Saber Lame's

[OleMissFencer]

Hey new to the board, this is my first post.

I started doing saber about two months ago and I have started to look into getting an electric saber kit. I found one for $259 at Blade that i like, but had a question about the lame that comes with the kit. Its a Crystal saber lame? I've never heard of these/nor had any experience with them and was wondering if anyone here has and could tell me whether they are good or not?
Thanks

[Scaramouche]

Originally posted by OleMissFencer:
<STRONG>Hey new to the board, this is my first post.

I started doing saber about two months ago and I have started to look into getting an electric saber kit. I found one for $259 at Blade that i like, but had a question about the lame that comes with the kit. Its a Crystal saber lame? I've never heard of these/nor had any experience with them and was wondering if anyone here has and could tell me whether they are good or not?
Thanks</STRONG>

WELCOME TO THE BOARD!!

They're supposedly really good, like brand new just started coming out or something. I've never used them seeing as I don't have my own electric kit EITHER! I've been doing foil for about 10 weeks and I can't wait to compete! Though I am dreading the stuff from the "you know you're a newbie if...." string happening to me! EEK!

[OleMissFencer]

Thanks for the welcome,

I've been doing both foil and epee for a little over a year now, but have grown somewhat bored with them. I am eventually going to just specialize in saber, hence my wanting to buy electric gear, mais c'est tres cher.

[Purple Fencer]

I've got a crystal lame myself. It's held up fairly well...and i take a LOT of hits! I can't say how it compares to other brands of lames....but I'm sure the more experenced sabre fencers could chime in.

BTW, the kit Blade's offering is NOT sufficient to go to a USFA competition...you need a bit more gear (if I remember, the kit down not include the underarm protector, knickers, the 2nd cord or 2nd weapon you must have to go into competition (if that is your eventual goal). Any vendor's beginner kits are usually made from the entry level gear, and there can be a great deal of difference between gear.

I've just stared an equipment business of my own. If you can;t find what you need from Blade, drop me a line.

homfencing@hotmail.com

[OleMissFencer]

Thanks Purple Fencer, that was pretty helpful.

I already own knickers and a jacket and my club supplies me with plastrons. I had been worrying about a second sword and body cord, most likely when I order it i will get these along with it. One things for certain, saber is an expensive weapon

Thanks for the help everyone.

[ 10-29-2001: Message edited by: OleMissFencer ]

[neevel]

Sam seems to be the one exception to all the people I know who've not had good experiences with any of the Russian-made lames (including the Crystal ones). They are copper, and have a very sparse thread density and thin, weak copper strands. They generally don't pass much longer than 1 year _at most_ of routine use. (The 'dual' lames that Blade sells with a stainless-steel lame front and 'Crystal' fabric back should be a hint to durability problems).

If you need a budget sabre lame, get it from Blue Gauntlet. Their lames are copper, too, but have a high density of much more robust copper strands. As with any copper lame you'll need to be diligent about washing regularly to hold off corrosion, but if you do so it'll last much, much longer than the Russian lames. Russian lames that I've purchased for my club in the past lasted only about 8-9 months before they wouldn't meet the 5-ohm limit, even with regular washings. Two Crystal foil lames that members bought didn't make it past 5 months before going dead on the front (not just over 5 ohms, but _completely_ dead). The BG lames I've got are all still legal after up to 2 years, even if the backing fabric is a little green at the collar.

In general, you're best off getting the peices you need individually rather than getting starter sets. Starter sets are usually the vendor's low-end stuff, and all of the vendors have a few items in that range where they're really not up to snuff.

-Dave

[Purple Fencer]

Neevel;

Strange...you'd think with all the hits I take, my stuff would be dead by now. Then again, I take most of my shots to the head, and my sabre mask is an Uhlmann. Just a liiiiiitle differance in quality


BTW, Scaramouche & Ol Miss...check out http://members.tripod.com/Purple_Fen...p_Package.html before you start completing, or you WILL be joining the Newbie thread!

[Cutter]

I must be pretty good at parrys cause my Russian Lame lasted 3 years. Just had to replace it at Salt Lake a few weeks ago.

