Funded through generous donations from the British Fencing Charity, on behalf of British Fencing and directed by Rick Rodgers, Dr. Ed Elias designed and developed the SwordSeat™ with his Integrated Design Engineering student Conor Roberts at the University of Bath. The SwordSeat™ is our response to the prohibitive cost and equipment requirements of wheelchair fencing.

Reducing the cost from many thousand pounds to a few hundred and making large bulky hunks of metal (that, to the surprise of many, are not allowed to move!) to something, low cost, DIY, adaptable, and easy to transport.

We really hope that you give it a try and enjoy this fantastic sport!

Disclaimer – The SwordSeat™ is a beginner’s chair for community use as part of the development of a seated fencer. The chair is designed and intended for use only as specified below.  

1. Use must be restricted to club or recreational fencing.  
2. The chair must be manufactured and assembled to the BF SwordSeat specification (including the specification below) without any deviation.
3. Use of the chair must be risk assessed individually for each participant by a coach who is BF registered and has a valid BF SwordSeat™ certification and who is satisfied that the chair is safe for the participant to use and who supervises use of the chair.
4. Participants have declared to the supervising coach all relevant injuries and disabilities prior to use.

The chair is safe to use only if the above requirements are met.  

The chair may be manufactured and/or used only if all those requirements are met. 

Manufacturing and Assembly:
The chair should be made from 25mm plywood board – Far East BB/CC ply EN636-3 or better and secured with two ratchet straps as indicated in the instructions before use. Please ensure that you follow all safety precautions and use appropriate tools during assembly. If you are unsure of your ability to assemble this furniture safely, we recommend professional assistance.

By assembling this furniture, you agree that you are solely responsible for its assembly and use. British Fencing provides assembly instructions as a guide and do not accept any liability for errors in assembly or any resulting injury or damage.  BF excludes (so far as is it is able) any liability (including liability for negligence) arising from the manufacture or use of the chair (including where the chair is not manufactured or used as required above).”