The colour of masks, questions, opinins and experiences.

[firebrand]

I have seen silver, black, blue and yellow masks. Which is best?
Can the colour get scratched off and does it distract?
Which is the best during a bouts and which wears best over time? Can a coloured mask be touched up?
Are painted masks rust proof and are any silver masks stainless?

firebrand

[lochinvar]

Originally posted by firebrand
I have seen silver, black, blue and yellow masks. Which is best?

Whatever color you like is the best, since color doesn't affect the function.

Can the colour get scratched off and does it distract?

Yes, and that depends on who you are fencing. Some people are distracted by it, others aren't.

Which is the best during a bouts and which wears best over time?

Again, color doesn't affect the function. It doesn't affect how well a piece of equipment wears.

Can a coloured mask be touched up?

Yes.

Are painted masks rust proof and are any silver masks stainless?

No mask is rust-proof. Most masks are painted, either at the factory or afterward, and when the paint wears off (as it will) and the steel is exposed, the steel will rust. You can delay it--for many years, in fact--but you cannot prevent it completely.

As for stainless masks, all electric sabre masks are made from stainless; they need to conduct electrically, since the head is valid target in sabre. Plain steel would do, but there's that rust problem...for durability, they use stainless.

[Artisan]

I have a Triplette FIE mask with stainless mesh. The mesh is painted white on the outside, which makes it hard to see my face. The inside is painted black, and when I got it I misted the outside with dulling spray, because the white paint on the exterior of the mesh DID increase the glare from overhead lighting a tiny bit.

The paint has chipped where its been hit hard (epee) but has not rusted. There are however rust stains on the cloth near the ears because Triplette doesn't use stainless rivets, and I think the edge banding that finishes off the mesh is regular steel as well.

[RAF.]

Speaking of colour, I belong to the British fencing forum as well, and there was a great dicussion about custom designs, on masks and uniforms and lame's. A brilliant idea, in my opinion. What do you think?? (I've already ordered a custom one from L. Paul, w/ the Spanish flag, and graphics on the lame')

[whtouche]

Leon paul customizes lame`s too?
Intersting..I wonder what they could do, if anything, with my infinity..

[RAF.]

Hey, you never know!!!

[Inquartata]

Originally posted by whtouche
Leon paul customizes lame`s too?
Intersting..I wonder what they could do, if anything, with my infinity..

I'm sure they could make it look just slightly less dorky than a multicolored regular lame. But only just...

[lochinvar]

Go for it, whtouche, and "pay no attention to that Curmudgeon behind the curtain!"

[RAF.]

Hmmmm, if you're a sabreur, you could have a mask made to look like W. Bush. (Then again, that could be dangerous!!)