Where to get gear, weapons, blades, parts, etc

in no particular order
​Shipping can be very expensive. Absolute Fencing advertise good prices but shipping can be pretty high so be sure to take this into account when ordering. A great savings can be had by placing one large order instead of multiple smaller orders spread out. Don’t get Absolute Fencing house brand blades for tournaments. They do carry BF and other quality blades though. 

WARNING: Blue Gauntlet
Armorer Trevor has had many poor experiences with the quality of Blue Gauntlet equipment. Broken blades, defective wires, incorrectly sized uniforms etc. Their booths (Regional and large events) are useful for sizing high end jackets like Allstar Startex and feeling things out. Not recommended to buy there as the markup is huge. If you do purchase from their table there are NO RETURNS OR EXCHANGES! They are useful for in-person sizing then head over to Need a Blade and save some major $$ and headaches on Allstar/Uhlman and good blades. 

Best places for just blades:

UNIC (FOLO): purchase from their US ebay store for best price. Our Armorer has purchased from them often and their rep Bogdan is a great guy and easy to work with. If there is any issue he will make it right. They have excellent Blades, Body Cords, and Guards. 
https://www.ebay.com/usr/unic.fencing.america​

Need A Blade: Best prices for Allstar, Uhlmann, and Black Predator blades and uniforms (and has free shipping)
needablade.com
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  • Negrini has a very slow website but great gear. Customer service works differently in Italy. They are fantastic but don't expect USA turnaround times but do expect extremely high quality and professional gear.
  • PBT is no longer recommended by our Armorer. There have been MANY quality issues and their "ultra light" uniform is hotter and less comfortable than a standard Absolute Fencing stretch jacket. 
    • Armorer note: ​If they send you the wrong size you will have to pay for shipping to send it back and then have the correct one sent. For something like a glove this ends up being 2x the cost the of the glove. Although previously recommended, as the company has grown their quality and service has decayed rapidly. 
  • Leon Paul gear can be pricey but very, very comfortable.  Same goes for Allstar
    • ​Leon Paul quality has decreased recently compared to previous years. Velcro that doesn't last long, stitching tears etc. Still great gear though
  • When possible opt for the Pro line/superlight/more expensive version Plastrons and Jackets as they will be much lighter and more comfortable while also lasting longer for lower total cost of ownership. (example of Absolute Fencing jacket price of $60 for standard and $90 for Elite Stretch. The Elite Stretch is well worth the difference in terms of comfort and durability)

Shoes: Indoor turf soccer shoes are very similar to fancy fencing shoes but way way cheaper. Court shoes like ones for racquetball are also excellent and cost effective choices. Wear what’s comfortable and offers grip

Good to know info about gear and supplier

Non FIE gear is much less expensive than FIE gear, works great, and can be used for tournaments. However, it will also wears faster. Start with the non FIE and replace after it wears out. Grips can be reused; there is no special grip for Electric Epee. French grips only fit on a full (uncut) blade. Non French grips only fit on cut blades (tang must be cut properly and threaded) 

Epee blades: 
  • Places like Absolute Fencing, The Fencing Post etc are distributors and do not forge their own blades. Blades are purchased and stamped with their logos and marketing. 
  • Blue and White etc are just coatings for the blades. More aesthetic than functional but get what you like best.
  • Flexibility (Flicky-ness): Hard, Medium, Stiff, Soft. Talk to your coach and armorer for details and suggestion
  • Blade size will always be #5
  • Blade makers (foundries): FOLO (now UNIC), Franchini, Leon Paul, Blaise Freres, Allstar/Uhlmann, StM, Vniti
  • You can purchase a bare electric blade, a pre-wired blade (includes tip and is wired up), or a full weapon. Start off with a full weapon or talk to Trevor about customizing. Trevor is also able to wire blades for you and cut tang to the proper length for your preferred grip.
  • If purchasing just a blade (wired or not) it will have to be bent properly and the tang cut to size (If using a French grip your blade does NOT need to be cut and MUST have a full length tang ie not cut) Trevor can cut the tang to size for you. 
  • For tournaments I would stick to the below brands, durability and quality are very important. Breaking a blade in a tournament when you only have two means you're gonna have a bad time.

BF = Blaise Freres. This is the most popular foundry for blades. They only make FIE blades. They vary A LOT in flexibility and feel from each batch. If possible pick your blade in person (stands at tournaments)
LP = Leon Paul. Leon Paul is a UK brand, pretty pricey but they have their own forge and make great blades. The Non FIE Epee (see Trevor’s to try it out) is a good price ($108 for the blade) and is very, very durable. The Fusion ($119) and Fusion Pro ($192) also have a good reputation. 
Allstar / Uhlmann (same company, different product lines). German company and very popular. Allstar clothing is a more athletic fit than the Uhlmann line. Blades are good quality. Their new Black Predator blade has a great reputation and has become very popular. Allstar gear must be purchased through a shop like AbsoluteFencing or AllianceFencing. They do not sell direct to the US.
UNIC (FOLO). Their FIE blade is highly recommended by Trevor (NOT tips or barrels). They offer free shipping most of the time and are extremely good quality. The F1 is a great non FIE blade and their FIE blade is used by a lot of our fencers. Purchase from their eBay store (foundry is in Ukraine and their local rep Bogdan runs the eBay site so its legit)
StM and Dynamo are also in Ukraine but due to the war their production has slowed. A lot of shops are hit and miss if they will have StM or Dynamo in stock. ​