when to use better gear frequently

[edwin012290]

i've been fencing for over a year now and do foil, epee, and sabre. is it time for me to buy better equipment, like from allstar, LP, etc, per se? because it would look kind of awkward for someone not that great to be wearing like an LP lame and a better guy wearing bg's. my coach says the better equipment is lighter and stuff, but is that right for me at this level?

[Zilverzmurfen]

i've been fencing for over a year now and do foil, epee, and sabre. is it time for me to buy better equipment, like from allstar, LP, etc, per se? because it would look kind of awkward for someone not that great to be wearing like an LP lame and a better guy wearing bg's. my coach says the better equipment is lighter and stuff, but is that right for me at this level?

I'm not sure I understand how you mean...do you mean you're not worthy of having good equipment or what?!

Really. If you can afford good quality equipment then buy it. I'm fairly sure it'll be worth your money in the long run.

On the other hand, you state you do all three weapons so I can understand it would add up... Still, my advice to you is to buy good and buy once.

Best of luck with your new equipment!

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

What the **** do you care? If you can afford it, and think its worth it, buy it. Better equipment doesnt make you a better fencer either, and I've seen poor fencers in good clothing, and good fencers in rags. Its not what you wear but how you wear it.

FIE gear is safer, so of course its worth it. If you can afford it, get FIE blades too, because its safer for your opponent.

[Purple Fencer]

Get the better gear....screw what anyone else thinks....it's YOUR bod we're talkng about.

[edew]

Spoken like a true southern Californian (and a seller of fencing equipment).

Good equipment does have the little benefits that you realize makes good sense. For example, the cheapie masks have the back metal ring pressed on. In time, it comes off and you're stuck with a useless mask (because the ring is now a potential hazard) or your fingers get cut on the mesh endings. A better mask will have a rubber/plastic moulding that's fixed on much more securely. Or a metal ring (as in the case of saber masks) that is much better secured, possibly by welding.

A nice allstar jacket has a very comfortable padded sleeve inside the jacket that allows one to wear it after having taken it off to cool down from being sweaty and not feel so clammy and icky. Good fencing pants will have lots of room in the thigh area, lots of room in the butt, and a strong secure elastic band around the knee to keep the pants from going lower and making movement harder.

LP lames are light and very easy to clean and lasts a long time. A good glove will last a long time. Unfortunately, those expensive Uhlmann/AllStar and other manufacturers' washable gloves are not what I consider a good glove. I use the now no-longer-manufactured AllStar leather gloves with the quilted cuff. They're good gloves.

So yes, better equipment do have better benefits: zippers don't break as easily at stress points, velcro tabs don't irritate the neck, sleeves aren't twisted due to bad tailoring, snap closures for the groin strap instead of unstable D-rings, you get the idea.

[Inquartata]

Plus, with some referees Allstar/Uhlmann gear and socks that you've wiped your shoes on are worth a couple of benefits-of-the-doubt touches.

[Purple Fencer]

Spoken like a true southern Californian (and a seller of fencing equipment).

But you'll notice that I didn't push my own company on this one...

[BigBadWolf]

if you are going to continue fencing for a while; at least a couple of years, then buy the better stuff. It lasts longer and is usually worth it for comfort and fit alone. If you aren't serious about fencing for at least a couple or even a few more years, dont bother spending the big bucks. IF you are definitely going to stick it ou, the only corners I'd really cut are of course not buying world eventworthy masks, jackets, etc. A Leon Paul club mask for 100 is a much better deal than a 1600 newton bib from allstar world level event quality mask at 180-200. This applies to knickers, jacket too. The biggest event that you might worry about might be a NAC or something in terms of equipment meeting expectations.

[BigBadWolf]

I bought some Leon Paul swords some time ago and they work fine years later; you get what you pay for with them.

If you already have fencing shoes, disregard this. However, if you don't have fencing shoes yet, GET THEM. If you have fencing shoes and they are breaking down, get Leon Paul's new shoe. They have many advantages and also affordable, like their club mask. It also has a nice fitting system that adjusts perfectly to fit your head.

for glove, get any washable one from almost any supplier

body cord, also go Leon Paul, they are the easiest to fix, and their clear plastic insulation makes it incredibly easy to spot a break.

for blades, that is a matter of preference. really, if you get a cheap one, it will break on you a lot sooner. I would go maraging steel, as they have a little more durability. really, the best way i found was to find one that seemed of decent quality in my price range and then try it out. if it worked out, id get more.

clothing, jackets, knickers:

you can get some decent ones from many distributors, I don't have too much experience with buying many of these. I have blue gauntlet knickers that do the job well, i like the stretch nylon.

for lames, I would go for high quality here because they can last a long long time and cost alot to replace. however, the most important part is CARE. take good care of your lames. let it dry out/clean it/store it well

just my 2 cents

[mrbiggs]

i've been fencing for over a year now and do foil, epee, and sabre. is it time for me to buy better equipment, like from allstar, LP, etc, per se? because it would look kind of awkward for someone not that great to be wearing like an LP lame and a better guy wearing bg's. my coach says the better equipment is lighter and stuff, but is that right for me at this level?

