FIE blades lighter than...

[Carlos37]

Are FIE blades lighter than any other blade?Should I get one of them if I want the lightest blade?

[erooMynohtnA]

LP FIE
Prieur FIE
LP/LM Kolobkov-Pro

As I understand it, those are the lightest blades in order from top to bottom.

[piste off]

Originally Posted by Carlos37

Are FIE blades lighter than any other blade?Should I get one of them if I want the lightest blade?

No. In my experience FIE versions (brands) are always heavier than their non-FIE counterparts.

Rick

[noodle]

Originally Posted by Carlos37

Are FIE blades lighter than any other blade?Should I get one of them if I want the lightest blade?

no, they are, as a whole, not any different than the average non-FIE blade.
however, you will most likely find that the lightest blade possible is a non-FIE blade.

[gatsby]

Originally Posted by piste off

No. In my experience FIE versions (brands) are always heavier than their non-FIE counterparts.

Rick

I'd have to agree with this statement.

Compared to a non-FIE stm, all FIE blades I've tried (including stm, vniti, prieur, BF) are definitely heavier.

[jkdjeff]

I have two Vniti FIE blades, and they're heavier than any other foil I've ever handled.

I like them because they force my movements to be smaller and tighter, when I use a lighter blade I tend to get too flippy and make bigger movements.

[jjefferies]

Originally Posted by jkdjeff

I have two Vniti FIE blades, and they're heavier than any other foil I've ever handled.

I like them because they force my movements to be smaller and tighter, when I use a lighter blade I tend to get too flippy and make bigger movements.

Vniti's are always heavier. FIE makes no diff.

[CvilleFencer]

Vniti blades are ONLY FIE just so you know.

FIE blades are going to generally be heavier than their counterparts. Some blades run lighter than others due to their design so you can find brand X of an FIE blade (LP for example) that is going to be lighter than a non-FIE blade from brand Y (say StM) but within the same blade family, the FIE blade is going to weigh a bit more. The payoff is in the lifespan, safety and in some cases the overall feel of the FIE blade.

[jkdjeff]

Originally Posted by CvilleFencer

Vniti blades are ONLY FIE just so you know.

Ah, I didn't know that. I'd never seen any non-FIE Vniti blades advertised anywhere, but thought maybe I just hadn't happened to see them.

[Carlos37]

if I find my StM stardard blade to be a little to weighty for me,are there any other blades(preferably by allstar) to be lighter than that?

[noodle]

Originally Posted by Carlos37

if I find my StM stardard blade to be a little to weighty for me,are there any other blades(preferably by allstar) to be lighter than that?

i've found StM non-FIE to be the lightest blade available. in my experience. also most brittle.

[DangerMouse]

Originally Posted by Carlos37

if I find my StM stardard blade to be a little to weighty for me,are there any other blades(preferably by allstar) to be lighter than that?

No, but there are other sports that don't require hand strength. Like chess.

[AdamH]

Foil.

FIE blades

The lightest FIE blades I've used are from LP, specifically the budget maraging. These are too whippy for me. Shorter (effective) lifespan.

The heaviest FIE blade I've used is an StM. These are very stiff and do eventually work in but I find them just a little bit too slow. Live for a very long time.

BF FIE blades. I find they can be stiff enough the point doesn't lag but work in nicely enough in terms of flex. Last a good long time, too.

Non-FIE blades

The lightest non-FIE blades I've used are the super-cheap Chinese blades from Jiang. These are very stiff for a light blade. They are also very brittle with the shortest lifespan I've used, even more so than...

StM non-FIE. These are my favourite non-FIE blades; not too heavy, not too light and stay stiff for a good enough while. They work in a little quicker than their FIE big brother but live a shorter life.

LP non-FIE are lighter than StM but become very whippy, very quickly.

If you're going to get an FIE blade, seriously consider the BF blade. It is sometimes touted as the 'best' foil blade (although plenty people prefer other blades). If you have one, you are using one and you should never have to worry about the quality of your tools. It will almost certainly last longer than a multiple of non-FIE blades to the equivalent price.

I'm a bit confused about your experiences with non-FIE StM blades, and would usually recommend them, but urg

[piste off]

Originally Posted by Carlos37

if I find my StM stardard blade to be a little to weighty for me,are there any other blades(preferably by allstar) to be lighter than that?

I found that the BF non-FIE epee blades (the ones I get have the Allstar brand) are lighter. I've also found them to be almost as durable as the FIE version, and are half the cost. They also have a slightly better feel.

Rick

[clonardo]

there's more to it than just weight- you need to think about balance as well. when I still fenced foil, it wasn't just overall weight that made my Vniti feel heavier than my other weapons- the center of gravity was closer to the tip (at least in part due to the fact that the weapon in question had an ultralight bell guard on it). In general, fully assembled weapons with a center of gravity closer to your hand will feel lighter and more maneuverable.

This is notable in sabre, where some fencers (myself included) are picky about the weight of the pommel. Sometimes using a heavier pommel nut to counterweight the blade will result in a weapon that feels "lighter."

From the epee and sabre blades I've used, Allstar Superstar and Bluestar non-FIE both seem pretty light. I can't speak for the foil version, however.

[Carlos37]

is the BF FIE epee blade light or is it pretty heavy?I´m thinking of buying it but if it´s heavy I´m not.I´m an epee french grip fencer by the way

[Nolano]

I checked out someone's BF FIE epee blade, and it didnt seem any heavier than most epee blades.