So what type of FOIL do YOU use?

[outlawsteveoaos]

Originally Posted by LUDICROUS

What kind of blade? FIE or non FIE? How did It break? Stories!

And yes you can.

too be completely honest i don't know what kind of blade it is. it was a hand me down from a friend of mine in highschool, and back then i didn't kno too much about fencing or weapons. it's stamped with just the name allstar so 'm gonna go w/ non fie. 've had it for over 2 years now, and there's a descent amount of rust by the tang so it's probably an older blade.

can't remember what exacly happened, but basically i lent it to a friend of mine during a match w/ me, and a bunch of actions later he landed a touch on my shoulder, then all we heard was the first 10cm of the tip of my blade fall to the ground. 'm so sad, i think i'm gonna let it hang on my wall for the rest of the semester.

outlaw steveo aos

[CvilleFencer]

Originally Posted by mrbiggs

Out of curiosity, where is New Europe?

It is right there next to Whoknowsia and Whereeveristan! It is the phrase that has been applied to former soviet and emerging economy countries in the northern/western part of Europe such as the Ukraine, Belarus, Bosnia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, etc. I guess you could stick Poland and Bulgaria in there as well if you wanted. European geographic slang is not my strongsuit...

[mrbiggs]

Originally Posted by CvilleFencer

It is right there next to Whoknowsia and Whereeveristan! It is the phrase that has been applied to former soviet and emerging economy countries in the northern/western part of Europe such as the Ukraine, Belarus, Bosnia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, etc. I guess you could stick Poland and Bulgaria in there as well if you wanted. European geographic slang is not my strongsuit...

Ah, thanks. Never heard that before.

[WhipLash]

Originally Posted by davtsung

I'm surprised so few of us use StM's.

yup very surprised considering how many good reviews i've heard abt the blade. i'm using a stm fie mar from uhlmann, german tip, uhlmann guard & pad, and uhlmann grip(italian vicosti)...my ex (coach) bought it for me almost three years ago and still going strong, but then i don't fence that often. thinking of trying either BF white or vniti next should i decide to continue foil. i didn't know you can choose how stiff/flexible the blade is?

[WhipLash]

hmm...i'm going to revive this thread cos i've got a few questions. first, uhlmann has the BF MAR but they don't have it in blue or gold. so anyone ordered coloured BFs from them before? also, i've heard of gold BF (gofence.com) but nowhere else.

second, any general opinions on how the BF perform as compared to StM? cos the coloured StM actually costs more than a BF, yet is listed as mid-line!

Third, my 2 prong socket keep shorting on the bell cos i press it down during fencing. so was wondering if it's possible to buy a manual felt guard instead of electric one, and cut a slit in it for the socket.

thanks all!

[WhipLash]

have anyone used the Golubitsky-Pro Maraging FIE sold by leon paul? any reviews/comments

[Rabid Monk]

Originally Posted by CvilleFencer

I also sometimes use an old Lammet non FIE blade that is stiff like a pool cue and mounted with a TCA Large American grip that I use against a certain type of fencer.

Are those always stiff as a pool cue?
I prefer sturdy blades that won't flex much.
Right now my foil is largely generic, but it's decent.
I must confess all the technobabble is overwhelming, but ask me about bikes sometime, and you may get the same feeling.

[shango]

Not at all, Lammet blades are like the new Vniti ones.

[RebelFencer]

two prong vniti blackstick canted with a belgian grip. The blade is awesome. It's strong when you need to parry and straight attack, but is flexible enough for solid flicks. Very nice and affordable FIE weapon.

[CvilleFencer]

Actually mine is stiff like a pool cue! It is an older Lammet blade, around 99 IIRC. Using it with the thug grip keeps me from trying to do anything fancy except parry/reposte, beats and takes. I use it for those fencers that like to dive lemming like onto your blade in the hopes that it will bend enough not to go off. One guy swears I put a foil tip shapped dent in his chest protector with it... As I am adapting to the new timings more I have not used it in a long while and just use better distance and a softer hand to get around the problem, but it served its purpose at the time.

