FIE Sabre Blades

[Sabresque]

I was wondering if anyone knows what venders sell FIE sabre blades. I've tried The Fencing Post, Blue Gauntlet, and can't for the life of me get a hold of American Fencers. Do you know if any particular blades are better than others for FIE blades? Thanks a bunch ahead of time.

[edew]

There are the S2000 or later blades, but I don't think there are FIE homologated maraging sabre blades. There's not a need for them. Sabre blades tend to break at the tang, which makes the deadliness of a broken blade more humorous than serious.

American Fencers' Supply can be reached at www.amfence.com.

[sallearmourer]

There is no such thing as a FIE saber blade never has been. Just S 2000 or later.

If someone try to sell saber blades with FIE stamp on them it's
a Fake big time.

My opinion on sabre a 12 or 15 dollars is just as good as a 45.00
one.

All Sabre blades have one thing in common they break period.

I rather have on hand 4 or 5 cheap one in my bag bent and ready to put on.

Peach does this she using cheap ones.

Tim Loomis
Ye Olde Armourer

[Peach]

I'm with you, Tim. I buy the cheap ones because they last just as long as the expensive ones. And mine usually break not at the tang but up about a third of the way from the tip. I think it's from hitting guard. Actually, most of the sabre blades I've seen break for other people did so around there. I guess Eric has had a different experience.

I love the silvery sound of a broken sabre blade vibrating as it flies through the air. Bwwannnnnngggg.

[Sabresque]

hehehe, I like the comedic bwaaaaaaaaaang also.

I've been mislead. I didn't think there were FIE sabre blades, either, but someone kept insisting. Okay, thanks a bunch for clearing it up for me folks.

[edew]

Originally posted by Peach
I'm with you, Tim. I buy the cheap ones because they last just as long as the expensive ones. And mine usually break not at the tang but up about a third of the way from the tip. I think it's from hitting guard. Actually, most of the sabre blades I've seen break for other people did so around there. I guess Eric has had a different experience.

I love the silvery sound of a broken sabre blade vibrating as it flies through the air. Bwwannnnnngggg.

When the S2000s were required for the first time, a lot of sabre fencers broke their blades at the tang, as opposed to nearer to the tip. I myself have not broken any sabre blades in many a year. But then, I fence it about twice a month, and sometimes with someone else's weapon.

However, the coach here, Pogossov, frequently breaks his blade while giving lessons. I'd say it breaks at the tang about 2/3 of the time.

[neevel]

Some manufacturers (like BF) do produce maraging sabre blades, which sometimes get listed as "FIE" blades in catalogs (the person writing the copy probably just assumes that "maraging" automatically equals "FIE", since it usually does for foil and epee blades). As Tim stated, there's no FIE homologation requirement for sabre blades.

The general consensus is that maraging sabre blades aren't worth the money. Sabre blades are subject to different sorts of stresses than foil or epee blades, and the durability/cost ratio doesn't seem to be as favorable as it is for maraging foil and epee blades (which are worth the extra money).

-Dave

[Inquartata]

I broke a blade at the tang just this past weekend. First one I ever broke like that; most of mine have gone either about a third of the way down from the point or about halfway down. OTOH I have a friend who breaks ALL of his at the tang---I think because he likes to bend his blades there to give a cant to the grip.

At the same session someone else broke a blade just where the foible section merges into the y-section of the forte.

[DHCJr]

There used to be FIE standards for Sabre Blades, but they dropped the requirement because as everyone has noted, there was no need. This was even before Electric Sabre. Does anyone remember the FIE Epee Tips, they didn't last either. Well except that Uhlmann kept the FIE wires and went back to their old tips. I have one of the FIE blades, but considering how often I fence and the actual number I hit when I do fence, it might be the next century before I break it.