Epee Advice

[mackillian]

Do you mean the "Absolute Advanced Gold" made and sold by absolute or the "Chevalier Elite Gold" made by Prieur and sold by Absolute?

Both, actually. He's got one of each.

[erooMynohtnA]

I have an Absolute Advanced Gold and I know several people who have them, and I think they're garbage.

[Vince]

The absolute standard epee blade also has the flexibility of a lead pipe. I had one (wasn't willing to commit to getting the good blades for lefty stuff because I had higher hopes that I wouldn't be fencing lefty for as long as I'm apparently going to be) and was canting it Sunday and snapped the tang clean off. It was actually the first time I'd snapped a tang off. Normally, I can barely get the thing to move, but my other blades are maraging FIE...

It sounds and, from the picture, looks like you had the blade too far down in the vice when you started bending it, which will pop the tang off of most blades. So this may not be an accurate quality representation of the blade itself.

~Vince

[mackillian]

I have an Absolute Advanced Gold and I know several people who have them, and I think they're garbage

Yes, but better garbage than the Standard.

It sounds and, from the picture, looks like you had the blade too far down in the vice when you started bending it, which will pop the tang off of most blades. So this may not be an accurate quality representation of the blade itself.

Yup, I figured that out when I thought about how it happened. However, I do still think it's a low-quality blade... and has the flexibility of a lead pipe.