What vendors do you prefer?

what vendors and companies do you prefer for your specific equipment?

ex- i use Allstar for lames, jackets, FIE stuff, and masks. For foils or if i need something fast, i use the Fencing Post. and for parts, i use Blade or Fencing Post.


gman


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Pain is only weakness leaving the body.

[Peach]

I like Blue Gauntlet because they're friendly, their stuff isn't bad, and they take care of me.

[Lumberg]

I get everything from The Fencing Post now. I've bought from American Fencer's Supply, Triplette, Santelli, and Allstar's online website.

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Lumberg.
"Drugs are bad, m'kay."

[Moniteur]

PBT, and only PBT.. Their stuff is at or above the quality of Uhlmann/Allstar, and better priced. The only way I've seen better prices for Uhlmann is if you buy through the fencing post, and then its only 2$-3$ for the expensive items. The customer service from PBT is exemplary as well. For example, Monday the 5th I ordered a sabre..plus asked a bunch of other questions. Gilbert forgot to note that it needs to be left handed on the order. I checked my order status on the webpage on wednesday, and realized it wasn't lefty that he shipped. I called, he overnighted the lefty sabre to me, (beating the original package to me), threw in a t-shirt, paid the return shipping for the wrong sabre, and changed the webpage account signup so that if you're left handed, it will flag your account as such, in red, all over the order screens.. Then he emailed me and asked me to check it out and see if I thought it would work. THAT is customer service, to change the system to fix a minor goof up. Now I know I'll get the right (lefty) stuff all the time, even if I would forget to mention it. Also, I've seen their FIE and non FIE blades.. and it looks like they get the best of both. For my thoughts on the sabre equipment, see the sabre equipment thread that just started. I'm not ordering from anybody else..

chris

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Chris Holzman
Moniteur D' Escrime

[Sasori]

Allstar for FIE clothing. (I like the red badge!) Leon Paul for all my epee blades, guards and french grip handles, their new light weight range I like a lot. Allstar/Uhlmann for my orthopaedic grips, as they're the only ones I've found to fit my hand comfortably.

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Fall down seven times; stand up eight

[This message has been edited by Sasori (edited 03-15-2001).]

[southernepee]

I like TCA because their convenient, but I like PC because they're cheap. If I really wanna splurge, I'll go to the Fencing Post.

-Pete

[Gav]

Hey Sassori, are you reffering to that tennis handle you've been trying out. I'm still not convinced.

I prefer Allstar cos of the quality. It's pricey though. I own and use a France-Lames mask, although bulky it's the only one I could get to fit me properly at the time.

Not fussy about blades so long as they have good flexibility going right through the blade (rather than just at the foible for instance). I used to own a France-Lames foil - it was the best I'd ever owned. Very well weighted, good flexibilty and the grip that came with it was the best I have ever found. Predictably it was stolen (accidentaly picked up - whatever). Unfortuneatly rumour has it their [France-Lames] quality isn't as good as it used to be.

[belligerent_sorceress]

I like Santelli- it's good quality and our school's Santelli gear has held up for the past...god knows how many years!

We recently have bought Blue Gauntlet gear...accompanied with much grumbling by the team. Hey- we're on a budget. We're going to continue to buy Blue Gauntlet next year, but we'll hopefully be purchasing Uhlmann stuff from them.

My jacket, plastron, and pants are Santelli. My mask, chest protector, and glove are Blue Gauntlet.

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Melissa

"You can beat me, you can bind me, but you can't touch me!

[foodle]

For my recent return to fencing, I've been using Fencing Post and American Fencing Supply, since they're both (relatively) local to me. It's nice to be able to just drive to AFS if I need something in a hurry.

I've had reasonable customer service from both places. The 20% online discount from Fencing Post is nice also. Sadly, they both seem to stock mostly France-Lame blades, with only a few exceptions.

