It's a problem every fencer with long hair (and in fencing this means everything that is not a pixie...) knows: what in heaven's name are you supposed to do with your mop under a fencing mask? This is way more than a questions of good or bad looks, since at some competitions the wrong hairdo might even put you at risk of a yellow card! We've teamed up with our Instagram girl Johanna, who has first-hand experience of the issue, to give you a round-up of the rules and the best strategies to tame your hair.  Continue reading →

Fencer, you remember Max Titmuss and his charity run in a fencing uniform to raise money for Ataxia UK? And not just any run, but the Great Wall Marathon in China? With just one month to go, it's time for an update...   Continue reading →

You might have heard about the so-called travelling salesman problem, which is one of the most studied conundrums amongst computer scientists, but here at Leon Paul we believe there is another problem out there that merits at least the same level attention, and that’s the problems you face when you’re on the go with your fencing kit. (If you've ever gotten into a fight before your actual fencing class with an opponent named “revolving doors”, you know what we’re talking about). So, based on the experience of our Instagram girl Johanna, we’ve collected 10 Do’s and Dont's for the travelling fencer. Warning – they might need to be taken with a pinch of salt ;)     Continue reading →

It’s that time of year again. January. The moment to set out goals for the 365 days ahead… and as every year, fail miserably? For our start into 2019 we’ve decided to look at the popular sport of making new year resolutions (and almost immediately breaking them) from a fencer’s point of view. We won’t convert this into a self-help blog (promise!), but here are some thoughts about good intentions (and how they may or may not pave the way to hell).   Continue reading →

"Oh sweet coffee, I adore thee". At one point or another (Monday mornings, we're looking at you!) in our lives we've probably all been there and thought that thought. But, on a scale from zero to caffeine-junkie, how deep is the love between fencers and coffee? And even more interesting: is there a correlation between your intake of the magical black brew and the weapon you fence? We've called in an expert in the matter, our very own Jon Willis, to share the results of many years of (semi)-serious study with you. Are you ready for the results ;)? Then read on!   Continue reading →

From London-Hendon to a district where the British capital feels a lot like San Francisco, from making fencing equipment to buying music albums... here's the second part of our not-so-ordinary London city guide, written by Olympic Silver medalist (and big rock'n'roll lover!) Alexander Massialas. If you want to know where London's best record store is (no, it's not in one of the more touristy boroughs!) or how Alex tackled the challenge to make a fencing mask in our factory (fans of our #FactorytourFriday series on Instagram, this is for you!), then we recommend you read on! Continue reading →

  After more than five years, when you come back to the city where you fenced your first Olympics, it is always a special occasion that it's worth highlighting by some unique experiences. But when world class foil fencer Alex Massialas, the then youngest member of the US delegation in the 2012 London Olympics, got back to the British capital in 2018, he had a very specific plan for his visit: he didn't want it to be just any sightseeing trip, but one that fell perfectly in line with his interests. That the latter involve fencing won't come as a surprise to anybody (and for good reason, Alex earned an individual Silver medal in the Rio 2016 Olympics and is a regular in the world's top 10), but did you know that our favourite member of the US foil team is also very fond of music, especially rock'n'roll? So what else could we do except ask him to write down his experience in a travel diary...in order to offer you an unusual, yet incredibly compelling city guide to our brand's hometown? Read ahead for all the details of Alex's itinerary – the results of this have been ratified and tested by international Leon Paul employees, take our word for it. Continue reading →