Fencing.Net - Your Guide to Fencing & Fencing Equipment

jasoon · 12-06-2007, 08:59 AM

Been lurking for a few months, not much of a talker...

So I'm tired of fighting over club gear that's manky, and been researching. Anyone have the Escrime International 350N kit? Any thoughts on it?

I'm currently between that, FWF 350 and LP competition range..

Thanks
J

CvilleFencer · 12-06-2007, 02:07 PM

I am familiar with all three brands of kit and I own the LP and the Pro Range Escrime. I have only had the Escrime about a week, but I have been very impressed with it. As there are lots of reviews/thoughts about LP and some on the FWF I will mostly focus on the Escrime set of kit.

The three ranges, Performance, Performance Pro and Ultimate Performance are very similar. The low range does not have the wicking liner and the Ultimate comes with name/country code and the option of either a USA or Blue graphic pattern.

I have been very impressed with the jacket so far. It is supremely light weight and very well made with numerous new or thoughtful features. All the seems are stitched over making it very comfortable, the Velcro and elastic are top quality and the fittings, such as the YKK Zipper, crotch clip and D ring are very robust and better made than those on many sets of FIE kit.

Among the spiffy stuff are the raglan sleeves. I pretty much figured this to be more gimmick than anything else when I first heard about them, but I have found this to be one of the most comfortable jackets I have every used. I have to say I was very impressed with that feature. The jackets also have a reinforced "mini Plastron" area for extra safety, a very useful blade catcher, an a nice, slick outer material.

The jackets stack up very well against the LP and FWF jackets. I am not a huge fan of the FWF 350 jacket. It is nice, but nothing really sets it apart from the Uhlmann/Allstar/PBT/Negrini jackets in the same price range. As for the LP, the performance Pro definitely wins on budget, being about $30 cheaper.

The Escrime jacket is lighter, but that also means it provides a bit less protection on hard hits. The LP has an antimicrobial treatment to keep them from getting smelly with use which is the one thing it has that the ES doesn't. On the other hand, as much as I love my LP jackets, the ES is more comfortable to wear for me due to the lighter weight, more stretchy material and the raglan sleeves. Also, the ES jackets come in the larger sizes more common in the US without having to pay extra or special order.

The one question I can't answer is durability. I have had LP jackets for years and they still go strong. I have only had the ES jacket a week or so, but initially I have to say it is the first jacket to come along that makes me think it could join LP at the very top of the fencing kit pantheon...

I am going to be writing up a review that I hope Craig will post here soon with more details.

jasoon · 12-07-2007, 09:09 AM

Thank you Cville, exactly what i was looking for...

Beloit Fencer of Old · 12-07-2007, 10:06 AM

OK...who carries the Escrime kit and do they have any photos? I am interested in new FIE gear but I'm a larger size than LP makes available. And is the Escrime FIE stretch?

CvilleFencer · 12-07-2007, 10:29 AM

I have not used the 800N or the 900+ N kit yet, but I understand that they are indeed stretch. There will be several options, just as in the Performance range, and I expect them to be very, very nice judging from what I have seen so far. As to who sells them, Escrime USA is the only US vendor I know off at the moment. They have an actual store in NJ and are a US based company. As a mater of fact, a fair bit of their gear is made in the US. Their website with pics is http://escrimeusa.com/catalog/

Yeah, I am 6'5" and about 270 so more aging linebacker than stereotypical skinny epeeist. I have to say, just the fact that the Escrime kit comes in real sizes for real Americans is a huge plus for me. I have been begging LP to make and stock "American" sizes for a while now. LP will custom cut you a beautiful uniform that will fit great no matter your size, but it takes a while and there is a 30% surcharge.

It's really nice to just be able to call a vendor who also makes world class kit and just have them send me something. Actually, it could get rather expensive as the long process for me to get new kit sort of helped curb my impulse buying. Now that I think of it I could use a new coaching jacket. Might as well get the leg while I'm at it. And I will be needing some new 800n kit eventually. And a backup set of kit. And... Uh oh... Is there a fencing gear junkie's 12 step program someone could point me to!

