Choosing a Blade

[parryDoh]

Broke 3 blades in the last 2 weeks, they were about 9 months old (Blaise regular blades) . So now time to order more. These are what im looking at, which would you go with?

[remise]

If you've broken that many blades in that short amount of time, you may need to adjust the way you are hitting. There is an epee fencer and a foil fencer at my club who hit like they're weilding Thor's hammer, yet neither seem to understand why their weapons have a lifespan of only weeks.

[CvilleFencer]

As remise says, the problem may very well lie with your technique, not the blade. Even if you are not hitting to hard, hitting with a rigid hand or improper timing (hitting straight on to the arm while it is still extending being an example). Having said that, for non-FIE blades the LP are the most durable I have ever seen or used and I have used everything on your list. The prieur blades are not very forgiving of radical bends. The StM's tend to kink up and have a much shorter life with hard hits even if they staighten back to true. For durability go with the LP blades, but also look at your techinque and try to figure out figure out if that may be contributing. However, 9 months is pretty good with the BF blades. Better than I have gotten with their FIE models! Blades wear out and break, just a fact of fencing life.

[Craig]

edit: removed fie blade talk as the non-fies are lasting 9 months +

For non-FIE, the LP Etoile blades will last a very long time, but will become very flexible over time.



Craig

[Mr Epee]

If you are breaking blades that fast, then you really should move up to a maraging blade.

??? - He said that the blades were nine months old. In my experience, that is an acceptable life-span.

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Parrydoh,

It would help if you specified which weapon you fence.

[ReverseLunge]

??? - He said that the blades were nine months old. In my experience, that is an acceptable life-span.

Acceptable lifespan? For non-fie that is an awesome life-span. Even for fie that is a good life-span.

[KD5MDK]

It would probably help if he indicated how regularly he fenced with each. I fence with one blade at a time, so if they break in the same week, something's wrong.

[Morpheuz]

I use Leon Paul, I have used everything else, and they broke in about 1 month, but I have had Leon Paul for three months, working the $|-|!+ out of it, and its stil Perfectly fine.

[parryDoh]

Mr Epee, I fence foil, I forget there are other weapons =)

KD5MDK, I fence twice a week and rarely miss a club meet. All my blades receive equal wear but I may try to change that with my next batch.

CvilleFencer, Thanks for the information on each of the blades, I think I will try LP this time around.

remise and CvilleFencer, It may be my techique. I remember one of the hits that broke one was a hard hit. I was attacking with advance lunge and my opponent didnt move (or maybe stepped in) and countered, I finished with a touch and a SNAP! Also this was someone I never fenced before, Im use to fencing the same people all the time who I know how they move.

[Jareth]

I just broke a blade after 4 months of heavy (3+ times a week) use. This blade was a Blue Gauntlet blade. Is it the way I am hitting or is it the blade that caused this to happen?

[Craig]

??? - He said that the blades were nine months old. In my experience, that is an acceptable life-span.

You're correct - I must have skimmed over that part...

[CvilleFencer]

I just broke a blade after 4 months of heavy (3+ times a week) use. This blade was a Blue Gauntlet blade. Is it the way I am hitting or is it the blade that caused this to happen?

BG blades are notoriously crappy. I am amazed to hear that you got four months out of them. I know one fencer who went through three or four in one tourney, two of which were new, and he is a very decent fencer. I won't let any of my fencers use them. I honestly feel that they are unsafe blades to fence with. The foils that is. There saber blades are not aweful, and their epees, while not long lived, don't tend to be as bad. But their foils? Avoid as if they were covered in anthrax spores...

[needle]

BG blades are notoriously crappy. I am amazed to hear that you got four months out of them. I know one fencer who went through three or four in one tourney, two of which were new, and he is a very decent fencer. I won't let any of my fencers use them. I honestly feel that they are unsafe blades to fence with. The foils that is. There saber blades are not aweful, and their epees, while not long lived, don't tend to be as bad. But their foils? Avoid as if they were covered in anthrax spores...

Not long lived is a bit of an understatement I had one break after 5 classes.

[jjefferies]

My experience for epee:
1. In general use FIE, they last longer and don't rust as much.
2. If non-FIE then use Leon Paul folded sheet metal blades for daily and salle practice.
3. Use FIE STM blades for tournament use.
The usual caveats apply YMMV etc. For every blade there is some kind of issue.
I prefer the Leon Paul for work in the salle and with my coach. I swear my coach
eats blades even as I watch. The Leon Paul's are lighter, you can order them in
different stiffness ratings, and they last longer when being beaten up by blade
killing coaches. But they have a draw back in that they are flickier and when in
tournament play I find that my adrenaline levels will cause me to flick harder than
in daily practice and they go sliding down flat the front of my opponent. Or so it
feels to me. For tournament play I prefer the STM FIE of whatever color appeals
to the eye. At this time I have 11 blades (13 if you include the two for work with
the dummy at home) 4 right handed for tournament use, 4 right handed for everyday,
sparring, 1 leon paul with german tip that I reserve for the coach and two left
handed blades they I use for practice and in reserve in tournament play. I once got
to the gold medal bout in a tournament and could no longer use my right arm.
Since then I carry left handed weapons as a fall back. I have also got a couple of
viniti but have yet to decide if they are really usable blades. I keep falling back on
the STM.

Bottom line is you have to decide on your own price and performance comfort
line. I began with the cheapest I could find and have settled on STM with the
estoc screwless tips as the best thing for tournament play when I'm paying lots
to be there.

[KD5MDK]

Just to point out, you'll also need a left handed jacket as well as blades...

[CvilleFencer]

Just to point out, you'll also need a left handed jacket as well as blades...

Unless of course he uses a back zip jacket...