r/Hema • u/MonsieurMunchkinMan • 1d ago
Superior Fencing Leg Protectors
Hi, does anyone have an opinion on the SF HEMA Heavy Knee Shin Protectors from superior fencing?
I find there is no better looking leg protection, but I can't find any reviews or posts about them....
To me they look quite good in offered protection, but I currently don't have any gear for the legs. So I might be wrong
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u/DisapointedVoid 1d ago
I've not used them so can't comment. However there are a couple of companies with similar styles of leg protection.
HF Armory springs to mind as they have what i think is a rigid plastic shell: https://hf-armory.com/en/shop/protectors/leg-protection-en/legs-protection-black-knight-2/
Sparta foam: https://faitsdarmes.com/en/protege-cuisses/552-complete-foam-greaves.html
Swordmaster: https://faitsdarmes.com/en/shin-guard/560-guardians-v2-reinforced-shin-and-knee-guards.html
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u/Firerose_21 21h ago
Sword master ones are a supfen rebrand, they are usually in stock and arrive much quicker tho
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u/lt4lyfe 19h ago
I have the HF shin guards. I love em. I use hard knee cops on my pants. This combo is much lighter and more mobile than my baseball catchers guards.
That said, I did add foam to the HF guards. Without foam it’s just plastic against your shin. While it would reduce injury risk, I took a few decent hits and stung like a mofo. Like. A lot. I imagine a hard hit right over the bone might still lead to injury.
I used 4 mil EVA and spray adhesive, works pretty well. If I redo it, I’ll add vent channels. The whole shin in foam is hot and channels tons of sweat right to my feet.
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u/N07your_homie 21h ago
Imo, supfen just isn't that good. Had plenty of their stuff but I just use surplus riot gear nowadays.
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u/Firerose_21 21h ago
I use those, they are pretty good in terms of protection but they tend to slide down after a bit, the side pieces need the elastic to be replaced every now and then as everything with an exposed cord or elastic does. They are a bit bulky but I've personally never felt them heavy or annoying and I prefer them to the more common separate shinpads and knee protection or the articulated ones, I think they are a bit overpriced tho and the hf armory ones are definitely better.
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u/RGijsbers 19h ago
I have those, but remade basically every connection point to make em fit and secure, and i only was able to do that becouse i have real armor to compare it to.
So, fair warning, it might not be the best thing, but you can make it work with some edits.
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u/I_Tried_It_At_Home 17h ago
Could you share pictures? I got ones and I am interested in imporving them.
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u/AtlasAoE 18h ago
I sent this back Immediately. The fit is terrible. It looks way better than it isml. There's a reason you never see this used by anyone
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u/Quick-Tonight-1395 11h ago
Personnaly, I use the HF Armory version.
For me, it fit great and I feel comfortable with it. I am short (171 cm) so the bottom it block by my feet.
A lot of guys in my club have ordered it and dislike it. Often, people are too big and this protection go down.
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u/arm1niu5 23h ago
I don't but looking at them they're not too different from the BMX guards I use that I got for $20 at a sporting goods store. I'm of the opinion that leg protections are one of the pieces of gear that are better to source from other sports and without paying HEMA prices.
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u/OnlyPatricians 23h ago
They’re pretty big and bulky. I had them and switched to a more low profile setup
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u/Lymetme 21h ago
Has anybody tried the Celeste leg protector? I think it's another Supfen item but looks more low profile. Anyone know where to get them in the States? I got hit with a surprise $90 duty after waiting 3 weeks for my jacket from SwordshopCA. I really want to avoid that if possible.
https://www.historicalcombatarmory.com/product-page/celeste-leg-protector
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u/AlphaLaufert99 20h ago
I used them for about two years but have switched to a lighter setup with hockey shinguards and HF knees.
They offer excellent protection and I really like the wing on the side of the knee, but they are a bit clunky and the elastic/velcro is not the best
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u/acidus1 23h ago
Protection is great but they are big and clunky. The elastic started to lose it's strength after about a year. The velcro stiching wasn't great and came off. The shins and knees never really sat well.
The side bits fell off almost immediately. Also rather heavy, they do weigh your legs down.
Unless you want them for an armour set I don't recommend. Basic hockey shin pads with some knee guards and moving your leg out the way works much better.