Beloit Fencer of Old · 12-07-2007, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CvilleFencer

I have not used the 800N or the 900+ N kit yet, but I understand that they are indeed stretch. There will be several options, just as in the Performance range, and I expect them to be very, very nice judging from what I have seen so far. As to who sells them, Escrime USA is the only US vendor I know off at the moment. They have an actual store in NJ and are a US based company. As a mater of fact, a fair bit of their gear is made in the US. Their website with pics is http://escrimeusa.com/catalog/

Yeah, I am 6'5" and about 270 so more aging linebacker than stereotypical skinny epeeist. I have to say, just the fact that the Escrime kit comes in real sizes for real Americans is a huge plus for me. I have been begging LP to make and stock "American" sizes for a while now. LP will custom cut you a beautiful uniform that will fit great no matter your size, but it takes a while and there is a 30% surcharge.

It's really nice to just be able to call a vendor who also makes world class kit and just have them send me something. Actually, it could get rather expensive as the long process for me to get new kit sort of helped curb my impulse buying. Now that I think of it I could use a new coaching jacket. Might as well get the leg while I'm at it. And I will be needing some new 800n kit eventually. And a backup set of kit. And... Uh oh... Is there a fencing gear junkie's 12 step program someone could point me to!

Thank you thank you Cville! I will check it out. I'm 5' 10" and 230 lbs. On the plus side, I'm not ALL gut...it's pretty well distributed around my body. But I wear a size 50 jacket and 42 pants (yes...I have the "proper" 8" "drop"). Previously, I have purchased Uhlmann, and they DO carry my size, but I'm not certain I want to purchase more of it now that I hear that I would be paying the same price but getting goods made in China. I don't need lead poisoning.

Beloit Fencer of Old · 12-07-2007, 11:26 AM

OK...I looked at their website, and all the gear above 350N showed no price...and it wasn't listed unless I went to "show all products." I don't know if it's ready yet...

CvilleFencer · 12-07-2007, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beloit Fencer of Old

OK...I looked at their website, and all the gear above 350N showed no price...and it wasn't listed unless I went to "show all products." I don't know if it's ready yet...

Give them a call. As I understand it, they have it, or most of it, in stock. I think they are just waiting for everything to be stocked up and to get the FIE labels put on at this point. So yeah, give Rick a call and he probably has your size laying around in the store.

Beloit Fencer of Old · 12-07-2007, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CvilleFencer

Give them a call. As I understand it, they have it, or most of it, in stock. I think they are just waiting for everything to be stocked up and to get the FIE labels put on at this point. So yeah, give Rick a call and he probably has your size laying around in the store.

Sweeeeet!

Beloit Fencer of Old · 12-08-2007, 09:51 PM

OK...I spent some time on the phone with Rick last night...there's no question that he's put a lot of though into his uniforms and he's incredibly enthusiastic about them.

Although it would be nice to SEE them before purchasing one, I am pretty...darn...sure...I...will buy a set of FIE kit from him when it's available.

I love risk-takers, entrepreneurs and dreamers who make their dream a reality. I think Rick is the anti-FIE, because his ideas seem to make sense.

Craig...any chance that the fnet store may end up carrying these uniforms?

CvilleFencer · 12-09-2007, 02:41 AM

I just fenced with the performance pro line of kit this weekend. This was my first time using it at a major long day tourney. It was supremely comfortable kit and super fast drying. And shiny, which was kind of cool...

Rick Shellhouse · 12-11-2007, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CvilleFencer

The LP has an antimicrobial treatment to keep them from getting smelly with use which is the one thing it has that the ES doesn't.

Hmmmmmmmm let me see what i can do about that....

Rick

swordwench · 12-11-2007, 01:57 PM

It’s time to add my 2 cents’ worth to this thread. About a week ago, after a few conversations with Rick, a pair of his new 350N knickers arrived at my door. First impression: they looked, I dunno… weird.

They looked unlike any pair of knickers I’d ever seen. After the initial bemusement, excitement kicked in again and I dropped my pants right then and there and slipped into them, still freezing cold from the FedEx truck. Ooooohhhh.

I’ve never worn any piece of fencing equipment that was so comfortable.

The attention to detail is great. They’re stretchy where they ought to be, and have a lovely added panel for lunging. No itchy tags, no seams running down places where seams just shouldn’t be (unlike my old cotton BG knickers, with a hefty seam running right down the middle of my knee, which KILLS when I lunge), and they don’t have all that annoying Velcro that sticks to everything except its other half. I hate Velcro. The metal hook thingie above the zipper (which probably has a name) is a big improvement over Velcro, IMO. Even the suspenders are comfortable, unlike those on all my other knickers – I actually kept them UP the entire time I fenced in them, even during a lesson. My other suspenders have either been cut off, or dangle when I fence - except in tournaments, where I tuck them into the pants.

