A good (under $150 US) Stretch nylon Jacket - that actually stretchs

[ben2e]

I ordered an Uhlmann 350N jacket for my wife along with their World Cup 800N. They seem very nicely made but they have little or no stretch. The pants in particular look almost too stiff for day to day fencing. My wife no longer fences competetively but I thought the 800N level stuff was just that much nicer and not just thicker.

I bought the Fencing Post stretch stuff (the outfits aren't cut for women) and it seems very light and comfortable but doesn't offer much of any protection we've got opposite uniforms.

So what's a good women's specific jacket that'll stretch and that's comfortable (and perhaps offer a little more protection then the FencingPost stuff). I'm ordering a Leon Paul mask so if their uniforms work well, I could go that route. It's just more difficult to return to the UK if it doesn't fit.

I'd heard the Triplette stuff protects well but that it turns transparent after a few washes. Otherwise they're very helpful folks.

Thanks in advance,
Ben

[adidas33k]

I have one of the triplette stretch jackets and it hasn't gone transparent. I've washed it maybe six times or so over and it's still fine. Actually I'm very happy with it.

[neevel]

American Fencers Supply uses a pretty robust nylon material for their stretch uniforms. It'll provide a good deal of padding, at the cost of not breathing all that well.

Triplette's and BG's also use a similar, robust stretch fabric. Triplette's uniforms tend to be cut with very little taper, so they often look baggy on people who are slender.

Santelli uses multiple layers of a very supple, smooth-feeling fabric that has much more stretchability to it. It breaths better than the thicker material used by AFS, though it may not absorb the sting of hard shots as well. Santelli does a pretty good job of delineating between men's and women's jackets and lames in terms of the cut-- they don't just sew in a couple of pockets for hub-caps and call it a women's jacket.

-Dave

[tiger fencer]

As for triplette's non-fie uniforms, they do not turn transparent, as my club uses them extensively. However they are not cut well, as dave said, even the cuffs are too big. They do stretch and breath pretty well. So if you just want something that stretches they're good, but you have to deal with the bagginess, especially if you're slender.

[viojen]

Blue Gauntlet's jacket stretches pretty well, and holds up in the wash. Not sure how much the cut of the men's and women's jackets differ, though.
The one complaint I might have is that the surface of my plastron (same type of fabric) has a tendency to pill directly under the arm, where it rubs agains the seam in the jacket. But that's just annoying, not really a problem.

[Delmont]

Not sure about the womens cut, but Leon Paul's 350N stretch jacket has a good amount of stretch in it and protects rather well. If you're already going with a LP mask why not pick up the jacket from them too. I love mine. But it is a mens.

[r. tissu]

defiantly blue gauntlet. It's the best fo the money(@$65),soft and they can tailor it for you (if you need). yea it dose pill but thats not sutch a big problem

[Tomas N]

I'll echo everyone else on the Triplette jackets. They are big and roomy, but very comfortable and move nicely. I've had mine since 1994 and washed it dozens of times and it has yet to turn transparent.

Tomas

[MyraTrue]

While I'm rather late to this thread, I've got to cast my vote with Leon Paul if you like good stretch. I've got a pair of their knickers (breeches) and I love them. They're heavy enough to protect me from the brunt of the MANY MANY leg shots I take, but are marvelously comfy. The few fencers I knew with their jackets liked them, and I belive they were of the same contruction/material as the knickers I've got.

You'll pay more for them than places like Blue Gauntlet, but if you're willing to spend the money, they're a very good investment.