So what type of Epee do YOU use?

[touchapied]

BF FIE Blades definitly last longer. Do can buy one or too expensiv ones and they normally stay in good shape. I still have an 8 year old BF FIE Blade which refuses to break- and I use the blade ones a week.

[CvilleFencer]

Originally Posted by glowstix

by the way, from a performance standpoint ( i understand durability), why are maraging blades better than generic or fleche brand blades???

By performance do you mean how they feel/flex/weigh? I am not sure how best to answer your question (although I think Fencingguy may have already done so) so if you could provide a few more details I will give it a whirl.

[noodle]

Originally Posted by fencingguy

I don't know that they actually are any better just because they're maraging. I need them because I fence in FIE events that require them, beyond that...

At the moment I'm actually using two BF, non FIE blades because I do need to eat . I'll be buying some "real" ones in a couple months. But I do notice a difference. The FIE blades are stiffer, and feel springier (nice non-scientific description) than the non-maraging ones I have now. May be just the individual blades though.

maraging blades generally are better because:
1) they're stamped with an fie symbol. this means they've passed a reasonably rigorous quality control check. you're probably not going to buy a maraging blade that snaps the first time you use it. i can't say the same for any other blade.

2) maraging steel has a low carbon content and has a much more shearable matrix formation, which allows the blade to break in a more flat manner. if you do manage to hit someone with it, it won't be a sharp point like regular blades can break into. it will be more blunt, thusly harder to poke through a jacket and into someone. they're safer.

3) maraging steel, for similar reasons stated in 2, is a lot stronger at room temperature than regular steel and has a higher fracture toughness which both help prevent breakage.

[JEC]

I have 4 FIE BF whites (one french and 3 visconti) and 2 FIE StM Gold (visconti). I use them depending upon my opponent. If it is a precision game stiff, if my opponent is too mobile, I like the extra flexibility of the StM blades.

[vincikai]

make another poll for foil blad ;]


my BF blue is really light like a foil o_O that freaks me out a bit sometime

[Zara_athlen]

I use a lite weight preur FIE blade, I had bought a BF FIE blade (white) and found it way too stiff. This ones a bit lighter and more flexible. However as I've started fencing epee, I realize that havin a really stiff blade might actualy be a good thing.

Which brings me to my next question, which is better, the ultra stiff epee or a more flexible blade?

[CvilleFencer]

Originally Posted by Zara_athlen

Which brings me to my next question, which is better, the ultra stiff epee or a more flexible blade?

In my experience that all depends on you. If you are a "power fencer" IE lots of hard beats and takes and lots of bladework then I would suggest a stiffer and maybe heavier blade. If you are a very agile fencer how does lots of bladework and avoids blade contact, lots of flicks to the hand/arm or does a lot of infighting then in general you would probably be better served by the more flexible blade.

I think it depends a bit on your opponent as well as someone mentioned above. I am not a fan of switching weapons (in epee, I sometimes do in foil) depending on opponents but I know several good fencers that do it.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

A stiff blade is better for parries and beats and point attacks, as it is harder to deter away from the target. A flexible blade is good for hook and flick attacks, but try to avoid much blade contact or binds or beats, cause nothing good will happen. A good compromise between whip-and rebar is the pbt bf blade. The consistently whipiest blade is a bf blue in my opinion, or the stm, but both take bad kinks. The stiffest blade is the BF white or Vniti, both give bruises, and both of them can take a beating.

[CvilleFencer]

I have a Vniti epee that you can do flicks to the back with. For that matter if you are in six you can move in and flick to your opponents lead knee with it. The flexability just varies from batch to batch. I have seen some BF blades that were like pool cues and others that were very whippy. I havenot found a brand yet that is always "like this". They all seem to have a good amount of variation in them. I think the most consistant blades I have found to be the LP non-FIE blades strangely enough.

[Army Fencer]

Originally Posted by glowstix

wwhhhaaattt!??? can you afford to eat still??????

I couldn't. I went hungery for a few weeks there.

But I moved in with some friends who are willing to feed me, so things are a lot better now.

[prittieinpink]

i use blade weapons. i feel that they are lightweight and i like the flexibility, especially for the low price. i am however looking to get one of those rainbow ones ...

[telkanuru]

I'm switching from SG super to BF white. I am liking the change, but my wallet is not. Especially since books were $450 this semester. sheesh.

[swordsen]

I like FL maraging and not. Good, light, cheap. and for me at least, they last quite well.
I like the LP pressed metal blades too for their lightness and speed but they tend to develope a curve that I dislike as they get older.

[angriff]

I was a BF fan till I came across Prieur PS FIE blades.. I find the PS quite responsive, light and well balanced. It does take kinks easily but can be straightened out just as easily... makes it kinda creepy at times. The BF is like what everyone else says, stiff, durable etc etc. But most importantly for me, the PS is cheaper

[geezer]

Leon Paul angle iron with a canted French grip...not my intended favorite, but it sure likes me. I wanted to idolize my blue bladed pistol grip, but sometimes its quirky and doesn't have that raw power.

[Lone Musketeer]

Leon Paul non FIE but with the ultralight guard.

LM

[pammie003]

My current favourite is a StM FIE (non-maraging, I believe). It's a rainbow coated one, which has caused me to be the target of some minor ridicule at the club, but no matter. I love it because it is neither whippy nor stiff... I can use it for both styles of fencing.

My second blade is a cheapie (relatively speaking) Allstar blade. I rely on it as a backup, and also use it for teaching/drilling/fencing with newbies at practice.

I'd love to have more than two, but that will have to wait until I finish grad school and join the real world.

[slimrbp]

I have a BF FIE Blue and BF FIE White from Duellist. The white is a bit more flexible but I prefer the Blue it just seems to suit my style (and the dark blade looks cool IMO).

[wpotere]

I use an Uhlmann FS maraging blade. It was a little stiff at first, but it is breaking in nicely.

[Mike O]

Leon Paul non-FIE with PBT ultra-light bell guards and Uhlmann V-3 Viscontis. A foilist at my club once commented that he'd held heavier foils.

2 of the 3 LP blades I have are approaching 3 yrs of use. They get a bit "noodly" but never seem to break.

Mike