Santelli

[Scaramouche]

Does anyone have experience with Santelli's beginner competition kits? I'm looking at the championship women's foil kit with two weapons (on their site it's listed as one but it's different in their new paper catalog). I did some calculations and it'll be a definite money saver for me, seeing as I still have to get pants, socks, a bag, and a glove too! I'm just wondering if the stuff I'm going to get is going to be worth paying for or if I should invest my as-of-yet nonexistant money elsewhere?

[damianip]

Is that two dry foils?

You'd be wasting your money to buy two dry foils. If they're electric, I can see the reason for having multiple weapons.

We have quite a bit of beginner Santelli equipment at our club.

I think,for the money, you'd be much much better off with Triplette's beginner kit (just make sure you pay for the front zip jacket upgrade, stretch nylon too, if you can handle nylon against your skin).

If you also upgrade the mask and glove, you're still saving money over Santelli. I think that the Triplette quality for the cheap stuff is much better than Santelli's.

Paolo

[Scaramouche]

Originally posted by damianip:
<STRONG>Is that two dry foils?

You'd be wasting your money to buy two dry foils. If they're electric, I can see the reason for having multiple weapons.

We have quite a bit of beginner Santelli equipment at our club.

I think,for the money, you'd be much much better off with Triplette's beginner kit (just make sure you pay for the front zip jacket upgrade, stretch nylon too, if you can handle nylon against your skin).

If you also upgrade the mask and glove, you're still saving money over Santelli. I think that the Triplette quality for the cheap stuff is much better than Santelli's.

Paolo</STRONG>

Nah two electric. Thanks for the insight! I'm going to go check Triplette out right now.

[ 11-11-2001: Message edited by: Scaramouche ]

[swordsen]

Santelli supplies good stuff but TCa is quite a bit cheaper. and the quality is pretty much a draw.
Except for gloves. I think Santelli makes the best gloves out there.

PS. Nice meeting you this weekend.

[three_hundred_fifty_five]

Forget about saving money.
Fencing is an expensive sport.
Fencing is also about looking good whether you win or lose. That is why you need to fork over top dollar for FIE-homologated clothing, mask and over-priced Adidas fencing shoes. Anything else is just unacceptable.

[MikeHarm]

There is a guy at the One on One Fencing club who recently purchased a beginners foil kit from Santelli. It all looked of very good quality, and his mask bib didn't flip up like my Blue Gauntlet Olympic one. The downside to them is they are threaded differently than the other suppliers so make sure you know that they are American standard before ordering extra parts from other vendors or you might be out some money.

Mike

[neevel]

Actually, if it's the Santelli electric set (2 elec. foils, 2 body cords, 1 lame) it'll be good quality (it's the dry starter sets where Santelli's just not competitive). Santelli lames are first-rate. Triplette seems to be a bit spotty with their wiring jobs on electric weapons (by the procedure they recommend, they don't bend the blade while glueing the wire in, which isn't a good idea), while Santelli generally does a good job. The Leon Paul blades on the foils are probably the most durable among low-end, non-maraging blades-- they'll get pretty mushy and kinky when they get old, but they'll stay in one piece longer than FL blades for certain, and probably Lammet (i.e., Triplette's Dinamo) blades too.

I'd say it'd be a fine choice, but you'll get better value for your money on the other stuff you mention (knickers, glove, etc.) from Blue Gauntlet or Triplette. Be sure to get spare point parts for your foils (springs, screws, and a couple of spare tips). If you get the foils from Santelli, they'll come with Prieur points-- you need to make sure you make any future point part purchases from vendors that sell Priuer as their 'French' points: Santelli, American, The Fencing Post. BG, Blade, and others carry Sport 7 as their 'French' points, which can be ever-so-slightly incompatible with Prieur.

-Dave

[Tomas N]

I'll make the now-common addendum: two weapons is not enough. This was made clear the other weekend when, on the first and second actions of my first bout, I broke a blade. My third weapon went down with a bad tip in my fourth bout. Luckily I brought four.

[swordsen]

You had a truely bad day.......

[Tomas N]

That statement covers both my weapons and my fencing that day...

[Scaramouche]

Tomas, geez dude that's harsh! Sorry things went so bad. Why do fencers always seem to get the worst luck with blades?

Swordsen, yup great meeting you too! Off to fencing tonight yea! Now if only I could keep my head screwed on long enough to relax and just do what I'm supposed to rather than spazzing out....

[Zelda]

BUY SPARE TIPS!!!! (from someone who fenced 3 hits last night before she realised her tip had gone....off my favourite blade too!)

[Purple Fencer]

Originally posted by Tomas N:
<STRONG>I'll make the now-common addendum: two weapons is not enough. This was made clear the other weekend when, on the first and second actions of my first bout, I broke a blade. My third weapon went down with a bad tip in my fourth bout. Luckily I brought four.</STRONG>

I got that one beat. When I give my beginner's clinic, I alwasy bring up a teammate who went through 6 -- count 'em -- SIX foils in one tournament. By the time he got knocked out, he was on the #6 "Please-God-get-me-through-this-DE" blade...and none of his blades broke! They just went on vacation.

[Fencing Angel]

i trueily aggree with zelda on this one.. have you ever had your tip Snap off?? not a pretty thing to have happen at a tounry..

But your right.. Spares are allways good..
just somemore food for thought.