Lame Failure

[Beloit Fencer of Old]

One of my clubmates purchased a new lame from a "famous maker" in October of 2009. She used it only for competition, as she has one or two others she uses for practice.

The lame developed a dead spot after four months of competition. In other words, it was probably used for eight competitions.

She thought she should return it for a new one, given that the lames we are familiar with, those from other "famous makers," tend to last much longer than four months, even when they are used for competitions AND practice! In my experience, my Uhlmann, Allstar and Santelli lames lasted two years before developing dead spots. Yes, they may not have passed testing at a NAC, but they didn't have dead spots.

Well, this famous maker's U.S. representative said "no" to replacing the lame. The reason? "It's good equipment."

What? Really?

I'm in the market for a new lame. I know that if I order from Fencing.net, Absolute or Escrime, someone is going to stand behind the product. Or am I wrong?

Has anyone else experienced this? Should we expect more than four months out of an expensive lame? Obviously, I'm not talking about the copper throw-away lames. I'm interested in your feedback.

[Purple Fencer]

How was it cared for? Was it wadded up and tossed in the bag with the gear and wet clothes on top of it? Was it folded tightly, which would contribute to thread breaks? WHERE did it go dead?? (The neck is a prime areadue to sweat from the neck). Was it ever washed....and if so, how?

It could be a defective lame....but it could just as easily be poor care by the fencer.

[fatfencer]

Hmm.

Rather than speculate who this is lemme just say this.

If you want a lame that is essentially INDESTRUCTABLE then go with the Estoc lame...the nickel one.

Any ultralight is going to go dead sooner rather than later. Some later than others, but all sooner than the Estoc Nickel.

The estoc is also better than the Uhlmann/Allstar/Negrini/LP stainless lames.

how do I know? No one has ever said in the 8 years I've been on this forum/rec.sport.fencing that they have had an _____ lame last as longer than 5 years and still pass at a NAC.

LP is probably the close second though.

Triplette 3rd.

FF

[Inquartata]

My Uhlmann sabre lame is over 5 years old and still passed in Pittsburgh.

Of course, it's got a small patch, and is looking a bit shabby. But it works.


Come on, you had to know I was going to do that!

[Beloit Fencer of Old]

How was it cared for? Was it wadded up and tossed in the bag with the gear and wet clothes on top of it? Was it folded tightly, which would contribute to thread breaks? WHERE did it go dead?? (The neck is a prime areadue to sweat from the neck). Was it ever washed....and if so, how?

It could be a defective lame....but it could just as easily be poor care by the fencer.

Good guess, but no. She is one of those ppl you see walk into the club with the lame on a hanger. She takes very good care of her equipment. And the spot where it went dead is the center of the chest. As far as washing, I don't know. I generally recommend to my clubmates that washable lames be gently washed by rinsing in cold water while on a hanger, and adding a little Woolite and a soft brush to the process every few months.

[jkdjeff]

Mini-hijack because I couldn't find the info I needed in old threads I looked through:

I have a LP lightweight lame that is roughly 2 years old but was in storage for six months or so while I took a break from fencing.

It still works pretty well but there is some green spotting on the shoulders, mostly on the back but just a bit around the front. I'm assuming it's from the action of sweat where the lame rests against my uniform.

Any reliable way to get rid of this? It doesn't seem to affect the function yet, but it's cosmetically ugly.

[Beloit Fencer of Old]

Mini-hijack because I couldn't find the info I needed in old threads I looked through:

I have a LP lightweight lame that is roughly 2 years old but was in storage for six months or so while I took a break from fencing.

It still works pretty well but there is some green spotting on the shoulders, mostly on the back but just a bit around the front. I'm assuming it's from the action of sweat where the lame rests against my uniform.

Any reliable way to get rid of this? It doesn't seem to affect the function yet, but it's cosmetically ugly.

I don't know much about the lightweight lames, but the green spotting is generally found in lames with a high copper content. I've helped people get a little more life out of these lames by cleaning them with rust remover and a brush. You can actually pick up a rust remover in the laundry detergent aisle...the one I'm familiar with comes in a small brown bottle. Before you do this, however, I would make sure that the green spots are, in fact, DEAD. Some green spots will still conduct well enough for local competition, and you don't want to do the rust remover treatment if the lame still conducts. Using a rust remover is something like a hospice treatment for your lame. Its time on earth is short.

[jkdjeff]

Yeah, I'm just basically trying to get it to last until next season comes around, at which time I'll get a new one. (Trying to get back into shape sucks)

I haven't specifically checked the green spots to see if they're dead, but they're in areas that aren't going to be a big factor for club fencing anyway (I only fence one person on a regular basis who tries to hit to the back of the shoulders).