Blaise Freres foil blades

[Dunar]

Has anybody used them the BF blades that Leon Paul sells http://www.leonpaulusa.com/fencing/a...ectric_25.html
or this one that Zivkovic sells? http://www.zivkovic.com/item.jsp?web_id=117

I am wondering how the two BF blades that LP has and the blue BF blade on the Zivkovic site compares to LP's other foil blades (particularly the Flickmaster and Golubitsky-Pro blades) in terms weight, flexibility, durability and being worth the price. Also, if there are any blades you prefer to these I would love to hear which ones and why. Thanks in advance ^__^

[Cookeit]

Speaking of the blades on the Zivkovic site, does anyone know what the "regular" Leon Paul blade that is? The Etoile or France?

[Dunar]

Speaking of the blades on the Zivkovic site, does anyone know what the "regular" Leon Paul blade that is? The Etoile or France?

Hmm. It looks like it has some gold coloring higher up on the blade so it could be the France.

[Craig]

Speaking of the blades on the Zivkovic site, does anyone know what the "regular" Leon Paul blade that is? The Etoile or France?

The ones on Zivkovic's site are Paul Etoiles (based on the full sized image.)

Other references:
BF Blue FIE Foil Blade
BF White FIE Foile Blade
Golubitsky Pro FIE Foil Blade
Paul Etoile Foil Blade

Craig

[CvilleFencer]

A BF blade is a BF blade. It does not matter if they are stamped, TM, Uhlmann, LP, TCA, whatever. They are the same blades from the same factory using the same type of steel and like all BF blades they will vary from batch to batch in flex, feel, surface defects and quality/lifespan. Now if you are wondering how BF blades stack up to LP blades, that is a discussion worth having. But BF's from one vendor to another, no difference except the normal (sometimes extreme) variation from BF to BF.

[Dunar]

A BF blade is a BF blade. It does not matter if they are stamped, TM, Uhlmann, LP, TCA, whatever. They are the same blades from the same factory using the same type of steel and like all BF blades they will vary from batch to batch in flex, feel, surface defects and quality/lifespan. Now if you are wondering how BF blades stack up to LP blades, that is a discussion worth having. But BF's from one vendor to another, no difference except the normal (sometimes extreme) variation from BF to BF.

Well, I was mainly wondering how they compare to the LP blades.

[erooMynohtnA]

The problem with comparing LP to BF is the large variety in LP's arsenal. First, you have to define epee or foil, because LP's epee blades are wildly different from any other epee blade. I assume you mean foil, because you've linked to foil blades and mentioned foil blades. I'm also assuming you mean FIE blades, because you linked to those, but I'll talk about the non-FIE, because that's what I've fenced with the most (and because others can give you a better comparison).

The LP France and Etoile are probably the lightest blades on the market. The Etoile is fairly whippy, and the France is a medium on the flex scale. The BF non-FIEs are usually pretty stiff, and a little heavier than the LP, but still on the lighter side. Both blades offer about the same level of durability, in my experience. However, the LP blades will soften and start taking kinks when they get old instead of breaking immediately. The BFs give less warning.

I use my Golubitsky-Pro as my primary blade. It's a medium weight blade, and the balance is toward the hand, making it feel lighter. It started out very stiff, but it loosened up after about 6 months. Now it's medium stiff, and all the whip is in the foible. That's probably the biggest difference between it and other blades I've used. Most other blades flex through their whole length. I highly recommend it. However, I've heard other people who don't like it. Maybe there are batch differences, or maybe their tastes are different.

I've heard the Paul Maraging is not worth it, and I know people who really liked the Flickmaster, but that was olde tyme flicking foil. I believe both of those LP blades are fairly light.

While I don't have much experience with BF blades, the word on the street is that they're the gold standard and that everyone else is generally trying to immitate their handling characteristics. They vary a lot from blade to blade, so you could probably find one you like in person, but when ordering online you might get one really different from what you wanted.

An armorer I know told me that the G-Pro was similar to the Vniti in handling characteristics and suggested I try one of those. I got one (because I trust him), and he was pretty close to the mark. I got a Vniti Max from fdn, and there are some differences, but it's close. It's noticeably heavier, but it has about the same flex (albeit throughout its length) and balance. It also doesn't feel as "quick" in the hand as the G-Pro feels. The more I use it, the more I like it, though.

[Belegur]

I have a BF White and a G-Pro as my two main blades (with a newer G-Pro as a backup), and I have to say that I much prefer the centre of gravity on the G-Pro (as others have said, balanced towards the hand), whereas the BF just seems like a steel rod in comparison. The problem seems to be that the balance is somewhere in the middle of the blade: it's certainly not tip-heavy and it isn't balanced towards the guard. Can't fault its durability, though - I've used it as my main blade for 6-7 months and although it's lost some of its stiffness, it doesn't feel soft by any means.

As for the Paul Maraging, my (uneducated) opinion is that it seems quite similar to the STM FIE - a blade without any particular defining characteristics. It seems almost a 'jack of all trades' - type blade. I've used both before, although the Paul Maraging was of 2001 vintage (used in 2004 or thereabouts), and with a French grip (I switched to Viscontis some time before that, and almost nothing will cause me to use a French grip again). My main problem with the STM is its durability - it broke within about six months of light to moderate use (training two times a week plus whenever there was a weekend competition), and I'm not exactly enthused about buying another one - especially since my oldest G-Pro is about 1 1/2 years old and still feeling reasonably good (although it's getting rather flexible in the foible).

[Bran]

Has anybody used them the BF blades that Leon Paul sells http://www.leonpaulusa.com/fencing/a...ectric_25.html
or this one that Zivkovic sells? http://www.zivkovic.com/item.jsp?web_id=117

I am wondering how the two BF blades that LP has and the blue BF blade on the Zivkovic site compares to LP's other foil blades (particularly the Flickmaster and Golubitsky-Pro blades) in terms weight, flexibility, durability and being worth the price. Also, if there are any blades you prefer to these I would love to hear which ones and why. Thanks in advance ^__^

Hmm....

That appears to be an old photo and kind of look like Whites (even though they're not). They are not overstamped with another company's name, just simply BF's direct from the factory.

Those LP regular blades we have are indeed the Etoiles.

Bran