Escrime USA coaching jacket... your thoughts please

[Garrison]

Ahoy, ahoy,
It's time to retire the ancient leather vest. I'm looking at coaching jackets and the two arm Escrime coaching jacket looks nice.

Does anyone have experience with it? How's the stitching? Does the leather bleed dye? Please share your thoughts.

Thanks,

Mike

[chinbeard]

Ahoy, ahoy,
It's time to retire the ancient leather vest. I'm looking at coaching jackets and the two arm Escrime coaching jacket looks nice.

Does anyone have experience with it? How's the stitching? Does the leather bleed dye? Please share your thoughts.

Thanks,

Mike

Can't answer your question directly, but I've never heard anything bad about any Escrime product, and I'm anxiously waiting for them to come out with an 800 n kit.

[Rick Shellhouse]

I'm anxiously waiting for them to come out with an 800 n kit.

We actually have all of our testing and are awaiting the actual FIE stamp of approval.

Contimplating a domestic line of 800N with all the test but minus the fie approval...


R

[Dave]

I have a single arm escrime jacket and, with a few caveats, it has been great. The removable (washable) lining and padding are a good idea and the general quality of the jacket is high. On my jacket the leather bled on arm whole that doesn't have an arm (if that makes sense) also the sleeves were a little short.

[Beloit Fencer of Old]

Ahoy, ahoy,
It's time to retire the ancient leather vest. I'm looking at coaching jackets and the two arm Escrime coaching jacket looks nice.

Does anyone have experience with it? How's the stitching? Does the leather bleed dye? Please share your thoughts.

Thanks,

Mike

Hey, Mike! It's your old Wisconsin buddy BFO here. I have to say that everything I've seen from Escrime has been designed to an extreme. In other words, no issues whatsoever...because anything which CAN go wrong seems to have been designed out of it before it hits the store. I have a set of the 350N kit, although the jacket seems to have gone missing in the last couple of weeks :-( It is my favorite uniform, supplanting my Uhlmann FIE until last week when I had a competition and realized that my Escrime jacket was missing. It's great stuff from a comfort standpoint.

[catwood1]

I have an escrime front zip coaching jacket with a detachable single sleeve. Here is my feedback about it:

I LOVE the fact that its a front zip. The flap that coves over the zipper is big enough that I think it still works fine for giving lefty lessons every once in a while. It does not provide as much padding as some of the other jackets I've worn, but its not nearly enough to bother me. I still feel fine giving lessons over and over in it. To note, the padding on the arm seems great, but on the body its a little lacking. Granted, thats just because you tend to get hit harder to the body then you do on the arm.

The sleeve is VERY cumbersome to attach and detach from the vest. Also, it can only be zipped onto 1 side of the vest. So if you want to attach it, you must either get a right handed 1, or a left handed 1. I'd like to see Escrime made a jacket where the sleeve could be put onto either side the vest. Also, the zipper is just very small and unwieldy to use. Cumbersome enough that I almost never zip it on. I just wear a fencing jacket underneath it, and wear both the jacket and the sleeve seperate.

Overall, I think its a very nice jacket. I like it alot. It fits me well, and it seems very durable. The price is also great. If you want a nice coaching jacket, you CAN'T beat the price of it.

[fatfencer]

Hey, Mike! It's your old Wisconsin buddy BFO here. I have to say that everything I've seen from Escrime has been designed to an extreme. In other words, no issues whatsoever...because anything which CAN go wrong seems to have been designed out of it before it hits the store. I have a set of the 350N kit, although the jacket seems to have gone missing in the last couple of weeks :-( It is my favorite uniform, supplanting my Uhlmann FIE until last week when I had a competition and realized that my Escrime jacket was missing. It's great stuff from a comfort standpoint.

HMMMM...this is probably the one guy that would make me take a 2nd look at Escrime... its been forever and a day since the 800, er 975 newton jacket was announced.

Hard to believe it will be as good or better than LP. typed in my best Anton Ego impression...

Well, see... someday?

Fatfencer

[erooMynohtnA]

Of what I have seen, I would say that cut and fabric go to LP. Quality of workmanship, however, goes to Escrime. I have never seen stronger seams.

[Morale Officer]

Of what I have seen, I would say that cut and fabric go to LP. Quality of workmanship, however, goes to Escrime. I have never seen stronger seams.

95% of my kit is now Escrime, and I have to say that for a larger woman like me, there really is no comparison as to cut. Quality is great. Customer service is beyond 100%. My assistant coach just got a coaches sleave and I believe she likes it, I'll ask when I see her at the tournament Sunday.

[oso97]

Hey, Mike! It's your old Wisconsin buddy BFO here. I have to say that everything I've seen from Escrime has been designed to an extreme. In other words, no issues whatsoever...because anything which CAN go wrong seems to have been designed out of it before it hits the store. I have a set of the 350N kit, although the jacket seems to have gone missing in the last couple of weeks :-( It is my favorite uniform, supplanting my Uhlmann FIE until last week when I had a competition and realized that my Escrime jacket was missing. It's great stuff from a comfort standpoint.

*shrug* I've had a slightly different opinion of them. My wife purchased a uniform set (jacket and knickers) from them the first year that they were at summer nationals.

The material was good, and the cut was nice.

But, we found the elastic at the wrists and knees wore out quickly. We also found the velcro at the neck wore out quickly, and I replaced it with a snap. The zipper on the knickers broke and had to be replaced. The clasp at the top of the zipper broke and had to be replaced. All of this happened within 2 months after purchase.

