Prieur Masks

[Mengarath the Dragon]

I have heard a bad rumor about the new Prieur masks. I've heard that due to some change in the making the new Prieur masks are inferior and will not pass punch tests. Always in the past, everyone has agreed that Prieur is pretty much the best you can but and they last forever. I have been using a club mask for quite some time which is Prieur and I love it. I've always planned to buy my own as soon as I had the money, so I need to know if this rumor is true or not. Has anyone else heard anything?

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Mengarath the Dragon

Life is to short to be ordinary.

[tsalyards]

Prieur does make nice masks, I guess I am skeptical to think that they would just drop the ball and start producing crap. I've never worn a Prieur mask due to their padding, which I find to plentiful and tight fitting. Uhlmann/Allstar masks are of equal quality and allow your noggen a little bit of room to breathe, so if you're looking for alternatives, Uhlmann might work out for you.

-Tad

[This message has been edited by tsalyards (edited 01-05-2001).]

[latenight]

I have an Uhlmann Fie. It is great. I have heard that PBT has very good FIE masks as well and will look into them when and if my Uhlmann falls apart. I think it would take a bomb to destroy that thing though. I never liked all the padding in the Priuer either

[John]

t-
Mengarath heard the rumor from me. Here is the story. My wife called to order me a Prieur mask from triplette for Xmas. When she called she talked to Walter who told her this story...

Prieur has only one guy that knows how to run the mesh making machine (which is what made their masks so special). Well, he quit (I have also heard he retired) and then shortly after, the machine broke. They didn't have anyone to run or even fix the machine properly. Somehow they got the machine fixed enough to make masks...but at the last WC they ALL failed. So now Prieur is ordering the mesh "just like everyone else" according to Walter. So, he said he would happily sell my wife a Prieur mask, it probably wouldn't be the quality I was expecting. Well that's the story...has anyone else heard about this?

[Zelda]

Havent heard that though the France Lames masks are nice, you can buy replaceable bits for the innards when they become flat.

[EastWing]

i know my Frech masks pretty well, cos i have both a Soudet one and a Prieur one.

the first mask i bought was a Soudet mask, it lasted for 3yrs. i've used it for three training sessions per week plus comps, so its definitely durable. But now it doesn't pass anymore so now i use it just for training. Last year i bought a new Prieur mask and i really like it -use it just for comp.

i wouldn't be able to tell u how they(french) compare to german ones comfort wise. But i can tell u the French masks definitely lasts as long as the German masks. Most importantly, the Soudet/Prieur is a lot LIGHTER than Allstar/Uhlman.

[MikeHarm]

I don't have a Prier mask but.. any more info on how to identify if your mask was in this batch? Anyone wearing such a mask if this story is true could end up badly injured or killed it sounds like. I think its time I got my own punch tester if shenanigans like this are going on.

Mike

[Mengarath the Dragon]

Thanx everyone for the imput. I heard what you were telling Janet, John, I just didn't catch where you had heard that so thanx to you as well. I love the Prieur for it's fit and comfort, personally. It's the only one that really fits my head well and fits over my glasses right, which is VERY important to me. I have tried other masks, mostly the Tripplete ones, they don't fit over my glasses as well and they have this funny little extra pad under the chin which pushes into the top of my throat. A choking sensation is deffinately a distraction. I might try the Ulhman when I finally get up the cash to afford my own. If anyone hears anything more, please let me, and all other mask shoppers, know.

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Mengarath the Dragon

Life is to short to be ordinary.