Fencers Unite!

[Merentha]

Well, I went shopping on Leon Paul today to pick my weapons.  For my Epees alone it will cost me 153 British Pounds, which will be over 300 bucks after shipping.  For my foils, it will be cheaper, about 100 bucks each.  So in total, I will be shelling out around 600 dollars for weapons alone.  ****. 

Is there a reason you need Leon Paul blades?  I've never had a problem using 40 USD StM epee blades and the advantage gained from the weight is largely negligible.  I suppose if you're competing in FIE sanctioned events, you might have to, but other than that...waste of money, honestly. 

Yeah, I'm going to be going away to competitions as much as I can afford to in the next few years, so I'm going to need quality gear.

You missed my point.  FIE tournaments require quality beyond equipment you'll find at most fencing stores because of their ruleset, not the caliber of competition.  I've been going to fairly major tournaments (one a few months back had the US sabre bronze medalist at it) and I never felt like I was behind because of my gear.  I mean, if you've got the money, go for it, but...

Hey, you people who know things about grips: what sort of grip should I use to take the best advantage of these long fingers I have? With a lot of anatomical grips I find my index getting pushed uncomfortably up against the guard; where do I find the most efficacy?

Internet can't help you.  Try them out.  The german and hungarian grips both tend to have long front sections, so look at those.

 

[Gculk]

You missed my point.  FIE tournaments require quality beyond equipment you'll find at most fencing stores because of their ruleset, not the caliber of competition.  I've been going to fairly major tournaments (one a few months back had the US sabre bronze medalist at it) and I never felt like I was behind because of my gear.  I mean, if you've got the money, go for it, but...

Hey, you people who know things about grips: what sort of grip should I use to take the best advantage of these long fingers I have? With a lot of anatomical grips I find my index getting pushed uncomfortably up against the guard; where do I find the most efficacy?

Internet can't help you.  Try them out.  The german and hungarian grips both tend to have long front sections, so look at those.

Oh no, I got your point, but the cheaper blades get bent and the bends start becoming plastic quicker.  Higher quality blades have to be replaced less, and so are cheaper, long run.  The small benefit from a better blade is just a bonus.

 

[Merentha]

Huh.  I've been fencing four to six times a week, about two hours each, for a year and a half now.  A good bit of that is open bouting.  I've broken one epee blade and one foil blade in that time, and my blade care at the time was atrocious.  Alright.  Your money.  I'd rather splash out on a good set of clothing, honestly.  Its harder to replace a well-fitting and well-worn jacket and glove than it is another blade. 

 

[macethump]

Fenced intramural in college.  Since I was a beginner, they only let me do foil.  I'd much rather do saber - foil has too much prancing around and epee hurts.  Did have two opponents break foils on me.  Hooray for protective equipment!
I do most things right handed, but learned to fence left handed to make up for being short.  Comes in handy during cutlass drill.
Would like to get back into it, but no time at present.

 

[Gculk]

Huh.  I've been fencing four to six times a week, about two hours each, for a year and a half now.  A good bit of that is open bouting.  I've broken one epee blade and one foil blade in that time, and my blade care at the time was atrocious.  Alright.  Your money.  I'd rather splash out on a good set of clothing, honestly.  Its harder to replace a well-fitting and well-worn jacket and glove than it is another blade.

Oh, I'm having no problems with blade breaks, but with the cheap blades I have now, s-bends are really common and annoying as **** to straighten, and fencing with an s-bend is ****, and it loses me points.

Fenced intramural in college.  Since I was a beginner, they only let me do foil.  I'd much rather do saber - foil has too much prancing around and epee hurts.  Did have two opponents break foils on me.  Hooray for protective equipment!
I do most things right handed, but learned to fence left handed to make up for being short.  Comes in handy during cutlass drill.
Would like to get back into it, but no time at present.

Wimp.

 

[Winter]

I was under the impression that sabre was more painful than epee.

I'd say that while sabre hurts more frequently, epee tends to result in nastier injuries. Nearly had my kneecap removed by an epee once, couldn't say that for sabre. Not that I really like doing either.

Foil forever!

Stabbingly,
Winter

 

[Gculk]

I was under the impression that sabre was more painful than epee.

I'd say that while sabre hurts more frequently, epee tends to result in nastier injuries. Nearly had my kneecap removed by an epee once, couldn't say that for sabre. Not that I really like doing either.

Foil forever!

Stabbingly,
Winter

Story time?

 

[Pharaoh Llandy]

Nearly had my kneecap removed by an epee once,

Story time?

Once upon a time, Winter was fencing. His opponent had an epee, and with it he stabbed Winter in the leg. Winter's kneecap was almost removed. But luckily it wasn't.

The end.

 

[Winter]

Hey, you people who know things about grips: what sort of grip should I use to take the best advantage of these long fingers I have? With a lot of anatomical grips I find my index getting pushed uncomfortably up against the guard; where do I find the most efficacy?