And they’re LINED with WICKING fabric. And not that sort of uncomfortable wicking fabric that lines my LP 350N jacket, either – it’s slippery, has give, but would it keep me cool?

I tested them out that very night in the most god-awful place imaginable – an overheated school cafeteria, where I help teach. It’s hot as an oven in that place on the best of nights, and I usually throw safety and caution to the wind and fence in shorts. Ha! I barely noticed I was wearing them. Some of the kids I was working with commented on how shiny they were (that being a bad thing in their teenage-boy eyes), but one girl thought that the gleam was pretty fashionable. I don’t care how shiny it is, personally – I just want comfort. And I suspect that the slippery fabric will come in handy when I fence epee again.

The following night, I wore them to class at my club, then did a lesson in them, suspenders still up. They were still comfortable, and still cool, despite the fact that I was sweating so much my hair was utterly drenched.

Two things that I would change if I could: waist size and elastic tightness. The waist is very large, and it wasn’t until I wore these knickers that I realized I must actually *have* a waist. Who knew? I plan to have them taken in by a seamstress friend, because the rest of them fit so well, and they’re so comfy. They don’t look like a flour sack! And the elastic at the knee is very good quality, but it’s rather… tight. Although this helps them stay put during a lunge (they don’t go riding up on me, unlike all others), they’re a bit too binding. An extra half inch or so would have made a difference there.

Final verdict: love them. Wish I needed a new jacket as well. Someday...

FoilyDeath · 12-11-2007, 02:20 PM

Anybody tried the 800N line yet? Or are we all still waiting for the FIE confirmation thingy.

Rick Shellhouse · 12-11-2007, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FoilyDeath

Anybody tried the 800N line yet? Or are we all still waiting for the FIE confirmation thingy.

Mid January and then the guys at Escrime UK should have them shortly there after....to save ya on that shipping...

Rick

Beloit Fencer of Old · 12-11-2007, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FoilyDeath

Anybody tried the 800N line yet? Or are we all still waiting for the FIE confirmation thingy.

I'm first in line for the 800n!

Beloit Fencer of Old · 02-08-2008, 10:19 AM

I tried the 350N kit from Escrime last night. Wow. First, I have to say, this stuff is more comfortable than pajamas. I have owned lots of manufacturers' stuff. This is by far the most comfortable uniform I have ever used. Yeah...this isn't even CLOSE to my Uhlmann WC or Absolute 350 (which I alternate using). The uniform which comes closest in comfort that I can remember is Santelli stretch FIE kit...for those of you who are old enough to remember it.

The uniform drew lots of comments from the club, and several people made instant decisions to make Escrime their next uniform purchase...especially for knickers, since we have many new fencers who have recently purchased jackets, but have not yet invested in knickers.

Drawbacks? Hmmm. I took one solid hit to my armed shoulder which I really felt, which might not have smarted so much with a less comfortable uniform (read: WC or Absolute). On the other hand, I am in the habit of never wearing an underarm protector in practice, and indeed, I was not wearing one last night. The Escrime U/A protectors are pretty solid, so I know I should have been wearing one, and I would have taken that shot just fine. The ONLY other drawback I can think of, and it's only a POSSIBLE drawback, is will this material pill? I spent some time with the "hook" side of the Velcro, trying to get it to pill the fabric, to see if this would be a problem. It DID catch, a LITTLE...not much, though. And I saw no lasting damage to the fabric. Over time will it pill? I don't know. My old Santelli uniforms used to pill horrendously. This fabric seemed to want to bounce back into shape. Only time will tell.

Overall, the uniform is superior. If I can figure out how to post a review, I will.

KD5MDK · 02-08-2008, 02:14 PM

Quote:

After the initial bemusement, excitement kicked in again and I dropped my pants right then and there and slipped into them, still freezing cold from the FedEx truck. Ooooohhhh.

And the Fedex driver went

LordShout · 02-11-2008, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Yeah...this isn't even CLOSE to my Uhlmann WC or Absolute 350 (which I alternate using). The uniform which comes closest in comfort that I can remember is Santelli stretch FIE kit...for those of you who are old enough to remember it.

So I'm getting a mental picture of a lightweight Santelli stretch jacket? I'm using an old one right now for practice and although its very comfortable its hot and thick, great for taking hits but hot.