Practice Blade Question

[Robur_Limax]

I know this is getting tiresome but this is my first time buying. I've learned so much about forged and vendors and blade and foils that my head feels like it's going to explode but this is the home stretch. I'm finally drawing some conclusions.

I've decided to skip the fancy shmancy stuff and just get a regular ol' complete practice foil w/ a pistol grip. Now the question is which one is worth the money. Triplette has a TCA for $35.95 which sounds like a good deal. Blue Gauntlet has a BG for $25 and a SG Super Practice for $28 (the fact that it has super in the name makes me think something is fishy) while The Fencing Post has the JL for $37, StM for $39 and Prieur for $44.Just by looking @ the numbers it seems I should buy the Prieur but I heard they use several forges so there isn't much consistancy amoung the blades.

What's your guys' say? Any other reccomendations are more than welcome. I just want a quality blade. Thanks beforehand.

--Jaime

[DangerMouse]

I don't know if Prieur has changed anything about their blades since they bought the France-Lame forge, but if they haven't changed the forge then the TCA will probably outlast the Prieur (france-lames) blade. Either that or Prieur might still be selling BF blades which are the same as what TCA sells (except TCA charges less).

Hope this helps

P.S. I'm not affiliated with TCA in any way and have never even purchased from them (although that will change when I buy my next foil blade).

[mifencer]

IMHO you're doing yourself a BIG disfavor if you get a 'dry' blade. Get an electric blade for practice AND competing. Think about it, why buy a blade that you can't use it while fencing electric. Ok, maybe you don't fence a lot of electric, but why limit yourself. Another BIG factor is that if you'd would EVER compete, you need an electric blade so you might as well get used to it now (because dry blades and electric blades feel much different from another whereas electric to electric blades may feel different from another but not as much as dry to electric).

IMHO (again) buy an electric maraging blade. It should last much longer than a dry (flimsy) blade; buy a Vniti or a Prieur maraging blade.

Good luck and welcome to fencing...

[npkeith]

I have the StM dry blade from the Post, with an uhlmann french grip. The blade is relatively stiff, but holds its curve well. (my coach wanted us to start with A: foil and B)french grip.) He told us to save our money so that when we had the basics of footwork down, he would move us onto Epee (The Weapon Of The Gods), and we could go electric then (no lame means you can spend more money on weapons), and get an ortho grip. I liked his mentality on grips: learn to hold the weapon properly first, play with a few grips at your club, and then decide. It is easy to cut down a french grip and put on an ortho once you have the parts, but you can't go the other way.

My foil is still the same french, but my epee now has a russian grip (it was a gift, and came with a french).

[cowpaste]

I personally have never felt comfortable stabbing a wall target with an electric weapon. In real bouts, people usually "pull" their extensions and they feel a solid hit. In contrast, when I practice on still targets, I always do hard, fast extensions, and I do not withdraw my arm until I see that my blade is bent properly and everything. Therefore, wouldn't it be reasonable to use a dry foil just for target practice? For bouting though, I agree one should use a sturdy electric weapon. I plan on building a buzzer soon...like tomorrow, so now all I'll need is a Vniti Super Cool™ Maraging electric blade. That way, "dry" bouts won't really be dry anymore. I'm sick and tired of being asked, "Did you hit him/her?" How the heck am I supposed to know 100%? When I fence electric, I get those annoying sleeve jacket touches all the time when my opponents parry, and I never seem to feel them. With a buzzer, at least I know I hit something.

By the way, Romur Limax, I have a Blue Gaunlet practice foil, a non-super one. The blade is excessively flexible. I can hold the thing by the French grip and shake it and *feel* the handle bending slightly. The blade is HORRIBLE for parries and junk because not only is it too weak to properly deflect blades, but your tip will be flying and springing and vibrating in all directions when you riposte. On the other hand, you can flick very easily with it (I bet I could start flicking my own wrist with some practice). The thing is...dry fencing flicking is stupid. I plan on using this blade exclusively for wall stabbing and non-serious bouting. As for Blue-Gauntlet's Super Practice Foil, I hear it's just a tad stiffer but still too flexible.

So, my opinion is dry blade for wall stabbin', but nice electric for bouting (dry or not).

[earlie]

Back in Ohio state days we found batches of Blue Gountlet blades you can like buy order them in a batch from those suppliers.
And it good buy, it, yes, good buy. High is the quality and long the life, good the balance, suitability for novices and intermediats, sir.
Well now blue gauntlet, American steel.