[Catal]

I avoid Blade and Physical Chess if at all possible now. I didn't know they were the same company until Blade screwed up one of my orders and they directed me to use their Physical Chess outlet. PC claimed to be unable to find my order and was still claiming to know nothing of the order, two days after it'd already been shipped. What's worse is that each time they said they couldn't find it, they told me they'd just make a new order; three days in a row, but never did. I got the stuff two weeks after the initial request. Totally unprofessional. I've been up to the main Blade fencing store aswell, two nights in a row, they shut the place down early because there were no English speaking salesman; I had to wait a week just get a simple request handled. No more chances for them.
I only order from Triplette, Blue Gauntlet and PBT now. They're not exactly perfect either, but when they make mistakes, they own up to it. More importantly, they speak English.
Santelli has nice people, and they make a good effort to meet your needs but I'm not too fond of their clothing.

That's my two cents.

[This message has been edited by Catal (edited 03-15-2001).]

[Fencing Angel]

i have only used BG (Blue Gauntlet) because my club ordors through them. and we also get a 15% discount from the Catalog. if we ordor through the club. :-)

PBT?

[Eskrimador]

I've had some great experiences recently with The Fencing Post and Blue Gauntlet. In the past I've used Triplette with no problem and I'm waiting for a shipment that should come next week.

[alessandro]

I always like to get Negrini stuff, but when i need something fast, i'll call Saul from the fencing post.
But i never ever use blade.

-AleX

[latenight]

Only Fencepbt.com. The service and quality are phenomenal and I love free tshirts!!!! They truly have customer service, a rarity these days

[Emfuser]

When I'm only getting a few things I've preferred the Fencing Post. When I'm getting lots of stuff I actually order from Uhlmann International in Germany. Once I started buying from them I realized just how marked up the prices here in the states are so vendors can make a profit.

From what I'm hearing here I think I'll have to check out PBT's gear.

Mike

[Purple Fencer]

Personally, I've ordered almost all of my stuff from American Fencer's Supply...if for no other reason than they speak English!

Also, there's the fact they they sell damn near everything I use, particularly my foil blades (Leon Paul Etiole model) and foil wires. I could easily buy foil wires at SoCal Fencing Supply, since I can drive by on the way home from work easily, but I find that they wires they sell don't fit in the barrel...cup's just a tad too large. The ones I buy from AmFence fit wonderfully.

The only times I've bought from anyone else was my FIE uniform from Blade ('cause I bought Allstar and AmFence sells Uhlmann), and my FIE Preiur mask from Triplette, cause they had it in stock.

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Sam Signorelli -- I'll be mellow when I'm
DEAD!

[swordsen]

I tend to buy all my gloves from Santelli. Everythig else gets shopped around for price. there are certain people I have written off after lousy customer service.
TCA tends to get alot of my business jsut because as Pete said, they're convenient. buyt their stuff is generally quite good too.

[foodle]

Originally posted by Emfuser:
When I'm only getting a few things I've preferred the Fencing Post. When I'm getting lots of stuff I actually order from Uhlmann International in Germany. Once I started buying from them I realized just how marked up the prices here in the states are so vendors can make a profit.

Mike

Wow. I just looked at the German Uhlmann website and their prices are 1/2 what we pay in the USA for the same stuff through a retailer (approximate currency conversion using 1 EURO = 1 USD). The website states that if there is an official dealer in your country they won't sell direct to you. Mike, did you have any trouble with this, since there are a bunch of official dealers in the US? How long did shipping take? How did you contact them?

[This message has been edited by foodle (edited 03-19-2001).]

[DarkTransient]

I guess when you order "lots of stuff" they will look at it the other way.

UPDATE!!
Actually I think you CAN'T buy stuff directly from Uhlmann International. But there is no restriction to keep you from buying them from the retailers in Germany. I just checked one of the retailer's web page, the prices are about the same as what you see on UI's site. And the shipping, from Germany to USA, is like 4kg or less costs 40 dollars or so(20 for eco. delivery). M... I'd guess this information is something the US retailers really don't want us to know, m...
Same deal for you ALLSTAR lovers.
Now think of it.. it really makes me mad!! I have been scammed!! All that money I could have saved!! GOd DAmn.
In my guts I knEw all along something is very wrong about paying 250 dollars for a mask and 50 dollars for ONE glove.
Now I know why.




[This message has been edited by DarkTransient (edited 03-19-2001).]