SABRE ELECTRIC GEAR: need advice

[Greg99]

Hi All!
I would like to buy new saber electric equipment. I do not want to buy something cheap or very expensive. I looking into something that I can use in some competitions. I would like to know what best quality for the money in the market? Sites, links, opinions, experiences will be helpful.....
Thanks.

Greg.

[Catal]

Dude, you are going to get so many responses. But, you can try Blue Gauntlet, their stuff isn't great, though it's not bad either. You can get decked out with everything you need for about $265, not including discounts they may be running.

[Sabresque]

Blue gauntlet stuff dies pretty quickly. For sabre, I'd suggest Uhlmann lame, and maybe blue gauntlet weapons if you're looking for kind of in between stuff. I just know that the BG lames have failed pretty quickly for me and my friends. Masks, it jsut depends on what brand fits you well.

[Purple Fencer]

Ohh, ohhh! I sell Uhlmann! Drop me a line. I've got Uhlmann stuff myself and have never been disappointed (except in my fencing)

[Sabresque]

Scratch the BG blades thing.... Cheap, and very light blades are the russian ones. Great stuff. Light as a feather (unless you're a big buff man... sometimes people don't care a bout weight.... I can't barely hold up a France Lame blade in sabre).

[Catal]

It begins.

[sallearmourer]

BG has out a new washable lame that my wife and the oldest son at West Point use and find it very comforable. As with most lames if not taken care of they will fail because of body salts. I have BG sabre lames that are 7 years old and still passing. One of my daughters is fencing in a foil lame that s 25 years old and still passing. As far as a mask goes buy what fits and is comforable to you. The best place to buy equipement is at a NAC at San Deigo BG on the last day had stuff discount to 40 % off. Has far as weapons goes BG is as good as any other stuff out there. My family perfer the SG sabre blades by BG as nice and light.

Tim

[Capt. Slo-mo]

Greg:

As with anything else, you get what you pay for. With three of us in sabre gear, the following observations:

When in doubt, always goes with the more expensive stainless steel/nickle lames and masks over the less expensive materials using copper. The cheaper stuff sometimes doesnt even make it from NAC to NAC, if it's also used for practice.

We've started a rotation where we have a lame/mask only for competition, and a used set of gear (that has failed at a NAC, or nearly so) used for practice only.

With all the conductive items, follow the ammonia/washing advice, and don't let too much body sweat build up and corrode the material. That's the big killer of lames.

All three of us use the Infinity mesh lame. It's the most expensive, and perhaps the least durable, but boy, is it the coolest (temperature wise, at least). But the manufacturer skimps on the seam allowance for the material, so you need to have a seamstress in the family to keep tacking the seams back together...or plan on visiting Ye Olde Armourer every NAC. His wife is an excellent repair sewing magician.

As for blades, we like the Blue Gauntlet lightweight blades. They're about $16-$18 bucks each, and seem to last as good as any. Body cords are a crapshoot. Generally, I advise going with Uhlmann for durability...but then, at San Diego, we had a brand new Uhlmann break after six pool matches. Go figure. A lot of folks are using the Mr. Chen Easy-Fix cords from Blue Gauntlet. They have a tendency to pull apart (especially at the sabre plug, if you don't keep tightening the little screws) but hey, they're "easy-fix."

I would just reiterate that nearly every time we've compromised and tried to buy the "economy" version of anything, we've regretted it.

[DHCJr]

The idea of buying at a competition is good, especially masks and blades. Maybe it was a bad batch or bad luck, but we had to confiscate two Blue Gauntlet FIE Masks at LBI. One mask instead of the weaving in a out, at one point weaved out, but not back in right away causing a hole that the punch went right through. The second the wire stopped and did not go all the way to the top causing a number of holes that the punch went right through. Both of these were new. This was the first competition for both.

Note: An Armorer is not required to punch a FIE mask, but if they find a problem they are allowed to. One test they do is look from the inside and holds the mask up to a light and look for any discrepancies. When you buy a mask, do this yourself to find any flaws. The other is checking for dents, but I hope they don’t have dents when they are new.

[sallearmourer]

I have seen brand new fie masks from France lames and allstar and uhamnnll and Negailie failed as well. Preiuer mask on the other hand same to last forever. I have a couple that were made back before the 12 kilos test and they are still passing just had to redo the bibs on them. One thing about BG they back there product and would exchange them without a problem.