I don't have long fingers myself but I find it much more comfortable in general to use the extra-long thumb area grips from Allstar-Uhlmann, halfway down this list:

http://allstar-fencing.co.uk/acatalog/EFoil_Handles_and_Accessories.html

They do epee versions as well. I'd recommend 'em.

I also love the Zivkovic grips, which generally afford you more thumb and forefinger space as well as control. I'm currently using this one and couldn't be happier with it: http://www.zivkovic.com/item.jsp?web_id=414

Ultrastabbingly,
Winter

 

[Winter]

Oh, I'm having no problems with blade breaks, but with the cheap blades I have now, s-bends are really common and annoying as **** to straighten, and fencing with an s-bend is ****, and it loses me points.

If you're getting S-bends in your blades then you're simply not doing it properly. Stop pushing your hand down and in and start pushing your point down and in. Once you get that down, even a blade made of solid butter won't bend badly, regardless of the inevitable accidents.

Spiritedly,
Winter

 

[FrisianDude]

A blade of solid butter? Wouldn't you just chop bits off of it?

 

[Gculk]

Oh, I'm having no problems with blade breaks, but with the cheap blades I have now, s-bends are really common and annoying as **** to straighten, and fencing with an s-bend is ****, and it loses me points.

If you're getting S-bends in your blades then you're simply not doing it properly. Stop pushing your hand down and in and start pushing your point down and in. Once you get that down, even a blade made of solid butter won't bend badly, regardless of the inevitable accidents.

Spiritedly,
Winter

Try fencing aggressively with a straight blade for a while.  Doesn't matter how you stab, simultaneous lunges will end up bending your blade like ****.

 

[Seff]

Untie?

More fitting, I must say.

 

[Winter]

Try fencing aggressively with a straight blade for a while.  Doesn't matter how you stab, simultaneous lunges will end up bending your blade like ****.

I don't try fencing aggressively with a straight blade, I do it all the time.

My old fireplace poker did eventually break, but only after about four years of heavy use. Snapped at the tang. I thought it was loose until the entire threaded part fell out of my grip.

Studly,
Winter

 

[Merentha]

Oh, I'm having no problems with blade breaks, but with the cheap blades I have now, s-bends are really common and annoying as **** to straighten, and fencing with an s-bend is ****, and it loses me points.

If you're getting S-bends in your blades then you're simply not doing it properly. Stop pushing your hand down and in and start pushing your point down and in. Once you get that down, even a blade made of solid butter won't bend badly, regardless of the inevitable accidents.

Try fencing aggressively with a straight blade for a while.  Doesn't matter how you stab, simultaneous lunges will end up bending your blade like ****.

I fleche like a mother****er and don't get S-bends.  I get bends, yes, but they don't ever s.  Well, okay, they did once in recent memory, but someone ran their face at my tip while I was fleching.  Not much I can do there.  You're too far in distance or telegraphing if they can consistently double with enough force to s-curve your blade. 

I was under the impression that sabre was more painful than epee.

I'd say that while sabre hurts more frequently, epee tends to result in nastier injuries. Nearly had my kneecap removed by an epee once, couldn't say that for sabre. Not that I really like doing either.

I've never even felt anything in sabre, whereas I've taken a good-sized chunk out of my thigh in epee.  At least when I did sabre, I was so covered by jacket+plastron+lame that most of the touches weren't hard enough to register on me.  I guess if your hand got whipped hard, or something...

 

[Gculk]

It's not consistent, it's just once every few evenings that it happens, and it's a bugger to bend back, and too much work to do it mid-match if it were in a tournament.

 

[Merentha]

It's not consistent, it's just once every few evenings that it happens, and it's a bugger to bend back, and too much work to do it mid-match if it were in a tournament.

Hmm.  Well, to be fair, once you do s-curve, the blade's pretty much buggered until you bend it back.  On the other hand, I've saved one of my StM blades from almost a 90-degree bend up two inches short of the tip.  Do you have an armorer with you when you go to tournaments? 

 

[Gculk]

It's not consistent, it's just once every few evenings that it happens, and it's a bugger to bend back, and too much work to do it mid-match if it were in a tournament.

Hmm.  Well, to be fair, once you do s-curve, the blade's pretty much buggered until you bend it back.  On the other hand, I've saved one of my StM blades from almost a 90-degree bend up two inches short of the tip.  Do you have an armorer with you when you go to tournaments?

Nope.  We're Newfoundland.  We have probably 10 people who I would consider experienced in the club.

 

[Winter]

Nope.  We're Newfoundland.  We have probably 10 people who I would consider experienced in the club.

Hey, at least you got more than 10 people in the club, unlike the local one here -- a staggering NONE of whom do foil . . .

Lonely,
Winter

 

[NordMann 2]

Fencing is fun.

Archery could pwn fencing any day though.

If you're not using a big shield or sumtin!

But fencing is fun doh