Triplette, web down, reorg?,

[luv2fence]

Anybody know what is happening with Triplette?

Their new web site is useless, although you can
view their old site.

Are they under yet another new management?

Is there info on when they will be back in business?

luv2fence

[umbrella]

I know you all will want to jump in to the rescue for them, but their stuff never really turned me on. I only feel their material is good for light practice, it's good enough to jump around in for a while, but for the long run, it never turned me on at all, the little video of the guy opening his mail was good, maybe he's going to do more of it.

[luv2fence]

I have read some critical reviews and
some good reviews. Most of the gear
that I have received was good, for me.

I am also aware that they have trouble
keeping track of orders. Also, a club-mate
received a foil with the wire standing up;
Triplette would replace it if he paid shipping
back to them; not good.

Thinking positive, I am hoping that they can
get their service and management problems
solved.

I hate to see another American company bite
the dust.

luv2fence

[penguin_2000]

Ok, when I was searching around looking for information about "StM" brand blades (and what it stands for), I stumbled here:

http://triplette.com/cgi-bin/online/storepro.php

I think I accidentally stumbled across triplette's new storefront... nothing new, really, but they have a picture of a guy wearing the unitard...

[Purple Fencer]

Originally Posted by penguin_2000

Ok, when I was searching around looking for information about "StM" brand blades (and what it stands for), I stumbled here:

http://triplette.com/cgi-bin/online/storepro.php

I think I accidentally stumbled across triplette's new storefront... nothing new, really, but they have a picture of a guy wearing the unitard...

the "S" and the "M" are the initials of the brothers who founded the company....darned if I can rememebr the names, tho...

[achilleus]

Originally Posted by luv2fence

I hate to see another American company bite
the dust.

luv2fence

I, for one, would be disappointed that I could no longer buy an FIE unitard.

[fatfencer]

I think you folks are reading too much into whats going on there. Its a family business run by some great people who are experiencing growing pains within their new company. Mostly with dealing with new computer systems for order tracking and addressing.

In fact one of the reasons the website isn't up yet is that they are aware of their problems and are fixing them prior to the release of the website.

Debbie Simpson is a sweetheart and a perfectionist. The website won't go up until its perfect and they are able to service the orders as effectively as they need to. Once that site goees up I'm sure they will see a lot of business.

Let me just say a few more things about Triplette gear. I've bought just about every piece of gear out there over the past 4 years. If only LP blades were as good as their bodywires.....but lets not go there

Uhlmann lames don't last anywhere near as long as a triplette ultralight. Anyone who says otherwise is either lying or never bought a triplette.

I'll even go on record... I've bought both and my Triplette lame lasted 3.5 seasons of DAILY use. not just 3 times a week but DAILY. It would have lasted longer if I didnt beat the **** out of it. Left if sweaty with weapons, on the gym floors where its been stepped on, etc. BTW: I can still get it to pass but I donated it to the club instead.

My first uhlmann lame lasted about a season befor its first dead spot due to bending of the wires in the lame. with patches I got another 6 months before it looked like a frankenstein. Now that Uhlmann is using Chinese manufacturing their quality is only going down. Don't even get me started on their crappy bodywires. I've got a milk crate full of them.

I've just seen Triplette's new patterns for their lames.. much better, especially around the shoulders. Well I didnt see the pattern so much as ordered a new lame. It fits great. My original complaints about their lame patterns were taken seriously and they were gallant enough to fix them. I think that thats the hallmark of a great company. I think we all know Uhlmann or whoever doesn't really listen to what the American Fencer thinks.

Their FIE equipment is as good as any out there and since its usually at a cheaper price then I would seriously consider buying it. In fact I will at Nationals. I've been losing a lot of weight lately, and I need new gear.

Support American Fencing Suppliers.

Fatfencer

[LightWtSabre]

I don't really know what the current state of quality is with Tripplete. I have been out of the game and just returning to sabre after 8 years. But I can say, I used them before, and I think they deserve a fair shot at my start-up once again.

I have known many who have continued to use Triplette over the years. I still think they are the only ones who can fit me in a jacket, me being over 6"2" with 35" sleaves. They cut a long for me based on AMERICIAN (!) sizing and expectations without blinking an eye. And the stuff works!

I can say that what I have used from them in the late 90's was good quality for the price. Although I fell in love with Allstar Lyon (?) knickers in stretch cotton sometime back, they have not lasted the test of time the way that my Tripplete stretch jacket has.

The knickers were nearly shot after 3 years when they went to storage. My Allstar lame fell apart after about that long. It never did make to the closet for storage, and the knickers are now dry-rotted and useless.

However, my Tripplete jacket is in first rate shape. This, considering I used it heavily for 4 seasons, through Divisionals and NAC, and it has been packet away in two bags in the back of my closet since 1999.