[Purple Fencer]

Originally posted by Cutter:
<STRONG>I must be pretty good at parrys cause my Russian Lame lasted 3 years. Just had to replace it at Salt Lake a few weeks ago.</STRONG>

Parry?!? DO'H!! NO wonder I haven't renewed my E since 1999!

Better get my tushie in gear for this weekend!

[Peach]

My Infinity lames have lasted for ages. I think I bought the first one at Santa Clara. I only semi-retired it because the shoulder was a chewed-up mass of lint (it still passed). The second one I've had for a couple of years, I think. I dunno. I've sewn up a couple of holes but basically I roll it up and shove it into my mask when I'm done with it, throw it in the washer occasionally, repair the seams when they start coming apart, stitch up the rips, and it keeps passing.

--Delia

[OleMissFencer]

Originally posted by Purple Fencer:
<STRONG>Neevel;

Strange...you'd think with all the hits I take, my stuff would be dead by now. Then again, I take most of my shots to the head, and my sabre mask is an Uhlmann. Just a liiiiiitle differance in quality


BTW, Scaramouche & Ol Miss...check out http://members.tripod.com/Purple_Fenc er/Prep_Package.html before you start completing, or you WILL be joining the Newbie thread! </STRONG>

I think i may have been misunderstood, I've been competing in foil and epee for almost a year now and have outgrown the "newbie" stuff. Though i have never done electric saber, my club hosted a tourny this weekend in which we did Dry Saber (archaic i know, but still neat). I could have won an E but got knocked out in 2nd round DE's 15-10.

Thanks for the info everyone.

[swordsen]

A team mate of mine had a crystal lame. (foil) it didn't hold up worth a damn. Big dead spots with 6 months.

[saberkid]

i have an infinity, had it for almost 2 and a half years, i LOVE it, its light, breaths looks pretty nice too.. its exspensive, but its worth it.

one of the best things about it is when a certan spot goes dead, its easy to repair, with most of the other lames, when a wire in it goes bad, it affects a much larger area than would an Infinity (since the Infinity is made of metal)

well, i hope that made sense... im tired so i dont know what makes sense anymore

[sallearmourer]

Hi guys remenber who we talking to here. I mean the guy is going to OleMiss. We need to use small words here. The BG sabre lame if taken care of will last for a least four years I know of that how long we have our's.

The infinity lame is another excellent choice at the high side of the price list.

Tim Loomis
Southeran Miss.

Bomb them all and let God sort them out.

[OleMissFencer]

Originally posted by sallearmourer:
<STRONG>Hi guys remenber who we talking to here. I mean the guy is going to OleMiss. We need to use small words here. The BG sabre lame if taken care of will last for a least four years I know of that how long we have our's.

The infinity lame is another excellent choice at the high side of the price list.

Tim Loomis
Southeran Miss.

Bomb them all and let God sort them out. </STRONG>

Ooooooo no you didnt go there. Smaller words? You didn't even spell SOUTHERN Miss. right...
But anyway, are you part of a club there? If so I hadn't a clue southern had a club, its interesting to find out. MSU used to have a club along time ago but I believe it died out. Anyway let me know, maybe we can invite you up for a tournament sometime, or vice verus.

[MikeHarm]

I'm planning to be buying a sabre kit myself in the near future so I'll be able to compete in all three weapons. I think I'll skip the crystal lame from what I've read on it now. How about the stretch stainless lame Triplette offers? Have they held up good?

Mike

[Scaramouche]

Originally posted by Purple Fencer:
<STRONG>Neevel;

BTW, Scaramouche & Ol Miss...check out http://members.tripod.com/Purple_Fenc er/Prep_Package.html before you start completing, or you WILL be joining the Newbie thread! </STRONG>

Thanks babe you're so kind! I read that site once and I was so lost but yesterday I tagged along with the club to a competition in Columbia, SC and it actually makes sense now! Whahoo!

[OleMissFencer]

Does anyone know about the kit offered from Physical Chess-its their Budget beginners Sabre kit, i don't have alot of cash right now and am in desperate need of a kit. Please let me know.