Vote for the most durable epee here!

[angriff]

Hi all,

I'm looking into getting new blades and durability is the key factor here: I'm currently using Prieur FIE blades, but they take kinks with alarming ease.. I've used BF whites and love those but they are kinda expensive, so I'm wondering if Vnitis are a good alternative?

I know some of you forumites swear by the LP non-FIE (take a bow, DFP ), but living in humid Singapore I'm looking at FIE blades only, to save myself the trouble of having to oil my blades after each session (admittedly, FIE blades still rust, but not as badly as non-FIE ones).

So, with durability the main concern (I don't fence more than thrice a week so I hope they last for 3 years approx), is it gonna be the BF white or Vniti? Any other suggestions are welcome

[Zilverzmurfen]

I have a Dynamo (FIE) blade from 1986. Still in good shape.

I have never had BFs or Vnitis so I couldn't advise you on them, sorry.

[Alain]

All the blades I've used to date, I think, in alphabetical order:


Allstar BF - good, but not great,
Cartel BF - wonderful, can't praise them enough,
Duellist BF FIE Blue Plus - long name, rubbish blade, don't EVER get one,
Duellist VX FIE Competition Pro - not as bad as the other Duellist blade, but by no means as good as the other makes I've tried,
LP FIE (can't remember which one exactly) - it's been a while since I've used their blades, but as everyone says they're very good. Light, flexible, and durable (the last one I had lived for 7 years and was being used in Junior A Grades),
Prieur/France-Lames (non-maraging) - one of my first blades, it was light and lasted aaaaaaages,
Prieur maraging - was just like the other Prieur, but had a little FIE stamp on it,
Russian (completely random) and Hungarian - bought from coaches and also whilst competing abroad as a junior (a LONG time ago...). They were dead cheap, but it was pot-luck as to how long they lasted. I remember someone got 3 once - one broke the first time he used it, the second broke the week after, and the third lasted for about 5 years!

Um, I hope this helps, and have a Happy New Year!!!

[Achilles]

the really cheap allstar blades, i've never broken one. FIE the Russian blades are good, and so are the Hungarian.

[CvilleFencer]

Between the two that you have mentioned for durability I would say go with the Vniti. They are pretty much unstopable and I have never been able to break one. However I do not personally care overly much to the feel, although I am told by people who use their epee blades it is kind of like the LP in the youjust have to get use to the feel of them and once you do they are fine. Of course a top shelf fencer should be able to pick up a piece of Rebar and fence with it, as long as he does not count on his flicks!

For feel the Cartel stamped BF whites, or any of the Cartel stamped blades from this year seem to be just awesome. Long lasting and a great feel, although a bit stiffer than I prefer. However given the price and the general durability of the BF blades I would still go with the Vniti myself for its value/durability combination.

I do have to say that none of my LP epee blades have ever gotten a spot of rust on the despite heavy use and they last forever and feel great once you get used to the lightness of them. They have a great coating that seems to inhibit rust or corrosion and even on my blades where it is mostly all gone they do not rust in our fairly humid (compared to Texas anyway) Virginia climate. I think Alex and Barry have some of the fey folk looked up in the bowels of their shop cranking these things out, just between you and me. That is the only explination I can think of for something so thin and light that does not rust, break or tarnish!

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

eh, the vniti's consistently last till you die, but they are heavy. The BF whites, despite feeling like a trillion bucks, they hit by themselves, break kinda quickly. Dont expect them to last more than 6 months. They also cost a whole lot.

[P Barbasiewicz]

I started off with LP blades (non-maraging) before moving onto maraging blades. They lasted much longer but when I tried the Duellist BF and VX maraging blades I found them to be stronger blades in comparison...personally I prefer stiffer blades as you get better point control as opposed to lighter blades which are really more suited for flick hits.

I did try out a batch of dirt cheaper E. European blades (no idea what make they were!) many, many years ago which consistently broke! I remember the groove in the blade was too small near the tip of the blade so there was a tendancy for the wire to break there during fights. Never used any other blades to compare against like Allstar etc.

[The Armourer]

Originally Posted by P Barbasiewicz

I remember the groove in the blade was too small near the tip of the blade so there was a tendancy for the wire to break there during fights. .

.... so it was an ideal training ground for learning to do rewires - I never looked back