Here's what I think:

More money can mean three things, safety, quality, and comfort.

Safety is what you get with a 1600 NW mask, and 800 NW plastron, jacket or knickers. If you are in a dangerous situation, then you are much less likely to get hurt. Some people, therefore, say that this is the first stuff you should buy with the money. (I go for quality first, but I'm very cheap...)

Then there's quality. More expensive blades and lamés give you better quality. A $100 blade is probably going to last about (it varies alot) five times as long as a $20 blade, and it will be better to fence with during that time.

Then there's comfort. Most things are more comfortable when more expensive (lamés, jackets, etc.), but if you get very cheap FIE stuff, that won't always be true.

Safety and quality are things that you should always try to get in your products, as soon as you can afford it. Comfort is something you should get if you can afford it after the safety and quality.

(I'm not saying you should get something very uncomfortable, I'm just saying that safety and quality are more important.)

[BigBadWolf]

ive never used a 1600 newton bib on a mask and ive never had a bib break or ever even heard of someone's blade going through a bib though

[mrbiggs]

ive never used a 1600 newton bib on a mask and ive never had a bib break or ever even heard of someone's blade going through a bib though

I've seen an unbroken epee go through 1 layer of 350 NW jacket. It wasn't a very hard hit, either, just happened to be a weird angle.

I agree, mostly, because I can barely keep up with replacing my blades as it is. But I think that the moment you can afford quality stuff in terms of safety, you should buy it, because $100 isn't really worth risking your life for.

[BigBadWolf]

yeah, put it that way i see your point

[RITFencing]

I've seen an unbroken epee go through 1 layer of 350 NW jacket. It wasn't a very hard hit, either, just happened to be a weird angle.

I agree, mostly, because I can barely keep up with replacing my blades as it is. But I think that the moment you can afford quality stuff in terms of safety, you should buy it, because $100 isn't really worth risking your life for.

At sectionals this year, I put an unbroken epee through layer 1 of a 350N jacket and then back out. (It was infighting, so I did have a very odd angle.) I've also seen punctured sleeves, and have made one or two myself. These have made me a firm believer in 800N gear. My uhlmann olympia has never once gotten a hole in it.

One side note, fi you buy uhlmann nylon gear, make sure that you give it time to air out after fencing. They retain sweat like nobody's business, and if you just leave it in the bad for a day or two, they can really reek. Other than that, I love my jacket and knickers and highly recommend that brand, although I've heard the LP sydney line can be even nicer.

[kmak_577]

i was told by my fencing instructor not to buy expencive fencing shoes but to buy squash shoes instead , so i followed his advice and i have had no problems with them . They work just as well and they dont cost the earth

[Rapier_wit]

Edwin, those are my thoughts exactly. I'm just starting out, but I'm wanting to purchase some Leon Paul equipment, but I'm afraid of looking a total dork as a beginner walking in with something like that on. But have no fear, if I have the money, I will do it!

[edwin012290]

yea, i think im gonna go with the fie stuff...my bg 3 weapon(non-fie) mask has a few dents in it, but it's still wearable. i think i'll just replace it with a contour-fit fie LP mask. thanks for all your help. safety is a pretty important point.

[MikeHarm]

When you say to yourself darn, if only I had a better pair of shoes or a better mask then I would of won the bout, thats the time you should get it. I have noticed I got ROW calls more often in FIE gear than in non FIE gear with lower level directors sometimes when I've competed in foil. I think theres kind of a psychological thing going on if you have better form and your gear looks fancier than the other guys sometimes with the directors.

[BigBadWolf]

don't ever ever ever ever feel insecure about wearing really good gear because you are not a very experienced or high level fencer. the only things you should worry about are of course your safety, and if you are going to stick to fencing for a while. I can think of many fencers whom i knew briefly (6 months or less) who spent 500-1000 for equipment and quit within that time. that is really the only determining factor if you are worried about wearing good stuff.

the leon paul contour fit system is really without any comparison right now, you will really enjoy your mask, it fits like a glove. haha

their shoes rule too, the new ones and only 90!

[mrbiggs]

At sectionals this year, I put an unbroken epee through layer 1 of a 350N jacket and then back out. (It was infighting, so I did have a very odd angle.) I've also seen punctured sleeves, and have made one or two myself. These have made me a firm believer in 800N gear. My uhlmann olympia has never once gotten a hole in it.

Hmm. You wouldn't have happened to be at North Atlantic sectionals, would you? Because that's where I saw it happen.