[WhipLash]

haha...ok...anyone has any thoughts abt wat i asked? cos i got to make a decision soon....

thanks

[smeric28]

i have 4 foils all are identical except for one which has a tripplette fie blade. the rest are all chevalier fie blades with uhlman alumuminum alloy guards, absolute leather pads, leon paul bayonette socket and soon to be zivkovic BIII handels.
funny thing is i love the chevallier blades but they come blue. For some reason i can't fence with a blue blade it distracts me or something. i used a rust converter to remove the blue oxide on all 3. and i have never looked back they are awesome.

[Symon]

i usually swap between 2 sword...1 being my golobitski pro and the 2nd being a rather nice BF i bought from duellist .......... nice and flicky!!

[mollusk]

Originally Posted by LUDICROUS

What kind of blade? FIE or non FIE? How did It break? Stories!

I actually broke a Vniti.

I fence three times a week and used this particular blade for 90% of my fencing for 2.5 years. About six months ago it picked up an S-bend that would reappear on occasion. It snapped the last time I tried to staighten it.

Fortunately I have its identical twin in my bag. Well, identical except for that S-bend and breaking part.

[fencinman89]

Does anyone else here not like the new vniti foils?
-Tre'

[mollusk]

Originally Posted by fencinman89

Does anyone else here not like the new vniti foils?
-Tre'

I prefer the older ones. Most of the newer ones are too flexible in the foible for my taste. You can still get a reasonably stiff one if you can pick and choose.

[anoilerman]

Prieur FIE-blade FS Maraging + Allstar guard + Uhlmann pad + Prieur 2-pin socket + Negrini Visconti Anatomical Grip

Die beste Waffe.

[fencerchica]

Hmm... at least from the descriptions, the new vniti's sort of sound really nice to me (note I haven't tried any yet), with being lighter and being more flexible at the foible. Those are both characteristics that sound good to me, as long as it's reasonably solid through the forte and the middle. And vniti's were known for being so heavy before, that perhaps a light vniti is more like middle of the road, in general? I'm looking forward to trying some out and perhaps buying a couple at Nationals.

[fencinman89]

Im not so sure about the vnitis being lighter, seeing as they are thicker. I personally liked the old thin heavy ones. They had a thick tip so i can still flick on the new timing fairly easily.
-Tre'

[pigeonmeister]

I've just taken delivery of new Vniti maraging FIE foil with titanium alloy guard, non insulated allstar pistol grip and Uhlman point. The complete weapon was only about £65 from goFence.com (about $118) including delivery. Thats about $40 cheaper than LP's cheapest FIE maraging. As I have used LP maragings since i was 13 this is a bit of an experiment.
I havn't fenced with it yet but my initial impressions are of a nicely balanced weapon which is more solid at the base than the LP (so should give a nice solid parry). It doesn't seem very heavy at all. As I was under the impression some of the Vniti's are quite stiff I specified a more flexible blade, I am actually very suprised to find that the one i have been sent is as flicky as a LP budget maraging (a notoriously flicky blade), perhaps even more so. I probably wouldn't, given the new timings, have picked quite such a flicky blade, but I reckon that (like the golubitsky) it is only the foible that is whippy. I am think that this should give me better point control whilst leaving the potential for the odd flick.

After this glowing report it is bound to break first time i use it!

Incidently I borrowed a brand new standard non FIE allstar foil (no idea which one) for last nights training. I was the first to use it and it was as stiff as a board. Yet I found it a very effective weapon on the new timings, my accuracy was very consistent, my parries decisive and everything I wanted registered. I think, however, this has as much to do with using brand new point, springs and with a very well taped and insulated point. I find more and more that poor weapon (particularly tip) maintenance is the cause of the majority of the phantom hits that aren't registering on the new timings. Stiffer blades, I think, are also helpful.