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saber guards This is a question for the saber fencers out there and more especially the experts of armory. Saber guards...Lighter vs. stronger. I'm looking for the sturdiest guard and would like to hear the reviews for Leon Paul's lightweight vs. strong guards as well as feedback on the Absolute saber guards. Here's the problem, with the S2000 blades being stiffer and therefore more damage dealing, I'm looking for the strongest guard out there. I have a bunch of the old France Lame ones which are aluminum, no rolled edges and fairly weak. Uhlmann and others carry this type of light weight and disposable guard. I want to know that is the most durable and get an idea of weight. I've noticed that balancing sabers (or any weapon for that matter) is becoming a dying art and I would like to find some heavier guards to help with the counterbalancing of blades. Now I'm asking because I can't afford to buy one of each and test it myself, nor do I have a vendor close enough to sample the wide variety of guards out there. I just want a review...which are strong and how heavy.
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I've used Leon Paul guards, both strong and lightweight. I don't particularly like either. The balance just doesn't feel right. Even the lightweight is fairly strong, so it doesn't get completely dented out of shape, however it does take a lot of nicks around the edge.
As for balance and durability, I do like whatever the cheap sabre guard is that the fencing post sells.
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American Fencers Supply claims to have some (left-handed) steel guards. That's probably the most durable. Other than that, I think rolled edge is probably the most important thing. Mine aren't and they're getting a little nicked.
On a slightly different note, I wonder why nobody has made a guard which provides the maximum available coverage. The only real restriction I recall is it has to fit into a 15x14cm gabarit and can't have a lipped edge. That leave a lot of extra coverage that a guard could offer (especially against wrist hits and whipovers) that's not being considered.
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Senior Member
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I personally use old Santelli steel sabre gaurds. They don't make them any more, but they are practically indestructable, if you can find them. Try Ebay. That's it, I'm done with the discussion forums on F.net. It's had its uses, but the ideologues, ranters, and "experts" have drowned too many of the conversations. I'm changing my password to something random and never logging in again.
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Senior Member
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What I would really like to see is a guard made of titanium the way vniti makes their epee guards. Those would be nifty.
As for the LP guards, I like their normal guards tho I echo the sentiment that they don't feel Quite right. I've also had their lightweight guard and it didn't last long until it was so beatin up it was unusable. It was severely deformed and a crack went nearly to the center, after a few months of use. "Their interpretation is, however, refuted most elegantly by your system of radioactive atom + amplifier + charge of gun powder + cat in a box"
-Albert Einstein, in a letter to Erwin Schrödinger
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 Originally Posted by whtouche What I would really like to see is a guard made of titanium the way vniti makes their epee guards. Those would be nifty. No guard that costs less than a few hundred dollars/pounds is made of titanium. What they mean is that there is actually a tiny amount of titanium in the alloy. This is not necessarily stronger than a really good aluminium alloy without titanium in. The good fencer, the bad fencer and me.
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Curmudgeon Emeritus
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"The strongest guard out there" is not to be had from sport-fencing suppliers.
You can find guards which duplicate the size and shape of modern sabre guards ( even to the rolled, or father folded-over, edges ) but are much, much sturdier. They are made for SCA fencing. They get hit by blades much heavier than those we use, so they have to be stronger to survive the impacts. In fact, I saw one recently that looked like it was made out of 1/8 steel. I could not bend the thing with my bare hands, not even at the narrow tail of the knuckle bow. I thought about getting one just for the sake of novelty, but I had other things on which to spend my money at the moment. 
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Senior Member
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Originally Posted by andrewmcleod This is not necessarily stronger than a really good aluminium alloy without titanium in. My personal experaince with the Vniti epee and foil guards leads me to question that statement. I used Uhlmann and LP guards in the past and for the weight I have never scene anything that is as durable and dent resistant as these guards, despite how much titanium they may have in them.
