Cost savings

[mifencer]

It occured to me after the "how to make your own foil wires" that there must be other cost saving ways (btw- sorry to all the equipment vender but fencing stuff is expensive!).

Here are a few that I can think of:

For a "inside wrench" or a 6 mm hex wrench, go to your nearest hardware store and pick one up for 75 cents.

If your soles of your fencing shoes wear out, take them to your shoe cobbler and they can put a new surface on them.

You can make your own body cords with lamp wire found at the hardware store for 60 cents a foot.

[mfp]

Originally posted by mifencer
It occured to me after the "how to make your own foil wires" that there must be other cost saving ways (btw- sorry to all the equipment vender but fencing stuff is expensive!).

If you are based in the US, another way to save significantly on equipment is to buy equipment from overseas vendors. You can save money or in many cases get upper end or FIE equipment for the same amount you'd spend on lower end equipment from a US vendor.

A small example -- an Uhlmann "combination" glove is $46.60 at AmFence and $45 at several other US dealers. Depending on the exchange rate, you can pick up the same glove from any of several vendors in Germany for around $19.

Another example: an Uhlmann FIE World Cup jacket is $235 at AmFence, $169 at the Fencing Post (on their sale page) or around only $109 in Germany.

[The US has obscenely high protectionist tariffs on clothing imports that the US vendors get hit with raising their costs while individuals can (usually) skirt the duty]

Other good deals from overseas can be found on weapons, parts, masks, shoes, etc, etc.

[JEC]

However, make sure you know exactly what size would fit. For my kid, Saul (fencing post) was able to exchange a pair of knickers that were too big. Delivery is faster too.

[Psi Shadowdark]

what are some german websites for that, iv ordered some thing direct from LP and such but after international shipping cost , i pat about the same as from say triplette

[Pierfrancesco]

Fechtsport-Langenkamp

Allstar

Uhlmann

[Psi Shadowdark]

i like that adidas bag, gonna have to get that, its on the uhlmann site

[veeco]

I heard from Saul that the Adidas bag isn't really good quality. He used to carry them and sold quite a few in Louisville, but the people who bought them said that they did last very long...

But it could be that he got a bad bunch or something...

[Psi Shadowdark]

hrm... well if anyone else has some experiance with the bag . plz let me know =)

josh

[MikeHarm]

The one person I knew who tried lamp wire ended up with body cords that were unreliable. Did you have success with it?

I also had luck on a cheap fencing bag for a while. I got a golf bag cover for about $20 at a garage sale. It looked nice nice, had wheels on it and was as big as the large fencing bags ya buy.

[attila]

CHEAP!?

next time you need an epee body cord, buy instead a reel to box floor cord. Usualluy twice the price but you get 50 feet extra wire so you can never ever have to buy another body cord.

Make your own foil or epee wires by re-cycling the contacts.

re- rivet your old bell guards using 5 cent rivets from your local hardware store.

Become an armourer and charge your best friends outragious prices to work on their gear....

Better yet find a friend who will service YOUR gear for free.....