Fencing.Net - Your Guide to Fencing & Fencing Equipment

seak · 10-21-2007, 10:23 PM

Ok, so I need some sabre gear and unlike in foil I'm not sure what to buy so I figured I'd come over here and ask the experts

. Specifically, I need:

1 complete sabre (w/leon paul bayonet body cord) (what type of blade? guard? does it matter?)
2 mask cords
1 sabre glove (I really dislike over-gloves so I want a one piece, no clue what to get what's good not etc)
1 sabre lame (what should I look for should it be slightly loose, unlike my foil lame?)

I have the rest (mask, bodycords, one complete sabre (ok two's prob not enough but a thirds not a top priority yet))

Overall I have about 200 to spend could be slightly more. I might have the ability to try stuff on. Thanks

KD5MDK · 10-22-2007, 01:48 AM

StM blades seem to be what everyone uses. You can get a good complete weapon I'd say for ~$60.
Mask cords are generic, $5 a piece or so.
Glove, whatever is comfortable for you. Estoc leather gloves are very nice, I'll probably be buying one next time I buy a glove unless the Armor2 Sabre comes out.

No advice on a lame within your budget, but I did see Athos Fencing selling a washable France Lames lame for $100 at Tucson.

As for getting a 3rd sabre, just buy a spare blade ($25). If one breaks, just swap the blade in, there's nothing to it but the cant (which can be preset).

Purple Fencer · 10-22-2007, 01:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KD5MDK

Glove, whatever is comfortable for you. Estoc leather gloves are very nice, I'll probably be buying one next time I buy a glove unless the Armor2 Sabre comes out.

If I'm lucky, my latest sample will be in my hands in time to show it to Dan DeChaine at the Palm Desert Open next month...if he gives the OK on it, I'll start working on fund to produce a run.

CvilleFencer · 10-22-2007, 02:04 AM

***Edit*** Wow, when I stated typing no one had posted yet. Sorry if the below is somewhat redundant...

Well, at that price range you are somewhat limited in your choices for all that kit. In my somewhat limited saber experience, there is not a lot of variety in the lifespan of blades, so it mainly comes down to what you like the feel of. I have had good luck with StM and Absolute gold blades on the cheaper end of the spectrum. I like the StM blades better myself, and if you use the "build your own" option on the F.net site you can get one with an StM blade and LP socket for under $60. I am not sure you can get an LP socket with any of the Absolute blades, and I would not recommend the Absolute bayonet socket. Their German patterns are fine, but reports on their bayonets have been spotty at best.

For conductive saber gloves I love my LP. Lots of protection, not too puffy, and made of the same non-INOX antimicrobial lame material as their excellent line of lightweight lames. It will set you back about $50ish bucks though. However, staying in your budget, you are probably looking at a house brand glove. I have not tried either one of these personally, but two that come to mind are the Fencing.Net and Absolute ones $30.

For lames, you are pretty much stuck with copper/stainless blends. I have had okay luck at the club with F.net lames and Absolute ones. Either one should last about 6 months to a year with good care and both are in the $90 range. If you think you are going to be fencing much saber, it will save you money in the long run to get a decent lame that will last a couple of years though.

Cords for saber masks, I would just make my own out of some clips and a length of old body cord if you have it laying around, but the F.net and Absolute house brands seem to hold up pretty well at about $6 each. We have both at the club and I can't tell much difference, but both have held up much better than cheaper 2 pin body cords would.

Hope all that is some help...

bobb121 · 10-22-2007, 07:46 AM

My Sabre coach was the national coach for Ukraine. He had me get an stm blade with an allstar guard, and grip. I use a chinese pommel. He also wants me to get an allstar glove. As far as lame's go, I would have to agree with swordmasters and say go with an estoc lame.

KD5MDK · 10-22-2007, 10:42 AM

Unless you have crocodile clips lying around and are skilled at soldering I say that the $12 to buy two professionally made ones is money well spent. It's just not that much, although I do understand about student budgets.

seak · 10-22-2007, 10:55 AM

Yeah, I thought about making the mask cords but due to lack of parts and lack of mad sodering skills I'm thinking professional made is the way to go

.

I can spend slightly more then the 200, it's not a hard limit. But is buying say an stm saber blade as opposed to say the el cheapo model something that is really going to affect a beginners performance, or is it an upgrade once I figure out how to actually use the weapon

.

I was prob going to get either the absolute or fencing.net sabre lame. I have an absolute lame in foil and it's stood up well for two/three years now, and is still going strong despite psuedo heavy use (couple days of practice plus a competition most weeks).

Is the Leon Paul glove worth the extra cost over the house brand glove (I think the estoc is really out of my budget)?

bobb121 · 10-22-2007, 11:45 AM

I can snap an el cheapo blade or LM blade in about a month, but the stm has lasted me for over a year now. Plus the blades are only about $20 if you know where to look.

Hope this helps

KD5MDK · 10-22-2007, 12:44 PM

Ok, I hadn't looked at the price. The Estoc glove isn't worth $68. I'd buy they Standard Sabre glove from either AF or FDN.

The thing about StM blades is they are about $5 more than the cheapest of cheap Absolute blades, so it's hardly worth getting anything else. If you need that $5 badly, then ok, but why get the lowest blade you can when the most popular and well liked blade is so little more?

I'm seeing from shop.fencing.net:
Weapon: $53
Glove: $30
2x Mask Cords: $12
Lame: $80
total: $175 + shipping

seak · 10-23-2007, 12:37 AM

Yeah that's exactly what I've been looking at. Prices on both absolute and fencing.net are similar. There's also some room in there for getting the leon paul sabre glove instead of the house brand, and possibly just an extra blade, for the inevitable

.

I don't really know anything about the budget sabre lame on the fencing.net site though, and would like it to last more then 6 months etc.

erooMynohtnA · 10-23-2007, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seak

Yeah that's exactly what I've been looking at. Prices on both absolute and fencing.net are similar. There's also some room in there for getting the leon paul sabre glove instead of the house brand, and possibly just an extra blade, for the inevitable

.

I don't really know anything about the budget sabre lame on the fencing.net site though, and would like it to last more then 6 months etc.

As much as it pains me to say it, I'd go with the Absolute lame based upon my experiences with fencing.net and Absolute foil lames.

AndrewH · 10-23-2007, 01:15 AM

I would just like to pop in and add that bayonet cords are bad for sabre. After several hard hits to the guard, the spring loaded socket has a tendency to... explode.

jfarmer · 10-23-2007, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erooMynohtnA

As much as it pains me to say it, I'd go with the Absolute lame based upon my experiences with fencing.net and Absolute foil lames.

What kind of problems are you seeing? I got a F.net sabre lame last spring and it's been ok, at least as good as my son's Absolute. Of course, here in the middle of EpeeWorld, they don't get the workout that I would like for them to get...