How to avoid having to fix fencing body cords

Before we get into the dark art of fixing body cords, it’s important to keep two points in mind that can help you to avoid having to fix the darned things in the first place.

Moisture is a fencing body cord’s greatest enemy

When you’re done fencing, let your body cord dry for a few minutes before putting it away. When not in use, keep your body cords in a thin, cotton bag—something like a pillowcase and NEVER store your body cords in a plastic bag. An accomplished men’s foil fencer from the San Francisco area actually leaves his body cord inside of his jacket after he’s done fencing. Once you start winning Olympic medals, you can get away with this sort of thing, but, until then, keep your body cords away from moisture.

You get what you pay for

This says it all with pretty much all fencing equipment. All body cords are not created equal. Some have more strands of wire than others. More flexible body cords tend to last longer than more rigid one ones, and they are more comfortable to fence with. Don’t be afraid to pay $25 or more for a good body cord from a trusted European manufacturer. In other words, better quality body cords are going to require fewer repairs because they break less often.

These two points are your greatest defense against broken cords. However, no matter how careful you are, at some point your cords will need repairs.

The basics of fencing body cords

Before you can have a good understanding of how to fix body cords, you need to know a few basics about how they work. Cords function a bit differently in each of the three weapons, although all have similarities.

All body cords have a three-pin end (the reel-end) which plugs into to the scoring machine. The three pins are attached to individual wires that run through the length of the cords and are referred to as the A, B, and C lines. The A and B line are closest together and the C line is positioned away from the other two.