In any case, as I plot a return to the piste, I have discovered all my blades have to go, including one glorious Allstar which is my all-time favorite. As well, my knickers, shoes et. al., need to be replaced. And I am starting with Tripplete.

Though my Uhlmann mask has rusted rivets and no connectivity left in it, it is still the most comfortable of the 5 that I have owned since about 1988. I am looking at fill in right now and will consider Tripplete due to budget concerns. I look forward to being pleasantly surprised

My old Santelli weapons bag (blast from the past, re: 1988) is being replaced with a Tripplete BG-928. Knickers are being replaced with Tripplete, which is what I had between Santelli cotton and Allstar stretch.

I have even pinned some hope on their $20 Italian sabre S2000 (Diamoni or some such) blade as a light weight replacement for old Fleche and an old Allstar. The other Allstar I'll keep until it rusts (not likely, I sand and grease my blades before storage) and use somewhere in practice, or if unnoticed, elsewhere.

In all Tripplete seems to be hanging in there and seeking to maintain there Zen-brotherhood customer base. Surely, it is harder to do with a lot more suppliers out there. Or, are suppliers just more evident since Al Gore invented the Internet some years back.

I know it is much easier to shop and compare, and I feel Tripplete should have a shot at my business. For me, at this stage it seems a reasonable choice, considering all the junk I have seen from oversees. At least with Tripplete, I seem to get some insight over the phone about the why and wherefor of their inventory.

Although, I do look forward to their new site. I reported the observation that others had stumbled on their site. They confirm that it is coming along, but not ready for prime time.

[John Myers]

Originally Posted by achilleus

I, for one, would be disappointed that I could no longer buy an FIE unitard.

You can still buy an FIE unitard from us. Give me a call I will personally take your order.


John Myers
Shipping Manager/Coach
336-835-7774
john.myers@triplette.com

[John Myers]

BTW The new owners Rock and are doing a very good job fixing alll the problems we had in the past

[RITFencing]

Hey John, good to see you on the forum. Guess who this is?

[Inquartata]

Originally Posted by Purple Fencer

the "S" and the "M" are the initials of the brothers who founded the company....darned if I can rememebr the names, tho...

Sacher-Masoch?

[rcmatthews]

Thats why they make such good sabre blades

[John Myers]

Originally Posted by luv2fence

Anybody know what is happening with Triplette?

Their new web site is useless, although you can
view their old site.

Are they under yet another new management?

Is there info on when they will be back in business?

luv2fence

Hello all. triplette.com is up. It does have a few errors on it that we have found and fixed, but like any new website I am sure there are a couple more. Let me know what you think and if you see anything it needs.
john.myers(at)triplette.com

[penguin_2000]

Originally Posted by John Myers

Hello all. triplette.com is up. It does have a few errors on it that we have found and fixed, but like any new website I am sure there are a couple more. Let me know what you think and if you see anything it needs.
john.myers(at)triplette.com

New site looks good to me... many more pictures than before. However, it loads really, really slowly for me...

[grotto]

ok overall nice, but a little over the top for a storefront. too many animated what evers. and the laser sounds on the roll overs are really annoying. looking forward to seeing the improvement with the A-bout line etc.

[John Myers]

Glad overall that it seems to be working. Let me know if you have any more suggestions

[stealingophelia]

Originally Posted by fatfencer

Now that Uhlmann is using Chinese manufacturing their quality is only going down. Don't even get me started on their crappy bodywires. I've got a milk crate full of them.

A. not all of the Uhlmann gear is being made in china, only the lower quality **** you see on BG, and Uhlmann body cords are prolly the best i've ever used, i don't know where you got your bad batch from

[Craig]

Originally Posted by stealingophelia

A. not all of the Uhlmann gear is being made in china, only the lower quality **** you see on BG, and Uhlmann body cords are prolly the best i've ever used, i don't know where you got your bad batch from

A large amount of Uhlmann gear (including the point parts) are sourced out of China now. The German company that was their mfr has started the "fencewithfun" brand to sell the products directly.

Craig

[fencerX]

Originally Posted by John Myers

Hello all. triplette.com is up. It does have a few errors on it that we have found and fixed, but like any new website I am sure there are a couple more. Let me know what you think and if you see anything it needs.

The Vniti epee and foil blades on the new triplette site are described as Maraging but not as FIE. Is that because those blades are not in fact from FIE homogulated runs?

Since maraging does not necessarily mean FIE (nor does FIE necesaarily mean maraging), I'm wondering what these blades are. Simply maraging blades from Vniti that weren't homogulated/stamped? Blades from runs that couldn't be homogulated/stamped?


btw, it's good to see on the new site that while the TCA masks are described as strong and the mesh as "FIE rated", it also includes the all caps note that "TCA IS NOT SELLING THIS MASK AS AN FIE MASK"