Decent quality fencing gear for a beginner

[kb1200]

So I had a couple lessons in and I am wanting to buy some gear. Using shared masks isn't the most fun thing in the world I am currently in Vancouver in Canada so I was wondering about places that ship here or even sell the gear in a storefront. I am looking for gear that is cheap yet decent, just stuff for basic training. I don't need a weapon yet as I haven't picked out which of the 3 I want to specialize in. So any suggestions with places that ship here and are not too bad on the price?

[yearsofwisdom]

Absolute Fencing in the US is pvery good gear for a beginner and the prices arn't too bad. I don't know if they ship to Canada but i would look into it. You should also wait until someone from Canada answers this too.

[JacoKierkegaard]

+1 for Absolute. That's where my uniform is from, and I'm really happy with it.

[kb1200]

That place looks great. Really good prices and they say they ship internationally. I will give them a call to see how much it is to ship here.

[SJCFU#2]

You may want to check with Fencergrl - I believe that she lives in your part of the world (British Columbia) and has some experience dealing getting orders from US vendors delivered to recipients in Canada (which from what I've heard can get rather expensive if you do it the wrong way).

[peterlista]

I am a fan of Escrime International gear (a US vendor); actually, my entire kit is EI. Although not as cheap as Absolute or Blue Gauntlet, it's great if you plan on sticking with the sport for a little while. Plus, Rick is great and can help you figure out what you need.

[kb1200]

I am a fan of Escrime International gear (a US vendor); actually, my entire kit is EI. Although not as cheap as Absolute or Blue Gauntlet, it's great if you plan on sticking with the sport for a little while. Plus, Rick is great and can help you figure out what you need.

Prices are double at the other kits I'm looking at so I am not sure if I want to spend that much yet. Plus the canada version of the site isn't working yet

[Purple Fencer]

Don't scrimp on the mask....it's the most important bit of gear. if you can afford FIE, do it.

[Morale Officer]

Prices are double at the other kits I'm looking at so I am not sure if I want to spend that much yet. Plus the canada version of the site isn't working yet

I'll second the motion for Escrime (even though slightly more pricey than other places, the quality + customer service is worth it).

[Craig]

kb - You could always look at this site's store, http://shop.fencing.net/ and we do ship to Canada.

We ship via USPS International so it takes a few days longer to get to you but you don't have to pay all of the import brokerage fees that you would with shipping via UPS.

Craig

[XanderHal]

Are you fencing in Vancouver? The club you are at might sell some stuff. Dynamo in Vancouver is pretty big, they might sell. In Calgary we have a supplier called Fencing Equipment of Canada, and they sell online. But, they only sell Leon Paul Brand. I've found that if you make a big order (at least $150 plus), the cost of the goods plus the shipping cost using USPS from the United States is about equal to ordering from Canada (our prices are higher for the gear). I've ordered from Blue Gauntlet and Fencing.net to Calgary and have had good success. Overall I would say quality and consistency is higher at Fencing.net (sometimes BG swaps an item in your order without asking, but usually with something higher quality), but the stores sell different brands.

[chinbeard]

I'll second the motion for Escrime (even though slightly more pricey than other places, the quality + customer service is worth it).

Thirded. Quality stuff (you won't have to even think about replacing it for several years) and outstanding customer service (if you couldn't get mail service out there, they would probably hand-deliver).

[jkdjeff]

I'd recommend against Blue Gauntlet, myself; I've replaced all of my original BG gear now except for my knickers, and they're next on the list.

If you're looking for cheap, entry-level gear to help you explore the sport but you're not sure if you'll stick with it yet, BG might be okay; but if you are fairly sure you will want to fence long-term, get something that is better quality. You'll save yourself time and money in the long run.

Definitely get a good quality jacket and mask, if nothing else; you can get away with a bit cheaper glove or knickers or whatever, but jacket and mask (in my opinion) have the biggest impact on your safety and comfort while fencing, and they are bad places to skimp.

[Fencergrl]

Hi, I buy a lot of fencing equipment. Some for my club & some for my fencers. Here's my advice:

Least expensive in Vancouver is Freestyle. http://www.freestylefencing.com/
He might have what you need in stock. He doesn't carry a lot of stock, so if you're willing to wait, you can get some okay/ low end stuff (not unlike most of the low end gear sold elsewhere). I recommend buying blades elsewhere. Great vendor to deal with & you can try stuff on.

Dynamo in Vancouver is pretty big, they might sell.

They sell Athos, & I haven't had good luck with this brand and some of my students have also had quality issues. For the money you might want to shop elsewhere as the quality is poor enough that it has never struck me as good value.

In Calgary we have a supplier called Fencing Equipment of Canada, and they sell online. But, they only sell Leon Paul Brand.

These folks are great to deal with, but they sell a mid to high end brands. Orders usually take only 1 day. They get stuff out pretty quickly. http://www.fencingcanada.ca/welcome.htm

Leon Paul UK or USA have been also easy to deal with, but there isn't a real price advantage, so Fencing Equipment of Canada is a good choice. Leon Paul ships by mail from the UK, so there isn't a lot of hassle or expense when it arrives in Canada.

There's also Fleche, out of Toronto. This vendor can be more hassle than it's worth. He's slow to ship & for the same price & quality there are less frustrating vendors to do business with.

Absolute & Fencing.net are also good to deal with (and both in eastern US). I tend to buy my blades & mid to high end gear from f-net as they offer a good selection. Some of the lower end equipment isn't a whole lot different than Freestyle & more money (especially when you consider the exchange rate & shipping). Both offer some great deals over the summer when they are clearing stuff out.

I strongly recommend that you try and get your orders shipped via US mail. You will pay a king's ransom in customs otherwise. If it must go UPS, you might want to look into clearing it yourself through customs... although it is a hassle. Orders generally take 2 weeks. By mail, you just pay taxes & a $5 handling fee... it can be a little like a lottery as sometimes they forget to charge you either.

If you order from outside of the country, you might want to consider asking other fencers in your club if they're planning any purchases. Combining orders is a good way to save on shipping etc...

PM me if you have any questions.

[kb1200]

Thanks so much for the help everyone. I am going to give freestyle fencing a call and see what they have in stock. If they don't have what I need I will look at some of the other places that have been recommended. Once again, thanks a lot for the help.