Tim

[Purple Fencer]

Originally posted by DHCJr
The idea of buying at a competition is good, especially masks and blades. Maybe it was a bad batch or bad luck, but we had to confiscate two Blue Gauntlet FIE Masks at LBI. One mask instead of the weaving in a out, at one point weaved out, but not back in right away causing a hole that the punch went right through. The second the wire stopped and did not go all the way to the top causing a number of holes that the punch went right through. Both of these were new. This was the first competition for both.

Dang it! I wish you'd shown me that one when it came to the table...

[counter riposte]

Must stay away from BG

Personally, I like negrini FIE masks, Much more comfortable

[DHCJr]

Originally posted by sallearmourer
I have seen brand new fie masks from France lames and allstar and uhamnnll and Negailie failed as well. Preiuer mask on the other hand same to last forever. I have a couple that were made back before the 12 kilos test and they are still passing just had to redo the bibs on them. One thing about BG they back there product and would exchange them without a problem.

Tim

I know that Allstar, Uhlmann and Negrini back their products also. At a National one year Allstar took replaced 7 lame. Obviously they didn't like it, but they stood behind what they sold. I was mostly agreeing with you about buying at a tournament and adding to check what you buy. I was noting that 2 masks with flaws is unusual.

[sallearmourer]

At the Boston Sabre world cup all of the French Team Sabre Masks failed and the armourer staff was told to pass them by the semi rep because they were FIE Mask by Frances Lame. Got this from Joe would work it and the 12 kilo punch went right though them.

Tim

[DHCJr]

Yes and it is good the France Lame is out of business. Like Al Capone, they got them for money issues, not the real crimes they were noted for! France Lame gave fencing equipment a bad name. I always loved their creative way of implying some equipment was FIE, when in fact they were never certified by the FIE. My favorites were the FIE-N and the LN instead of LM as the mark in the FIE shield.

I heard from Joe it was the Directeur Technique that overruled the Armorers, but it really doesn't matter, the masks were unsafe.

[KC]

I just ordered mine direct from Germany,,, SWEET! The cost was better than anything here and I got top of the line. Everything fits and I didn't have a single thing wrong with the order. Now for this weekend when I actually get to use it! If you want the best for the best price, try ordering from the source overseas... Its take about 4-6 weeks for the equipment to arrive but it was well worth the savings.

[pkt]

As I mentioned in another thread, stay away from the PBT elec. Sabre mask. The mesh rust easily and the bibs stain easily.

I agree with Cpt Slo-mo - dang, I'm agreeing with him again - re staying with the stainless steel conductive material, it does not pay to skimp here.

As for body wires, Uhlmann/Allstar have three grades of wires,
1. the plain Jane type with white wire cover, copper wire;
2. the heavy duty, clear wire cover and copper wires and
3. the I think stainless steel, clear wire cover and white wires.
The last one is best.

All the two-prong wires have a tendancy for the screw holding the wire in to work loose. which leads me to ask:

To all the armourers out there:
1. Is it legal to tape over the little screw holding the safety clip of a 2-prong body chord?
2. Has any one used the new Leon Paul X-Change mask with the removable bib?

Greg, check out that mask...
http://www.leonpaul.com/acatalog/Onl..._Range_79.html
If you can afford that...

PK

[Capt. Slo-mo]

Originally posted by pkt
I agree with Cpt Slo-mo - dang, I'm agreeing with him again - re staying with the stainless steel conductive material, it does not pay to skimp here.

Fret not at your agreement. It is merely an unavoidable consequence of your good breeding and refined intellect.

Originally posted by pkt
Has any one used the new Leon Paul X-Change mask with the removable bib?PK

We've had it recommended highly by those who deal with international competitions regularly. More expensive, and tougher to get if you don't buy it in Europe, we're told, though.

[pkt]

Thanks. Cpt Slo-mo. for the knid words...


I caused Leon Paul to improve their web site:
now it reads
Mask FIE X-Change Sabre Mask

Before, in spite of one having to click FIE range, etc. other people were questioning if this C-Change mask is FIE approved...

Now it is so clear one can't question it...

Seek and ye shall find...

PK

[pkt]

Greg,

see also the thread called
Jackets for Sabre?

PK