Physical Chess

I ordered online on a Saturday and got my complete order via DHL on Thursday. They answered all of my pre-purchase email questions within 24 hours. The equipment was as stated and generally good to excellent in quality. I ordered the Deluxe Practice Foil Package. The mask is sturdy but the elastic strap on the back has Velcro on both sides that I had to sew back on and so I decided just to sew it on permanently. The removable liner is nice but you have to use some care in putting the mask on or risk scraping your chin on the Velcro holding the chin padding in. The bib is superb. I took a foil to the bib and I could barely feel it but it is not so stiff that I can’t move my head. The front zip jacket is well made. It has a zipper that I will keep and eye on but so far it is holding up just fine with no sign of wear. I gave PC my chest measurement and they sent me the perfect size jacket. I had guessed a 42 would fit me but they suggested a 44 and they were dead on. As for the foil, I ordered the Belgian pistol grip and it was nice. The blade is holding up well but came with a slight deformity. It has a bit of an offset at the foible. Hardly noticeable even if you know it is there. I ordered the cotton underarm protector with the set and it is a nice addition if you practice with hard hitting noobs like me. I added the pcb103 equipment bag with it too. It has just the right amount of room for this kit and my towel and water bottle. The glove is a little big in the wrist but is proving to be very sturdy and protects the fingers very well. My instructor and company seemed to like and approve of the kit overall. My total for the purchase of the above items was $225. I think it was a fair deal. I would recommend this kit to someone that wants a serviceable outfit with a few bells and whistles but doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

physical chess for me at least has been the best because:



1. they respond to email questions, requests within the day unlike most businesses both inside and outside of fencing.

2. my stuff comes in TWO DAYS everytime. you pay the same shipping for blue gauntlet and the others and theire take 10 days sometimes.

3. great order accuracy.



my only complaint is that their stuff is on the expensive side and they are limited in the name brands. the customer service is unmatched without a doubt.

I have never used them for personal orders, only for large club orders as their prices are very good if you register your club with them.



My first couple of smaller orders (10-15 sets of beginners gear) went through without any problems but as time wend out and our classes got bigger (20-40 sets plus competition gear) things really began to break down.



My last few orders were very late (3 weeks on one and then it was not complete), they did not send me an invoice on most orders (our account likes these when I spend $3000 with a single vendor/transaction), the orders were incomplete or wrong, and when I called to try to straighten things out I was always told I had to talk to someone who was not in and did not return my calls (I had another instructor call up without saying he was from our club and he got put right through to the mystery man who proceeded to lie to us about the ship date). If all that were not enough fun on the order that was 3 weeks late and over $3000.00 they charged our card the day the order was placed! I can only assume he was using the money to order the equipment from his vendor after assuring me he had the items in stock and ready to ship for our new class.



In short they are the worst vendors I have ever dealt with. Other people have told me they are find on small individual orders but if you are buying a lot of kit or ordering for a club I would head somewhere else.

My first dealings with Physical Chess came as a beginner to the sport. I bought my wife's and my gear from them and found that the customer service was pretty good. The order was for two beginner sets and we received most of the shipment on time. However, we did have an issue as the masks were on back order and it took an extra two weeks for them to arrive. They sent a higher-level mask in their place, which was great for us. The gear is of a decent quality for beginners, but not for anyone of a higher level. Both my wife and I found that we quickly out grew the gear and needed something of a higher quality. We had also ordered electrical gear from them and had issues from the start. On the foils, the pommels were not tight and there were large gaps between the handle and the pommel. To resolve the problem I ended up buying better grips from Uhlmann and replacing the rubber ones that came with the set. The guards were cheap aluminum and one hard hit from an inexperienced fencer and it was bent. The Lames are of a good quality but the body cords leave something to be desired. Overall, I would recommend this company to a person that is not sure of the sport. However, if you plan to stick with it, you might want to go with a better vendor and better gear.