Is Blade a good vendor?

[wddragon]

[quote]Originally posted by Purple Fencer:
[QB]


To a great degree, that's true. You have a better chance of getting a correct order if you talk to someone who actually speaks English!

------------------------------------------
On that note, I was trying to be nice and not to mention the fact that I hardly understand what they just said to me on the phone
Thanks for bringing that point up!
I hope I don't get a jacket with 2 head / 1 arms openning

[Purple Fencer]

[quote]Originally posted by wddragon:
<STRONG>

Originally posted by Purple Fencer:
[QB]


To a great degree, that's true. You have a better chance of getting a correct order if you talk to someone who actually speaks English!

------------------------------------------
On that note, I was trying to be nice and not to mention the fact that I hardly understand what they just said to me on the phone
Thanks for bringing that point up!
I hope I don't get a jacket with 2 head / 1 arms openning </STRONG>

Don't worry about it. ALL of us have had those experiences. It's all part of participating in a European-born sport.

[OleMissFencer]

So BG is an ok vendor as long as you phone in the order? Lol I wish i had something more decisive to go on when choosing a vendor

[neevel]

As I've mentioned in previous threads, I find that it's a good idea to e-mail or fax in you orders in a columnar, shipping invoice format (i.e., quantity, vendor catalog number, description, details) with a separate line for each item. It makes it a lot less likely that the person who's assembling your order will make an error when they've got precise details in writing to work from. Also, include phone numbers and e-mail addresses where you can be reached- in the past Saul at the Fencing Post and Amanda at BG have both called or e-mailed me to clear up uncertainties about orders before shipping.

-Dave

[OleMissFencer]

So yet another question, I've been pretty much turned off of Blade. What about Physical chess? My club has ordered from them before and they did alright. Please let me know.

[Philistine]

Originally posted by OleMissFencer:
<STRONG>So yet another question, I've been pretty much turned off of Blade. What about Physical chess? My club has ordered from them before and they did alright. Please let me know.</STRONG>

For what it's worth, I just ordered (a jacket) from Physical Chess on Monday evening by Web, got it Wednesday afternoon. Not too shabby.

--Philistine

[OleMissFencer]

Originally posted by Philistine:
<STRONG>

For what it's worth, I just ordered (a jacket) from Physical Chess on Monday evening by Web, got it Wednesday afternoon. Not too shabby.

--Philistine</STRONG>

Cool, that helps. I sent them an email about some stuff i'm interested in, but it wont get answered until the 12th (they are at some tourney). I've narrowed it down to either them or BG, but I worry about blue gauntlets stuff being very poor quality. We'll see I suppose.

[neevel]

OleMiss--

I'll re-iterate: BG's uniforms are _not_ poor quality. I'm an armorer at the national level, and buy and maintain equipment for my club, so I've got a bit of experience with fencing equipment. If Allstar and Uhlmann are the equivalent of a Mercedes or BMW (generally top quality, but you'll pay a premium unless you want to buy direct from Europe), BG's stuff is generally akin to a Ford Focus-- good enough to get the job done just fine, and a value for the money. The main items from BG that I'd look elsewhere for are the Chinese-made electric foil and epee blades (practice foil blades are OK). Russian sabre blades will probably last a bit longer, but since sabre blades of any type tend not to be long lasting, a lot of competitors prefer the BG blades because they're not substantially worse than others and are cheap to replace. BG lames are pretty much the best you'll find at the low-end (the TCA ultralight is the other good low-end lame, and their sabre version is twice the price). The masks are just fine-- you'd need to go up to the $120-plus range to get a better sabre mask.

Physical Chess is run by the same family who run Blade, and will be selling the same Russian lames that I'd recommend avoiding, and the mask will most likely be the same one you'd get from BG.

BTW, if cost is a concern, do you already have your own practice sabre? If so, then you just need to buy a socket and a S2000 blade if it doesn't have one, and use the hilt parts you already have. Ground the socket (just remove part of the nylon insulator for 2-prong, or else wrap a bare wire from the screw terminal around the bracket a number of times for a bayonet), mount it on the weapon, and then insulate the pommel and the back of the guard with tape.

-Dave

[damianip]

Originally posted by neevel:
<STRONG>Physical Chess is run by the same family who run Blade, and will be selling the same Russian lames that I'd recommend avoiding, and the mask will most likely be the same one you'd get from BG.

</STRONG>

As an aside. They may be the same company at the moment, but rumor (from a good source) has it that Physical Chess will be distancing itself from the Blade/Allstar-USA/FenceSmart organization.

You might see some differentiation in the product lines in the near future.

Paolo

[ 11-09-2001: Message edited by: damianip ]

[schwarta]

Originally posted by peircer:
<STRONG>

Uh, did you you know that the "Triplette" brand blades are made by the same people as the Allstar/Uhlmann blades?</STRONG>

Yes I did. I have found that the Dinamo blades are just fine for the budget fencer (exceot the Epee Blades). If a person can afford to get the more expensive Triplette/Allstar/Uhlmann, then they should by all means get them.

I was only saying that a fencer on a budget will get a decent blade from the Dinamo brand foil and saber blades.

[swordsen]

I personally will not buy anything from Physical chess. After they screwed us over for the third time on a relativly large order of gloves. (for a college PE class) I wrote them off.
Also, the one time a fencer of mine bought their "starter" set I could read his T-shirt through the jacket. so avoid the low end stuff.

[OleMissFencer]

Originally posted by swordsen:
<STRONG>I personally will not buy anything from Physical chess. After they screwed us over for the third time on a relativly large order of gloves. (for a college PE class) I wrote them off.
Also, the one time a fencer of mine bought their "starter" set I could read his T-shirt through the jacket. so avoid the low end stuff.</STRONG>

Which "starter" kit did they order? The electric saber kit?

[ 11-16-2001: Message edited by: OleMissFencer ]

[swordsen]

no, it was their jacket/mask/glove/practice foil kit.

[thebigriddle]

Look for a reply from Mike Harm. He has been raked over the coals by Blade. I have had my share as well. Generally in the end I got all of my stuff.

[its_me_mango]

why not santelli?