are there good vendors left??

[CvilleFencer]

I feel your pain glowstick! This was the same delima I went throw for about my first year or so of fencing. My solution was to buy gear that would last, even if it costs more. My deciding factor was an epee tourney where I got a grand total of 4 yellow and 2 red cards as well as a broken blade from equipment problems.

What I suggest to most of the fencers in my club who are getting into competition is to avoid the urge to get "the best" and get what is good but will last. For most fencers around that have only been fencing a couple of years (myself included) they may not be able to get that 1/10th of a percent of performance that "the best" can give you and would do just as well with a lower priced quality weapon.

For epee I really like the LP non FIE blades. They are some of the lightest you can get and last very nearly as long in my experiance as the BF blades. Those you can get for around 60 depending on what type of tip you want. Another good option is the Vniti. It is a heavy blade, although the newer ones are less so, so it is best to talk to the vendor in person. They also come in a wide range of flexs so make sure you know what you want. The Prieur FIE blades from BG are not a bad option either. They may not last as long as an LP or Vniti but they are fairly cheap and have a traditional feel as far as balance and weight. They are also heat treated to have a nice golden color to help prevent rust and tarnishing.

I love, actually I should say I LOVE the Vniti for foil. I have had one for going on two years now. it is one of my main competition blades, and it is pretty much indestructable. This weekend it had slipped out of my bag and I did not notice... Until I heard the crunch when I drove over it with my very large car. The crunch was from the PVC sheath shattering but the blade was fine! Others at my club have been using them for 3+ years and they are still going strong. Everything I said about the epee blades is true for the foil however plus they take a while to "train" for the bend and a good flicking angle. They are also a bit more heavy and come in a wide range so check around.

The Prieur FIE foil blades are very light and feel nice. They also have a pretty deep blue finish. They are boyant and flick well but do seem to take bends more easy than I am used to but so far they always come back although I do not feel it will last as long as most other FIE blades. At 60 wired it is hard to resist for fencers on a budget who find the Vnitis too heavy.

Several vendors, Including Sword Masters sell the LP and Vniti for good prices. The only place I know to get the Prieur FIE gear is Zivkovic and Blue Gauntlet.

In short, for about 25%-50% more than a POS cheapy blade you can get a weapons that will last you and that you can be proud of. Good luck, and hoped that helped some!

[glowstix]

yeah, i guess. for now i'm borrowing club gear for my first competition but of course i'm eventually going to get my own. i'll see how i do this weekend. i really hope my exit will be from losing to a good fencer and not because of weapon failure (since i put the blades together ).

[andrewmcleod]

When LP submitted their foils to SEMI for FIE homolagation recently, they got an average of ~57,000 I think and one foil set a new record of ~87,000 I think. The requirement is 18,000 cycles. Also LP epees should last longer than (almost?) anything else.

[MikeHarm]

Your hopes are dashed then, cuz I'm not.

I seriously hope you are a sexy female.

[three_hundred_fifty_five]

Try to buy a lot of parts before the fencing season begins or before your old parts are used up. Scrambling for parts and paying $5 billion dollars for a Chinese-made body cord at a competion site vendor is ludicrous. Then, if your order is screwed, you have time to return and replace something.