Blue-Gauntlet Fencing Shoes

[bob46]

They made new ones. Multiple new ones.

http://www.blue-gauntlet.com/store/products/623
http://www.blue-gauntlet.com/store/products/624

My hunch is that any shoes that need advertising with "rocket booster" effects are probably still not especially great.

[s.brookes]

I will never buy a Blue Gauntlet product for as long as I live.

I don't know why I've seen so few complaints on this forum - maybe because everyone just accept it as a truth.

I was the armorer for my school. Brand new equipment would come in, including Bayonette sockets, headcords, bodycords etc. and half of it literally DID NOT WORK OUT OF THE BAG. I stopped giving out headcords before I resoldered them out of their package.

Epee sockets - fell apart literally after one bout.

Blades? Forget about it - I've never had more trouble trying to assemble a blade... the handle and guard and blade would spin in ways I still don't understand. If the blade lasted 3 bouts, the wire was out and stretched beyond a reglue. I had a kid buy his own foil and the wire was out and exposed in a matter of hours. The blades are too cheap to justify a rewire.

I don't understand how they are in business, exploiting schools by having the lowest bid can't possibly be their only income, can it?

Rant over.

I've never tried their shoes.

[bob46]

I will never buy a Blue Gauntlet product for as long as I live.

I don't know why I've seen so few complaints on this forum - maybe because everyone just accept it as a truth.

I was the armorer for my school. Brand new equipment would come in, including Bayonette sockets, headcords, bodycords etc. and half of it literally DID NOT WORK OUT OF THE BAG. I stopped giving out headcords before I resoldered them out of their package.

Epee sockets - fell apart literally after one bout.

Blades? Forget about it - I've never had more trouble trying to assemble a blade... the handle and guard and blade would spin in ways I still don't understand. If the blade lasted 3 bouts, the wire was out and stretched beyond a reglue. I had a kid buy his own foil and the wire was out and exposed in a matter of hours. The blades are too cheap to justify a rewire.

I don't understand how they are in business, exploiting schools by having the lowest bid can't possibly be their only income, can it?

Rant over.

I've never tried their shoes.

It's because everyone *does* accept it as the truth. And yes, blue-gauntlet makes its money by being the cheapest out there, so less experienced fencers/schools can buy them and feel good until they break. The only things buyable from blue-gauntlet is non-blue-gauntlet stuff ie allstar/uhlmann.

On the topic of shoes, the first MVP shoes by blue-gauntlet, well, sucked. I've never seen the second or third though, so its possible they improved it...

...wait...jk. It's blue gauntlet.

[catwood1]

For the sake of a counter point, I was overall pretty happy with the level of quality and service my college club was provided with from them. Service was good, and the equipment was as good or better than what I was expecting.

I have their competition range jacket and knickers, and I like both alot. I had some problems with the zipper of my jacket, and the replaced it with no charge.

I'm in the pro-BG camp. Its not leon paul, and its not trying to be. I have no problem with that.

[AndrewH]

I've had their sabre visor mask for 3 years now and it's still going strong. Replaced the visor several times obviously but the mesh and bib are still in great shape. Only needed a small patch for where I always clip my mask cord.

Also I buy cheap sabre blades from them for practice purposes. Other than that, they carry Allstar and Absolute doesn't, so I get my lame/glove/cords there too.

[chinbeard]

I like how they identified the outer toe-box as an area of "high abrasion" in the MVP II.

[bob46]

I like how they identified the outer toe-box as an area of "high abrasion" in the MVP II.

Yeah, the spelling of the absolute and blue gauntlet people are hilarious at times...

[catwood1]

Yeah, the spelling of the absolute and blue gauntlet people are hilarious at times...

Either I'm dumb, or what you said makes no sense in context...

...:-/ or both.

[misha]

They made new ones. Multiple new ones.

http://www.blue-gauntlet.com/store/products/623
http://www.blue-gauntlet.com/store/products/624

My hunch is that any shoes that need advertising with "rocket booster" effects are probably still not especially great.

I have had original MVP ones since December 2009 Pittsburgh NAC, I think they are a great value at $50.
They are light and low to the ground.
The top reminds me of asymmetrics: very breathable.
I fence on a 'cheesegrader' strips couple of times a week and the soles are holding up.

The mesh on the inner top of my back foot is showing some wear,
but looks like this what was fixed in MVP II. I hope they are still breathable.

MVPs are wide and I think the sizing is a little bit off,
so I would not recommend buying them before you try them on.

.

[Superscribe]

Yeah, the spelling of the absolute and blue gauntlet people are hilarious at times...

your understanding of the English language is hilarious.

[the ancient one]

Speaking of shoe translations, check out this one:

http://translate.google.com/translat...2F&sl=ja&tl=en

[afriendlycat]

the BG foil blades my club bought were terrible, however my old BG mask was so nice I recently bought another one

both of my masks are the 1000N ones that are like $10 more than the cheapest line