendors who provide repairs, for a fee, at all USFA tournaments, and the armory staff does not compete with them. Tournament armorers are permitted to make limited repairs to equipment of their family, club or friends, but mostly, repairs are provided by the vendors.
“Strip calls” – when an armorer must go to a strip to help keep the tournament moving, takes priority over testing personal equipment. Testing personal equipment takes priority over repair advise, teaching, or other armory work. We hope you will understand when an armorer excuses themselves to take a strip call.
Tournament armory is a specialized skill set. Dealing with people, directors and the tournament equipment is different from general purpose armory work. If you are a skilled armorer, and you want to be considered for working a USFA tournament, look here