JL Stainless Steel Foil Lame

[Pescados666]

How is this lame? I'm looking for a really cheap budget lame, and found this one at the Fencing Post for a decent price, $55 if I recall.

I normally wouldn't consider JL as an option with them usually notorious for lack of quality control. I did this time though, as you don't normally find stainless steel lame's for $55.

Would there be another, price friendly option out there that I should go with?
Would getting a copper lame from someone else be better?
What is the quality of the JL lame?

Remember that I don't have any budget at all. I'm getting a small loan from my parents to pay for all of this. I'll get better stuff as time goes by, but I'll need something that lasts until then.

[erooMynohtnA]

I could be wrong, but I don't think it's really stainless steel, just nickel plated copper. So, basically it's on par with every other cheap copper lame.

[Pescados666]

The only place I can find it is at the Fencing Post, but they don't have any descriptions for it.

[erooMynohtnA]

Which is why I suspect it's a copper base. Although they do call it stainless steel.

[Purple Fencer]

The only place I can find it is at the Fencing Post.

I sell them, too, but Post is the only US importer...I think the nickel plated copper is correct.

I've seen JLs last a good while and Uhlmanns fail fast....it really depends on how you care for it.

[Pescados666]

I take good care of all my stuff. I don't use my electrics for dry or press the spring too much because I'm afraid they'll wear out, even though I have extra springs. I have all my foils in PVC pipes, coated with a thin layer of wax, hanging on my wall. I think I could make it last a while. I was mainly concerned with how it lasts regardless to the environment I keep it in. Like if it rips easy or falls apart at the seems.

[erooMynohtnA]

I've never had any problems with JL lames other than the early conductivity death most cheap lames have.

[brtech]

Yah, JL lames are okay, but they don't last all that long. One thing I notice with JLs is that they tend to discolor (green) a lot more readily than other brands. The green is not necessarily accompanied by an unacceptable resistance, but it sure looks lousy.

I don't recall seeing any serious seam problems.

I think the AF and BG budget lames are a bit better than the JL, but not much better.

[GypsyScot]

I find the best way to keep cheap copper lames around is parrying...

[Pescados666]

Yah, JL lames are okay, but they don't last all that long. One thing I notice with JLs is that they tend to discolor (green) a lot more readily than other brands. The green is not necessarily accompanied by an unacceptable resistance, but it sure looks lousy.

I don't recall seeing any serious seam problems.

I think the AF and BG budget lames are a bit better than the JL, but not much better.

The green reminds me of tree moss.

I find the best way to keep cheap copper lames around is parrying...

Esquives work nicely too, unless you have the crotch strap on way too tight, which I've seen happen many times before.

[Timberwolf_CY]

FP may well send you a Linea lame rather than a JL, as they have both products. They sent me a Linea one. I haven't been using it a great deal (2-3 hours once a week, twice as often about 6 months ago for 6 months) but it has lasted very well for me so far, with nearly no noticabel wear. If the metal is nickel-coated, none of it has worn off at all so far, and I have no noticable corrosion.