Should I get a Practice Lame/Mask?

I just ordered my first saber lame and mask (both Uhlmann) for my
first tournament, but wonder if I should get a separate set just for
training (maybe non-FIE, BlueGauntlet)?

I've read plenty of posts that say lames can be very fragile and not
stand-up to everyday training. Would appreciate comments from the
group on what the common practice would be.

Thank you.

-Lito

Gunther,

I would treat lame and mask as separate issues.
For foil ( my weapon of choice ) you buy a new lame when
the old one becomes marginal on weapons check ( resistance goes up ),
it then becomes your practise lame, with patches if so desired. It depends
how much you like acknowledging - with no off targets it's harder on your
opponents when it starts going dead than for foil.

The mask is a safety issue, if it is not good enough to use in a competition,
then it is not good enough to use for practise. Unless you are only worried
about the resistance ?

Regards
AJ

"gunther_2121" <matimpiin@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:ec1e0175.0402250408.a591b13@posting.google.co m...
> I just ordered my first saber lame and mask (both Uhlmann) for my
> first tournament, but wonder if I should get a separate set just for
> training (maybe non-FIE, BlueGauntlet)?
>
> I've read plenty of posts that say lames can be very fragile and not
> stand-up to everyday training. Would appreciate comments from the
> group on what the common practice would be.
>
> Thank you.
>
> -Lito

gunther_2121 wrote:

> I just ordered my first saber lame and mask (both Uhlmann) for my
> first tournament, but wonder if I should get a separate set just for
> training (maybe non-FIE, BlueGauntlet)?
>
> I've read plenty of posts that say lames can be very fragile and not
> stand-up to everyday training. Would appreciate comments from the
> group on what the common practice would be.

I'd have approached the initial purchase differently - for your first lame
and mask, I definitely would not have shelled out for Uhlmann stuff, but
instead gotten the lower-cost BG one. This isn't because I don't like
Uhlmann - I adore my Uhlmann lame - but because I have found it most useful
to start with the lower-priced option and only upgrade *if* I find myself
wanting something better. (This practice has led me to have a patchwork of
more-expensive and less-expensive equipment - sometimes I have to pay more
to get what I want, but if I can get what I want for less, that's even
better!)

In my case, I started out with a Triplette lame, which seemed fine at the
time, but later I realized that I wanted one with a zipper, not a velcro
closure, and one that was not (as others have described them!) tailored
like a burlap bag. Once that lame was getting debatable, I designated it as
a practice one, and got my nice Uhlmann one.

But since you have already gotten the expensive option to start with...

I do think it's useful to have a practice lame, to keep the "good" one for
competitions. I wouldn't exactly call lames fragile, though - unless you
abuse them. If you care for them properly, they last very well. Wash them
regularly, don't fold them, don't leave them wadded up in your bag, repair
any rips or split seams promptly, hang them up to air out between
practices.

I wouldn't bother with having a separate practice mask, though. Personally
I'd just use the same mask for competing and practicing until it wears out.
If the mesh is still good, and the problem is just that there are some dead
spots, you can relegate it to practice-only then. Otherwise just replace
it.

--Holly

Andrew John wrote:

>
>The mask is a safety issue, if it is not good enough to use in a competition,
>then it is not good enough to use for practise. Unless you are only worried
>about the resistance ?
>
>
>
With the exception of some cheap east-european examples I've seen, sabre
masks almost invariably have their bibs go high on resistance a long
time before the mesh fails punch test. You can do the same thing with
the mask as with the lame-- buy a replacement when it fails resistance
and use the old one for practice (although with an Uhlmann FIE mask it
will likely be worth it to have the bib replaced).

-Dave

I agree with what's been said thus far: relegate your equipment to
practice when it starts to fail or look shaky at armory checks. I
actually have three lames: my competition one, my practice one ( which
used to be my competition one until it failed weapon check at a
tournament ), and a cheapie which I carry along to tournaments but
don't ever use...unless my good lame fails check.
( This means I don't have to scramble to buy a new lame, usually at
top dollar and in a hurry, at the meet itself, but can replace the
good one at my leisure, with the brand and size I want after shopping
for the best price. )

I have two masks, one for competitions and one for practice, the
latter being again my previous competition one which now won't pass
weapons checks but still works fine. Unlike lames I've never had a
mask bib develop a big enough dead spot that it fails to register
touches from a sabre, as opposed to an armorer's test probe, so I just
keep using it and using it and...

Having top-notch stuff now, as you do, I'd be inclined to get a
cheapie set for practice...depending on your money situation, on how
often you practice and how much you compete.

I forgot to add one tip for increasing the lifespan of your lames:
when you hang it up, whether to dry or just between practices, run a
rod ( a length of PVC pipe or golf tube such as people use as blade
sheaths ) through it so the arms are held out straight. Most sabre
lames will wear fastest under the arms, so anything you can do to
minimize abrasion and improve drying there will help.

trebuchet30303@yahoo.com (William Marshal) wrote in message news:<dc7987e.0402252139.61c69019@posting.google.c om>...
> I forgot to add one tip for increasing the lifespan of your lames:
> when you hang it up, whether to dry or just between practices, run a
> rod ( a length of PVC pipe or golf tube such as people use as blade
> sheaths ) through it so the arms are held out straight. Most sabre
> lames will wear fastest under the arms, so anything you can do to
> minimize abrasion and improve drying there will help.


Thanks, everyone. I'm lucky that I'm pretty well established in my
career, so I can splurge on myself every now and then. I'm inclined
as well to nab a second set just for training; maybe the stuff at
bluegauntlet. Other suggestions would be appreciated.

-L