Good equipment sites?

[fatjoehatesme]

I like absolute actually it is my favorite and I don't have to pay shipping because I live like 25 min away

[rcmatthews]

Yeah there Allstar/Uhlmann stuff is good, but I would disagree that they are way over priced.

My Jacket cost 120 and it is more than twice as good as what absolute sells under their brand name.

A PBT FIE sabre mask goes for 209, which is high, but only about 20 over a Negrini. I cannot comment on the quality.

PBT sabre lames are 210, which is pretty much inline with the other manufacturers. Now, if my jacket breaks in a month, then I will agree with you on quality issues.

[rcmatthews]

I like Absolute as well, but not it is not my preferred choice for personal gear (referring to their house brand). If money was not an issue, I would not use them, but for what you pay, the value is not bad.

[shango]

Originally Posted by Cerian

You can order online from the fencing post. You get 20% off too. Just have to do it by e-mail

I mean the ordering service, like the ones just about all the other sites have with shopping carts and stuff. I think it's easier than writing everything out, instead, just click "add to cart."

[achilleus]

Originally Posted by rcmatthews

Yeah there Allstar/Uhlmann stuff is good, but I would disagree that they are way over priced.

The pricing of PBT USA is whack.

In absolute terms, it's comparable with Uhlmann prices from US vendors, with the possible exception of The Fencing Post due to the 20% online discount.

Realistically, however, it's up there. Take a look at the websites for Uhlmann and PBT.

Check out their prices. You'll notice that much of the PBT stuff is significantly cheaper for the same level of items (10 Euros cheaper for an fie mask, 40 euros cheaper for a top of the line jacket, etc...). Also, in my experience, Uhlmann stuff tends to be of better quality. Then, factor in that because Uhlmann has no exclusive dealer in the US, one can order direct from Uhlmann (unlike PBT or Allstar*), and on big orders pay less than ordering from PBT USA for better quality equipment, one begins to realize that the PBT USA isn't such a great deal...

Now, PBT USA are great guys, with great customer service, but it's hard to ignore the pricing when I'm looking at buying equipment especially with the way gas is going up.

*It's possible to get around this as there are severl international vendors that are willing to ship to the US at the same price you would pay if you ordered direct from Allstar.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Originally Posted by rcmatthews

So DFP, you would rank Absolute Fencing as a better vendor than PBT? I certainly hope not. I own gear from both places, and I can say that my PBT jacket is of much better quality than my Absolute lame. For cheap stuff, absolute is great, in contrast to say BG, who can;t even put together a coherent website.

I dont buy cheap stuff.... But honestly, look at the PBT non FIE epees, they cost quite a lot for what is basically a fleche blade on an average guard and grip. The wires are expensive also. Alot of their stuff is expensive...

PBT Fortuna Plus fencing shoe.... $160

Absolute "li ning" or "adidas dartagnan II" ... $85-$115

PBT non FIE epee... $106
Absolute non FIE epee (comparable quality).... $70

Knowing that hungarian imports aint worth the money.... Priceless.

[Purple Fencer]

Originally Posted by D+F+P=Hadouken!

I dont buy cheap stuff.... But honestly, look at the PBT non FIE epees, they cost quite a lot for what is basically a fleche blade on an average guard and grip. The wires are expensive also. Alot of their stuff is expensive...

PBT Fortuna Plus fencing shoe.... $160

Absolute "li ning" or "adidas dartagnan II" ... $85-$115

PBT non FIE epee... $106
Absolute non FIE epee (comparable quality).... $70

Knowing that hungarian imports aint worth the money.... Priceless.

Actually, I'll give one example where they might be worth the cash for the wires...the connections are soldered, not crimped like other manufacturers (Negrini's soldered, too). Makes for a stronger connection in the cup.

[rcmatthews]

I will admit that the prices you gave are a considerable difference. But because the Hungarian site is much cheaper does not mean the US one is over priced. You have to compare it too the rest of the market.

