Maranging and experience

[VAFfencer]

Hello all,

I'm a new forum member here, but I've been monitoring the posts for some time and I now I've got a question.

First off, about me. I am an intermediate foilist down in VA. I'm using a french grip on a BLADE blade which I can't stand!

Anyway, I had a question about maranging steel and experience. I am looking to buy electric equipment now (been dry so far), and want to start serious competition. So I have selected an Allstar lame from Blue Gauntlet ($123, wow) and am shopping around for a weapon. I heard once on this forum that maranging steel blades weren't just for those A's and B's, but that if you are competing and practicing 2-4 times a week a maranging blade will give you a better return in terms of lifespan than a normal blade.

I really would like a high quality blade that will last me a long time, so I am salivating over a TCA blue maranging blade. The one question I have is: will this make a difference? My coach seems to think that at the level I am fencing, a maranging blade would be useless. This is in contrast to what I have heard around the forums, as I like my blade to be on the stiff side.

Anyway, like I said, I'm still relatively new here, so any and all comments and suggestions would be more than welcome. Thank you.

[CvilleFencer]

Are you studying under Frank or Stuart? I would be surprised is Stuart would not admit that a good weapon can have an impact.

At a certain level however, as long as it is safe and can be held properly, the weapon is the least of your worries. Stance, distance, timing, and strategy should all be learned before you worry about the blade, and unless you have non-standard basic moves that you use (flicks, balestra lunges, monster binds, savage beats, counter six flicks) any old blade will do.

If you have already gotten some of that down, then you might want to worry about a weapon. I am a sucker for a weapon with a nice stiff base (forte) for the first 18 to twenty inches, as this is where I make most of my parries, and then a very flexible front half (foible) so I can fence around corners and flick's without having to cock my arm two much.

If you are the type that thinks the right weapon helps (and I am one of those) then it probably will. My best advice is do not skimp. If you go for a maraging blade it will last a long time it you take proper care of it. Get German furniture for it, or go with an Estoc Screwless tip or a TCA galaxy, and do not try to cut corners.

Balance is a kind of subjective thing, but I recommend either Vniti or an All-star/Uhlmann SM blue or rainbow maraging. I know that the TCA blades all come from the same company as the All-star/Uhlmann stuff, but Ford also makes Jaguars and I have seen some of the TCA blades that were not what I would expect from Uhlmann.

The Vniti is a Russian blade, and is a great weapon for a fast, aggressive fencer. It flicks well and is stiff for the first half, and then very flexible. They have a distinctive AK-47 type bluing on them that will were off after hard use, but does a good job of protecting the blade from sweat and moisture.

The All-star is very pretty and looks like the Ferrari of fencing blades. Well rounded, centered, and polished it looks like it cost a couple of hundred dollars. And it will if you by from the wrong place. Blade runners or Sword Masters have good prices on the All-star but be aware that they come in a range of stiffness and flex. Make sure you know what you want if you do not get to see them in person.

At your club Carl Knoch uses a Vniti and also is an assistant coach at your club on the weekends. He has had his for a while now and you can see how it feels if you can stand his weird Belgian grips. As far as the All-star/Uhlmann, I think that Magnus or maybe John Genn uses one but I am not sure of that.

Anyway, good luck and I hope all this was some help. Welcome to the forum and maybe I will see you on the strip sometime. By the way, do you happen to know how many members VAF has? It is a matter of debate on another thread. I hope you like the tourney circuit as it is great to have new blood in the VA division.

Good luck!

[Zelda]

Blades are a very induvidual thing. I have always had maraging blades, even before I was competing. But the considering I sarted competing nationally less then 18 months after I started.....
Your coach doesnt have to fence with your blade, you do, so choose one which you like. If its maraging so be it...if not, well so what!

[Walrus]

I agree with zelda, some fencers like light blades, or flexible ones.... If you like a non maraging blade, just use it.

They say that maragings break less fast...... my record: one bout, and broken
So, just go for the blade you like, no matter if it's maraging or not.

Hi,
As a top international fencers I broke 40 to 50 blades a year fencing training five nights a week.
A maraging blade will on average last 4 to 5 times longer than a standard carbon steel blade, for some fencers 10 times longer. So from an economic point of view you can decide what is best. Generally blades from firms who make F.I.E. Maraging Blades are likely to be more fault free than ones who do'nt. Coloured blades can be a sign of additional heat treatment but on Maraging blades are just cosmetic. The stories that some vendors have inferior blades from one of the blade manufacturers and you should only buy from X is unlikely to be true. We (Leon Paul) make 30,000 blades a year and we would not have time to sort out the good blades from the bad blades. A B.F. blades from Allsar, Uhlmann, Blades, Triplette, Leon Paul or any other firm is a B.F. Blade stamped with the name of the seller, unless it is a fake. (Some years ago B.F. blades were being sold stamped with a batch number which B.F. never used but this is a different story.) Anyway one persons bad blade is another persons perfect blades. Barry

[Artisan]

HI Barry, thanks for the post. I wonder if you could comment on the thread regarding the proper break-in of a fending blade.

http://www.fencing101.com/vb/showthr...&threadid=5386

Originally posted by barry paul
Hi,
As a top international fencers I broke 40 to 50 blades a year fencing training five nights a week.
A maraging blade will on average last 4 to 5 times longer than a standard carbon steel blade, for some fencers 10 times longer. So from an economic point of view you can decide what is best. Generally blades from firms who make F.I.E. Maraging Blades are likely to be more fault free than ones who do'nt. Coloured blades can be a sign of additional heat treatment but on Maraging blades are just cosmetic. The stories that some vendors have inferior blades from one of the blade manufacturers and you should only buy from X is unlikely to be true. We (Leon Paul) make 30,000 blades a year and we would not have time to sort out the good blades from the bad blades. A B.F. blades from Allsar, Uhlmann, Blades, Triplette, Leon Paul or any other firm is a B.F. Blade stamped with the name of the seller, unless it is a fake. (Some years ago B.F. blades were being sold stamped with a batch number which B.F. never used but this is a different story.) Anyway one persons bad blade is another persons perfect blades. Barry

[sallearmourer]

Barry I been telling these fencers for the past year that all Fencing Suppliers make mistake and don't catch them. My daughter that you have meet perfer Leon Paul foil blades and foil guards over any other. One son love your v blade and one likes Unlmann FIE epee blades. My lovely wife as a Negini FIE foil mask. My Oldest son who is the #2 sabre fencer for West Point Military Acd. like the SG sabre blades from Blue Gaunlet.

People it's what feels the best for you.


Tim Loomis CEO
Ye Olde Armourer an Idaho Company