Customer service was typical of fencing vendors (poor) - the two domestic companies that I consider to have better than average customer service are Swordmasters and Absolute, and even they have hiccups, but when they do, they fix it, promptly, and acknowledge the mistake. Escrime was very interested in us before the sale was made. Afterwords, well, we never got a single email (to the address on their website) returned regarding the problems listed above.

She still uses the Escrime stuff, but will be replacing it this SN, probably with Estoc FIE gear.

[erooMynohtnA]

the two domestic companies that I consider to have better than average customer service are Swordmasters

Is this a typo?

[oso97]

Is this a typo?

No. Swordmaster's has provided high quality materials in the past for me - and yes, they're higher priced than some, but the price is, IMHO, worth the cost. The repair work they do is first class, and when its not done right, is fixed quickly, and at no additional expense. If I need something that they don't have, they will special order it for me (although, since Estoc is made in France, it can take awhile, because of the inordinate number of holidays that French workers take) and not charge me extra. And they're occasionally willing to haggle on price for bulk purchases. If an item I purchased for a student didn't fit, it can be returned, no questions asked. Twice I've made large, expensive purchases from them, and the shipping was thrown in for free.

[Morale Officer]

So far I haven't had a problem with Escrime. I had the sleeves taken in and up on the jacket, so I haven't had any issue with the elastic...'cause it's gone. As far as the knickers, haven't had any problem with the elastic, zipper, or clasp. And as for customer service, I've had nothing but the best from them so far.

[erooMynohtnA]

No. Swordmaster's has provided high quality materials in the past for me - and yes, they're higher priced than some, but the price is, IMHO, worth the cost. The repair work they do is first class, and when its not done right, is fixed quickly, and at no additional expense. If I need something that they don't have, they will special order it for me (although, since Estoc is made in France, it can take awhile, because of the inordinate number of holidays that French workers take) and not charge me extra. And they're occasionally willing to haggle on price for bulk purchases. If an item I purchased for a student didn't fit, it can be returned, no questions asked. Twice I've made large, expensive purchases from them, and the shipping was thrown in for free.

Yeah, high quality, high price, good selection, fine. Never getting the stuff I bought ever, not a fan of that.

[fatfencer]

She still uses the Escrime stuff, but will be replacing it this SN, probably with Estoc FIE gear.

Hey, um FF here.

I really love their Estoc Lames. Good stuff. Though, if you really want FIE gear, try out the LP USA booth.

One feel of both fabrics and I think youll see and feel the quality difference. I was going to buy the Estoc FIE gear but those knickers are horrible looking too. Those goofy suspenders and Buttons are hard for me to get around.

LP FIE gear is top notch quality and I have to say their service is great.

The LP x-change is the best fie mask MADE, BTW.

Fatfencer

[oso97]

I was going to buy the Estoc FIE gear but those knickers are horrible looking too.

Down here there is a significant group who would disagree. http://rmrphotos.smugmug.com/gallery...675_3X4Zr-A-LB - check out the fencer on the left. Different view http://rmrphotos.smugmug.com/gallery...146_jAfQk-A-LB - If those don't look good....

[fatfencer]

Down here there is a significant group who would disagree. http://rmrphotos.smugmug.com/gallery...675_3X4Zr-A-LB - check out the fencer on the left. Different view http://rmrphotos.smugmug.com/gallery...146_jAfQk-A-LB - If those don't look good....

Im not sure I communicated why i dislike their knickers. They look like overalls with those goofy buttons and suspenders that look like they belong on OshKoshBgosh...

Those butts btw were as flabby and out of shape as mine is. Not something I want to glance at during breakfast. Thanks a bunch.

FF

[EldRick]

It's worth noting that the Escrime shopping pages require you to enter your birthdate, and while you can enter anything you like, this information is:
a) none of their business,
b) completely irrelevant to buying fencing gear, and,
c) almost certainly illegal under privacy law in the EU, as they are collecting and storing personal information for which they have no legitimate need.

Perhaps I am a curmudgeon, but I won't shop with a firm with a web site so poorly managed.

[Rick Shellhouse]

It's worth noting that the Escrime shopping pages require you to enter your birthdate, and while you can enter anything you like, this information is:
a) none of their business,
b) completely irrelevant to buying fencing gear, and,
c) almost certainly illegal under privacy law in the EU, as they are collecting and storing personal information for which they have no legitimate need.

Perhaps I am a curmudgeon, but I won't shop with a firm with a web site so poorly managed.

Ya missed

D) used to give a coupon/gift certificate to customers on their birthday

E)verifying customer is of legal age in the area of which they live to make said purchases especially if we have a 15 year old making a 500 purchase using their parents credit card

We could also go into the fact the EU requirements are for data transmitted to outside the EU and Escrime UK handles all EU sales but we won't even go that route.

We could also go into the fact that entering 0's will not prohibit you from shopping...but we wont go there either.

Have a happy day :-)

Rick Shellhouse

[EldRick]

Your point E) "verifying customer is of legal age", is absurd, since one could, as you point out, enter anything at all, and you have no way of checking an entered birthdate in any case.

Assuming that your reasons to require entry of a birthdate in order to shop on your web are legitimate, you need to offer an explanation stating why on the checkout page, AND offer a clear Decline to State alternative, not force an entry.

If I were to enter your store to buy something, would you require me to state my date of birth in order to buy something? Of course not! Then why do you try to do so online?

I, for one, will never shop at your site while it forces me to make a choice between lying or giving you my birthdate, as it is certainly not any concern of your Business in any way.

I'm probably not the only potential customer who would feel that way, but make your own decision as to whether to continue the practice, while noting that you won't find one in a thousand other e-commerce sites that do this.