[Purple Fencer]

Originally Posted by rcmatthews

I will admit that the prices you gave are a considerable difference. But because the Hungarian site is much cheaper does not mean the US one is over priced. You have to compare it too the rest of the market.

Plus us Stateside vendors have to deal with international shipping fees and import duties...and price changes every time the Euro burps....

[CvilleFencer]

Originally Posted by Purple Fencer

Plus us Stateside vendors have to deal with international shipping fees and import duties...and price changes every time the Euro burps....

Hungary uses the Florint, which is both a bit more stable and much more favorable to the dollar than the Euro. One has to assume that being the exclusive dealer, not even including the volumes that PBT USA deals in, they would have a substantial discount over what you see on the Hungarian website.

Keep in mind that the prices you see on the Hungarian website are the RETAIL prices for just about everywhere but the US. I could order from PBT Hungary paying retail prices and sell at what PBT USA sells for and still make a profit. Price wise, PBT USA sucks. I really can't figure out how they stay in business. I guess it just goes to show what an exclusive product line that is at least decent quality and good customer service can do for a business.

[achilleus]

Originally Posted by rcmatthews

I will admit that the prices you gave are a considerable difference. But because the Hungarian site is much cheaper does not mean the US one is over priced. You have to compare it too the rest of the market.

Perhaps I was confusing in my post.

There are a couple of things to consider:

1) the quality of PBT is not equal to that of Allstar, Uhlmann, or LP. They make good stuff, but it's not as good. Even though it's priced about the same for US Vendors only, it isn't a good deal.

For example, the PBT superlight jacket is priced $329 from PBT USA.

LP USA has the Sydney Jacket listed at $329.18) However, LP USA includes shipping and tax, making it worth it to pay the extra $.18 for a much better product.

2) Since one can order from international vendors, the market is much larger than simply US vendors.

I can order Allstar/Uhlmann stuff direct from Germany and pay less than I would if buying from PBT USA.

So, why would I pay more for equipment that is generally less expensive and not as well made when I can get better equipment for the same price or less?

The only time I recommend buying PBT stuff is if you know someone going to Hungary. That's how I got my PBT stuff. It's good and cheap, but it's not Allstar, or LP.

[Mr Epee]

Originally Posted by CvilleFencer

Hungary uses the Florint, which is both a bit more stable and much more favorable to the dollar than the Euro.

A. It's Forint.

B. It was notoriously unstable, and I believe it is currently pegged to the Euro - to ease future integrations.

C. PBT equip is not worth buying in the US... period.

It's stupid expensive, and medium quality.

[dueller]

Originally Posted by CvilleFencer

Esun gear is decent, about on a level with BG, Absolute and Blade. I would avoid the blades and body cords, but on the uniforms they would be a good deal at almost twice the money and they are 350N if I recall correctly, something BG and AF are not.

Whats the catch? Shipping takes forever (litteraly a slow boat from China unless you pay a susbatantial amount for air shipping), customer service and returns can be both difficult and costly unless you are up on Mandarin, and they last time I checked they did not use Credit Cards, just bank drafts which I am not a huge fan of. They also seemed much more geared towards dealing with clubs and with large orders of substantial volume and much less with individual consumer sales. Still if you can get a few friends together to order or place a club wide order it is very much worthwhile as long as you are not in a hurry and will not be without options if something does not fit (remember that sizing is not going to be US standard). Hope that helps...

Thought you guys might like to try another site. I ordered from this site www.fencingwarehouse.com and they seem to handle small retail orders quite well : I paid by Paypal, and there air shipping is affordable, if I recall correctly only US$15 for a complete foil, body cord and a glove and i took just 2-3 weeks to arrive. My coach checked the foil and he said the weapon is pretty good.

[KD5MDK]

It seems curious that shipping from the Phillipines for individual orders is economical; that's where that site is located.