Blade Stainless Steel Foil Lame

I just received my new BLADE stainless foil lame and it sure isn't rough, the front has some of the tightest threading that I have seen. However the back of the jacket is made of some new material that looks like the lightweight lame material that is described on the Triplette website.

I gave it a 4 rating because I am unsure how the back panel will hold up. It fits great though.

The catalog said that this was a washable lame, but it didn't come with any washing instructions. I have emailed them asking for this, I'll let you know if they answer.

The lame is built to last. That has to be the key focus, and at about $100 it should last for a while. The jacket is rougher than others, and may not look immaculate, but it gets the job done quite well and will last you a long time, and with good care even longer. ALso the plastic D rings aren't too bad no problems yet!

-sorry for my run on sentences-

I bought my Blade lame a little over a year ago. At the time I was desperate to get a lame in my size and would have taken anything I could get. I fully expected this lame to last 6 months at best, which was fine as I could have had a "quality" lame made in that time.



I am still a little surprised that over a year later that same lame is going strong. In the same time two of my club-mates have worn out their BG lames and purchased new one.



I fence 2-3 times a week, and compete about once a month. The only maintenance I have had to do with this lame is to wash it with cool water in the shower after every other practice. The vest seems to be holding up fine, and I have no real complaints.



The material is less refined than that of Uhlmann or Allstar, and the finish is more subdued with a "cheaper" look about it. The surface is a bit rough, and it is easy for the vest to catch a tip. It also has plastic D rings which I do not care for although they have not given me any trouble.



So to sum up good price and durability, but little style and looks a bit cheap. Still, if you are more concerned about performance than looks I can wholeheartedly recommend this vest.



One thing that can be a deciding factor for some is that Blade can custom fit this vest so if you are a large person or have some problems getting a good fit in off the rack vests then the Blade Lame becomes an even better value.