As for saber guards, on my practice weapons I have some really old guards that I think are made of SS but they are in an odd shape, sort of a rounded off clover leaf pattern. Better hand converage than the modern style guards, although I have never tried to put them through a gauge as I just fence saber for fun or when giving a (very low level) lesson. Still, I would like to know more about this type of guard. I will try to post a pic tomorrow as I really like them quite a bit. Just another lost soul saved by the (hit) First Church of EPEE!
Bona Na Croin. "Neither Collar nor Crown"
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Curmudgeon Emeritus
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Originally Posted by CvilleFencer really old guards that I think are made of SS but they are in an odd shape, sort of a rounded off clover leaf pattern.
Like this? ( I know, the perspective is less than ideal. )
http://shop.fencing.net/PhotoGallery...COMPLETE%2DELE
The guards are what were known as classic Hungarian or simply Hungarian, as opposed to modern Hungarian ( which are the ones you see today almost exclusively ). Some of the older ones had a central ridge running the length of the knucklebow and up the guard to the center of the top edge, where there was sometime a slight protrusion, almost a lip, curled forward. My coach has one he still uses for lessons...
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Senior Member
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I personnal Like the Leon paul guards. Has some one who as sabre guards from everybody the leon pauls are the best And if you know what you doing they balance right nicely. Tim Loomis
Ye Olde Armourer MASTER ARMOURER
DO YOU TRUST YOUR ARMOURER
GOD Loves His Warriors www.yeoldearmourer.com
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No comments on my "most coverage possible" guard?
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Curmudgeon Emeritus
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I have one that probably comes close. It's an old aluminum modern Hungarian guard. The end of the knuckle bow broke off at the tang hole, so I drilled another hole above the break, filed the break smooth and round, and continue using it. The shortened knucklebow has pulled the guard closer to the grip, in effect widening it relative to the hand. It looks really wide, anyway. I think it would pass a gabarit, but only just.
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Posting Hound
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Originally Posted by Inquartata I have one that probably comes close. It's an old aluminum modern Hungarian guard. The end of the knuckle bow broke off at the tang hole, so I drilled another hole above the break, filed the break smooth and round, and continue using it. The shortened knucklebow has pulled the guard closer to the grip, in effect widening it relative to the hand. It looks really wide, anyway. I think it would pass a gabarit, but only just. Didn't you have that one at the Linkmeyer last year???
BTW...you coming out for it in March?
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Senior Member
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Originally Posted by Inquartata Like this? Hey yeah, those are the ones! Thanks Inq. I figured it was something so old, odd and obscure that they just were not make anymore! Thanks for giving me the source. Maybe I should actually look at the online catalog instead of just calling up and telling them what I need. I wonder what other goodies I might find! Just another lost soul saved by the (hit) First Church of EPEE!
Bona Na Croin. "Neither Collar nor Crown"
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Originally Posted by yeoldearmourer I personnal Like the Leon paul guards. Has some one who as sabre guards from everybody the leon pauls are the best And if you know what you doing they balance right nicely.
what would be good to balance out a lp guard? i recently ordered the lightweight one and it should be coming soon.....
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Curmudgeon Emeritus
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Originally Posted by Purple Fencer Didn't you have that one at the Linkmeyer last year???
BTW...you coming out for it in March? Yes and yes.
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Originally Posted by yomi what would be good to balance out a lp guard? i recently ordered the lightweight one and it should be coming soon..... How about a new-style LP pommel? They have a 6mm/equivalent Imperial size nut, but are significantly heavier than their old pommels due to customer feedback.
Of course, it's probably a bit late now  The good fencer, the bad fencer and me.
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Originally Posted by andrewmcleod How about a new-style LP pommel? They have a 6mm/equivalent Imperial size nut, but are significantly heavier than their old pommels due to customer feedback.
Of course, it's probably a bit late now i ordered one of those too
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Senior Member
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I remember a while back I heard about someone selling carbon fiber sabre guards. Anyone know if they're still around?
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That Guy
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Originally Posted by AndrewH I remember a while back I heard about someone selling carbon fiber sabre guards. Anyone know if they're still around? Since they would be non-conductive, they wouldn't be legal (and wouldn't cause the lock-out timing to start when a parry was taken, which means more whipovers would score on you.)
Craig
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