CVPCav Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Hi, Just wondering if anyone has any old model sabres..I'm especially interested in Forte sabres (which I think were very common until the early 90's). I remember seeing them advertised in WGI and DCI publications in at least 1994, but ever since, I've heard absolutely nothing about them. Anybody have one lying about? Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epwtrguard05 Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 (edited) Hi, Just curious ... What's the interest? The winter guard I teach used them before we went to Kings. I may be able to track them down. Tony Edited February 25, 2009 by epwtrguard05 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Denzer Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 The Forte sabres that I remember had a really wide blade, probably the widest I have ever spun. They also had a really funky hilt that made them hard to spin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHSmirage Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 I spent the last 10 years trying to forget the pain and sorrow my Forte blade gave me. I'll never forget the first day I spun my King.....it was like the clouds parted and a chorus of angels sang Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 I love seeing groups that still have Ultimate Sabres - I think the Blue Knights/Oracle must have bought in bulk.... *unless of course, they finally stopped using them* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVPCav Posted February 26, 2009 Author Share Posted February 26, 2009 Hi,Just curious ... What's the interest? The winter guard I teach used them before we went to Kings. I may be able to track them down. Tony It's totally stupid, but I just wanted to see how they spin. I have a King now that I love. I was looking through old pictures of drum corps and winterguard and noticed the really weird hilt and just wanted to see what it would be like to spin them (unless I'm confusing Forte sabres for a different kind - are they the ones with a "lip" on the hilt?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summernowplease Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I love seeing groups that still have Ultimate Sabres - I think the Blue Knights/Oracle must have bought in bulk.... *unless of course, they finally stopped using them* This past summer BK wasn't using Ultimates anymore. The HS that I went to still uses them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epwtrguard05 Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 You're not missing much ... they were somewhat heavy but spun and tossed nice! Kings are by far the better sabre. Fortes were all right ... at the time. Kings have and add a certain finesse to the written vocabulary! The Forte hilt tapered down and kind of wrapped around the grip. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PC Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Hi,Just wondering if anyone has any old model sabres..I'm especially interested in Forte sabres (which I think were very common until the early 90's). I remember seeing them advertised in WGI and DCI publications in at least 1994, but ever since, I've heard absolutely nothing about them. Anybody have one lying about? Thanks in advance! Hi, I'm the guy who made Forte' Sabers. I stopped advertising around 2000 or so because my wife and kids couldn't sleep with grinders, buffers and other machinery running till 4 in the morning. I shifted over to designing and making mostly one-off completely custom equipment - like the break-in-half gag rifles for Escapades and lots of other weird stuff. At one point I was making about 17 variations of 4 different standard saber models plus whatever custom variations anybody wanted. I briefly had a 36" saber with a wider than normal blade, but changed it to a more conventional width. So there were many very different Forte' Sabers floating around back in the day. The other commentators are correct in saying that Forte' Sabers were not designed for the kind of saber tricks they do nowadays. Back then the judging system rewarded clean unison ensemble work and there wasn't the current emphasis on demonstrating a maximum variety of ways of manipulating equipment. Right-hand saber tosses from the hilt were the most common toss and Forte' Sabers were designed with that in mind. They were heavier for more stability in the air, with a balance point closer to the middle that produced cleaner-looking unison ensemble tosses in the air - if and when a guard made a good clean toss. They were also designed not to break or bend (and they didn't) and, as much as possible, not to make major dents or holes in wooden gym floors or guard members. I still have lots of blades and parts, and every so often I fill somebody's request for a set of sabers. I help out a couple of local winterguards and marching bands and spend a bit of time repairing their modern sabers - King's and others. And their durability (or lack thereof) has made me think about designing a new version of Forte' Sabers, with modern choreography in mind. But if you are interested in a Retro Forte' Saber, I could probably make one up from parts on hand - as long as I'm sure I know exactly which model and version you're looking for. My email and phone are still the same as in the old ads - forte@kvi.net, (616) 458-5814. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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