Absolute FIE Uniform

[BySword]

I've heard much about their FIE kit since Columbus, anyone have any experiences with this kit? Are they comfortable? At $169 for the jacket, it's almost at the same price as my LP competition range. How do they compare against each other(comfort wise)? Are they on par with the cheaper Ulhmann/Allstar ones(World Cup/Athens)?

[clonardo]

I haven't had a chance to see it in person, but it looks very similar to the FWF kit from the photo on their website. I could be dead wrong on this, but I think Absolute and FWF may be in bed together- their ultralight lames look identical to me

[Purple Fencer]

I haven't had a chance to see it in person, but it looks very similar to the FWF kit from the photo on their website. I could be dead wrong on this, but I think Absolute and FWF may be in bed together- their ultralight lames look identical to me

Perhaps....but Absolute could not simply take an FWF FIE uniform and rebrand it....they'd have to pay to have material homolugated so they can put their own name on. Remember the Triplette "FIE" mask?

[BySword]

I haven't had a chance to see it in person, but it looks very similar to the FWF kit from the photo on their website. I could be dead wrong on this, but I think Absolute and FWF may be in bed together- their ultralight lames look identical to me

FWF doesnt have a ultralight lame, at least not according their website. If they look similar though, it might just be the material is the same. Personally, I think absolute's looks quite similar to Negrini's FIE uniform as well.
According to Absolute's website, they get the material for their new FIE plastron from Europe. Maybe same thing apply to their FIE jacket as well.

[brtech]

I (or rather my daughters) have both. They are NOT the same.

Yes FWF has an ultralight lame

The jury is out on these (both FWF and Absolute). The material looks similar but not exactly the same. We saw some premature failures (high resistance) on some of them in Columbus. It MAY be that they needed to be washed with something that doesn't leave a residue. It MAY be something else. Don't know yet, but a less-than-six-months old lame without visible wear or abuse shouldn't be getting 15 ohms of resistance.

[Craig]

FWF doesnt have a ultralight lame

Yes they do. They just don't call it an ultralight.

Leon Paul, Triplette, FWF, and Absolute have lightweight lames.

There are at least two other Chinese factories currently offering other versions of the lightweight lame up for production, but I don't know how they test yet. If they test well, then expect to see those hit the market in another season or two as vendors start to phase out of the standard lames (at least for competition range customers.)

Craig

[BySword]

Yes they do. They just don't call it an ultralight.

Leon Paul, Triplette, FWF, and Absolute have lightweight lames.

There are at least two other Chinese factories currently offering other versions of the lightweight lame up for production, but I don't know how they test yet. If they test well, then expect to see those hit the market in another season or two as vendors start to phase out of the standard lames (at least for competition range customers.)

Craig

oops, I checked it in a hurry, I must have missed it.

[Squall_Leonhart]

verdict:

looks like it got thrown into a urine bath. Fit is not very good. Found myself wondering why the elastic cuffs ( copied off the Uhlmann design) looked frilly instead of fitted. Very disappointed.

Although price was enticing...but the color turned me off. Must be an aesthetic person thing.

[erooMynohtnA]

verdict:

looks like it got thrown into a urine bath. Fit is not very good. Found myself wondering why the elastic cuffs ( copied off the Uhlmann design) looked frilly instead of fitted. Very disappointed.

Although price was enticing...but the color turned me off. Must be an aesthetic person thing.

The Romans used to use distilled urine to clean clothing.

[KD5MDK]

Perhaps....but Absolute could not simply take an FWF FIE uniform and rebrand it....they'd have to pay to have material homolugated so they can put their own name on. Remember the Triplette "FIE" mask?

In FIE uniforms, only the cloth is homologated, not the design. Masks are held to a difference standard.

[Alex_Paul]

In FIE uniforms, only the cloth is homologated, not the design. Masks are held to a difference standard.

They have to be subjected to more than just material tests there are seam tests etc... so you can't just take a tested material and make an FIE suit without having these other things done I am afraid.

[Purple Fencer]

In FIE uniforms, only the cloth is homologated, not the design. Masks are held to a difference standard.

Re read my post....I DID say they have the have teh material homologated. he way i read clonardo's post, it seemed to imply rebranding was going on.

Alex...are you referring to CE testing (Donald Clinton just gave me the CE testing regs....in some way's they're tougher than FIE testing), or are you referring to tests on a completed mask? Since the FIE testing on the material itself doesn;t involve any seams....

[KD5MDK]

They have to be subjected to more than just material tests there are seam tests etc... so you can't just take a tested material and make an FIE suit without having these other things done I am afraid.

Is there a list of FIE approved jackets anywhere?

[Purple Fencer]

Is there a list of FIE approved jackets anywhere?

There no list....there isn't even a list of makers who have homolugated the fabric (and there should be)

I believe Alex is referring to CE testing, which is different from FIE testing. CE DOES require submission of completed items (they're checking for things in addition to puncture resistance)

[larkmaj]

I believe Alex is referring to CE testing, which is different from FIE testing. CE DOES require submission of completed items (they're checking for things in addition to puncture resistance)

What exactly is CE testing?

[Purple Fencer]

What exactly is CE testing?

Sorry...it's testing under the guideline of the European Committee for Standardization....in French, the Comité Européen De Normalisation -- which is where the "CE" comes from....you see the CE label on a lot of stuff.

Donald just gave me the standards package yesterday....interesting reading if you're in the armorer or manufacturer position.

[Squall_Leonhart]

The Romans used to use distilled urine to clean clothing.

yes, but the urea/ammonia compounds usually didn't leave yellow stains....at least not in the movies where all togas and tunics and an optic white.

btw, the fit is horrible.