BF White, BF Blue, BF Gold - FIE Maraging Foil Blades

[Kryptos]

Unless you like shiny colored stuff.

uh-huh... which costs like what.. $10+ more?

[erooMynohtnA]

That's not just a forge mark up. That's a vendor mark up. They can charge more because people are willing to pay it. They want a blue, and they're going to pay more to get it. You could probably charge $20 more and barely shift sales of blue vs white.

Blues weren't always $10 more. I remember the difference being about $4-5, which is what it seems like a dipping should cost. For what it's worth, the StM blades that allegedly aren't color coded still cost more when colored.

Also, the LP Poz-Pro was, like, $70, and people still paid double price for a blade just because it was black (and backed by successful marketing). If anyone wants jet black saber blades I will sell them to them for much less.

[Gav]

I've still got my uber black LP epee blade somewhere. I thought it looked tres cool and dashing. The chicks digged it.

[erooMynohtnA]

If anyone wants to buy black epee blades I can do that too.

[yearsofwisdom]

whats TCA?

[CvilleFencer]

Triplette Competition Arms, out of Elkin NC.

[yearsofwisdom]

so would it be true that ulhmann BF whites are better than TCA BF whites?

[DangerMouse]

No, that would be false

[Happyman001]

"BF Blue blades are the most flexible, most resilient, and the lightest. They are also the most expensive. They, though, are much more likely to take a radical bend if it deals a hit that has enough force behind it, for whatever reason.



- end quote -

i herd that rumor too.

[InFerrumVeritas]

There is no difference. It's been stated here several times. The coloring does two things, and exactly two things:
-It prevents against rust while in storage and shipping. It will not provide any meaningful protection against rust in situations like when being stored in a sweaty fencing bag, and this property becomes moot over use.
-It changes the color of the blade.

That's it. The process doesn't magically make the blade have different properities just like painting your car red doesn't make it faster. No, they don't take blades with specific properities out and color them accordingly.

Edit: I use Vniti blades, by the way.

[twisterfencing]

OK,
There is more to the story from my previous post and will try to explain:

While in France, working with an interpeter, speaking with Mr. Blaise of Blaise Brothers Blades (thats BF in English), him showing me the stamping machines and hydrolics of the stamping machine - the computer that took in the set up and how the blades are set up and tested, he (Mr. Blaise) was pretty specific about the coloring of the blades and how they are set up diffrently (not the metal) yet the stamping for diffrent type of blades and functions.

As in my previous post, you can see what I was told. This is not my information, yet came from Mr. Blaise. Now, for anyone that wants to argue with it, head to France, call in advance, see Mr. Blaise - he's a really cool guy. Used to be a sharp shooter in the French Army. Ask him with the use of an interpetur and find out for yourself.

Gary Spruill

There is no difference. It's been stated here several times. The coloring does two things, and exactly two things:
-It prevents against rust while in storage and shipping. It will not provide any meaningful protection against rust in situations like when being stored in a sweaty fencing bag, and this property becomes moot over use.
-It changes the color of the blade.

That's it. The process doesn't magically make the blade have different properities just like painting your car red doesn't make it faster. No, they don't take blades with specific properities out and color them accordingly.

Edit: I use Vniti blades, by the way.

[Winterbean]

I'm quite partial to the Vniti blades. They have always seemed to be the best value for a blade. I've been fencing for around four years now, and I've only broken one Vniti since I've started. I've fenced a little bit with the BF whites, but they are too stiff for my taste. I'm debating trying a blue for my next weapon whenever I get the funds to afford it.

[Alex_Paul]

OK,
There is more to the story from my previous post and will try to explain:

While in France, working with an interpeter, speaking with Mr. Blaise of Blaise Brothers Blades (thats BF in English), him showing me the stamping machines and hydrolics of the stamping machine - the computer that took in the set up and how the blades are set up and tested, he (Mr. Blaise) was pretty specific about the coloring of the blades and how they are set up diffrently (not the metal) yet the stamping for diffrent type of blades and functions.

As in my previous post, you can see what I was told. This is not my information, yet came from Mr. Blaise. Now, for anyone that wants to argue with it, head to France, call in advance, see Mr. Blaise - he's a really cool guy. Used to be a sharp shooter in the French Army. Ask him with the use of an interpetur and find out for yourself.

Gary Spruill

Hi Gary,

I am really suprised that he said this.

If you measure the blades flexibilities as per the FIE regs then different colours are all the same.

Also if you take a caliper and measure the cross sectional area at different points down the length then they are all the same profile. If they are the same profile then the points at which they bend down their length must bee the same.

I don't doubt that someone from BF may say that they are different but scientific measurement of the blades does not show any difference in material, flexibility or profilee so I don't see how they can be different.


Alex

[piste off]

Hi Gary,

I am really suprised that he said this.

If you measure the blades flexibilities as per the FIE regs then different colours are all the same.

Also if you take a caliper and measure the cross sectional area at different points down the length then they are all the same profile. If they are the same profile then the points at which they bend down their length must bee the same.

I don't doubt that someone from BF may say that they are different but scientific measurement of the blades does not show any difference in material, flexibility or profilee so I don't see how they can be different.


Alex

According to Amanda at Absolute they are the same, just that the blues have the coloring process (chemical, not heat).

Perhaps some of the perceptions are because of the wide differences in blades/batches. That would explain the conflicting things I've heard (e.g. blues are more flexible/light, no blues are heavier and stiffer...).

I'm still intrigued with what Gary said... perhaps BF is trying to differentiate them somehow?

BTW - go to any sports store and get gun blueing if you want to change the color of a white to blue. No need to do this on maraging if rust is your concern.

R-

[twisterfencing]

Alex,

Understood.

Not an arguable point, yet they seemed pretty certain that the stamping set up was very different for each blade.

Gary

Hi Gary,

I am really suprised that he said this.

If you measure the blades flexibilities as per the FIE regs then different colours are all the same.

Also if you take a caliper and measure the cross sectional area at different points down the length then they are all the same profile. If they are the same profile then the points at which they bend down their length must bee the same.

I don't doubt that someone from BF may say that they are different but scientific measurement of the blades does not show any difference in material, flexibility or profilee so I don't see how they can be different.


Alex

[Purple Fencer]

so would it be true that ulhmann BF whites are better than TCA BF whites?

They're the exact same blades....neither Uhlmann nor Triplette make the BF blades....BF is the forge.

The vendor stamp is NOT the same as that of the actual manufacturer

Uhlmann only makes blades under the Scaronimark (since they bought the forge), but Triplette makes NO blades....there isn'ta single forge anywhere in the Americas.