Negrini foils

[SaintDominique]

This is perhaps a question more for classical types, but has anyone used Negrini's Italian foil blades? Either the electric or non-electric ones? (I don't remember seeing non-electric italian foils on their website before, so I wonder if they just started up again on their production?)

Reviews? Commentary?

[forethought]

I have one complete Negrini non-electric foil, one complete Negrini electric foil, and one electric foil that is composed of a Negrini bellguard, an Uhlmann elelctric Italian blade (with a true ricasso), Uhlmann pommel, and a shortened Uhlnmann Italian grip.

Thoughts:

Non-electric Negrini - I love this thing. They use what is apparently old France Lame blades and mine is incredibly light and flexible (not quite whippy enough to do crazy flicks, but it's a great blade to teach with because it's not stiff...like, at all).

Electric Negrini - Again, they use old France Lame blades, and as of when I ordered (around January) they no longer have 90cm length blades (I think my non-electric blade is 88cm as well), so there's that to consider. Also, I'm needing to re-wire my blade, because when they wired it and the way the blade is shaped (the forte is built up on the top and bottom, so there is a bit of a slope), the PVC sleeving stopped at the edge of the slope and did not go into the wire groove, which caused the wire to grind against the edge and eventually short out.

Electric Italian w/ mixed parts - Honestly, if you were looking into an electric Italian foil, I would recommend a Negrini bellguard and grip (pommel if you want, but the Uhlmann one is fine) and an Uhlmann blade: it's stiffer, longer (90cm) and the ricasso is a bit wider (fits better in the Negrini bellguard, ironically, than the FL blade). I bought two Uhlmann electric Italian foils over Christmas when I was in Europe and have moved one of the blades into a Negrini bellguard (spare that I bought in addition to the complete weapon) and once I get around to it, will replace the FL blade with the Uhlmann one.

Let me know if you have any questions.

[SaintDominique]

Thanks! Old france lames does seem to be all there is for non-electric -- I heard from the guy at American Fencer's that, as of 3 months ago, Negrini was trying to convince one of the forges to start issuing non-electric italian blades again -- with no luck.

He said that if one of the forges DID start making the blades again, he'd be sure to carry them.

[forethought]

Originally Posted by SaintDominique

He said that if one of the forges DID start making the blades again, he'd be sure to carry them.

And I would buy them, with the caveat that they were manufactured either to feel like the old FL blades, or were something other than what Uhlmann is offering...I was not impressed with their non-electric Italian blades, mainly because the ricasso started to taper before the blade got out of the bellguard, and would thus have a little bit of play between the blade and hole in the guard.
I know these blades aren't being made by Uhlmann, and I appreciate them carrying their stock of electric Italian blades, but for the love of God, don't ever order a complete Italian weapon from them, because, God bless them, for all their engineering feats, the Germans just cannot make a decent Italian foil.

[Frater_Frag]

Originally Posted by SaintDominique

Thanks! Old france lames does seem to be all there is for non-electric -- I heard from the guy at American Fencer's that, as of 3 months ago, Negrini was trying to convince one of the forges to start issuing non-electric italian blades again -- with no luck.

He said that if one of the forges DID start making the blades again, he'd be sure to carry them.

Actually, Allstar has italian foil-blades for sale, both electric and non-electric.

Both blades has a true ricasso and are soft and nice to fence with.