ateliers-nemesis Durability?

I was wondering if anybody who owns a custom ateliers-nemesis Weapon could let me know hoe durable they are?

I've got one and its damn durable! I love it, but I chose an axe and its a bit head-heavy, just an fyi. They balance the swords a lil better.

All the stuff I've bought from them has held up well.

from what I've seen the longer weapons have a little bit of whip, but still look, feel and handle beautifully.

I've had mine and it's still good. The tip is looking dull, and the paint on the handle is gone from wear, but everything else is great!

Just an aside regarding Alt-Nemesis.

I submitted a custom weapon request to them, and asked for a quote.  The reply was that it would cost me $680 US plus shipping.

I submitted the same request, plus an additional custom weapon (TWO custom 2-handers in total) to Eldrich, and they charged me $640 US including shipping, for BOTH.

Just sayin', some times it pays to shop around.

T

Push back on the ridiculous shipping they ask too. They initially quoted me double what I normally would get from Canada for a heavy pile of chainmail rings and scales. $60 US for a latex rep was crazy. In the end I payed about $25.

Yeah I know what you mean I just got my quote today.

Can anyone compare the durability between Ateliers-Nemesis, Iron Liege and Calimacil?

It's unfair to compate iron liege and Alt-nem to Calimacil in regard to construction. Calimacils are made entirely different from latex weapons

Another consideration is the weapon type and the usage it will get.  I have an Ateliers-Nemesis dagger I got via Geoff around a year and a half back, and it is in pristine condition.  Then, again, I use a staff and the dagger's main uses are the occasional waylay, RPing dissection and collecting essences. 

It's unfair to compate iron liege and Alt-nem to Calimacil in regard to construction. Calimacils are made entirely different from latex weapons

I really wish Calimacil did custom weapons... even custom hilts would be better than nothing.

I agree with Rob.  If Calimacil did custom weapons I'd be all over that just because I know the weapon would never be destroyed.

It's unfair to compate iron liege and Alt-nem to Calimacil in regard to construction. Calimacils are made entirely different from latex weapons

  The question was not to compare construction. It was to compare durability

  I know the Calimacils have different material.  But how does one hold up versus the other ?/?

  You know long sword vs long sword vs long sword ?? Pricing is different as well as the Iron Liege Non Latex vs Hybrid

Do the shafts. break,? Does the outer coating tear?  do the tips bend over or break off?

What is the general  appearance of the weapon after a dozen or so well played games//

I have some WarLords as well  The latex coating is more fragile than the non latex coating of the Iron Liege

Calimacis are not hand-made, they are injected, which means that they cannot be customized unless you make a one-shot mould, which would be cost prohibitive.  Their durability is largely based on the way they are produced, which precludes customization by the manufacturer.  This is not to say, how ever, that they cannot be modified after-market.

The Nemesis weapons I have have all held up very well to moderate use.  Carlos' sword, Rosa's staff, and Gideon's anvil are all A-N, and while they are showing some signs of use, mostly it's from me packing them oddly, and the foam is deformed, as opposed to torn, scratched, or otherwise combat wear & tear.  Granted, I'm not the biggest combat person OOG, but they have all held up remarkably well compared to any other Latex I've had.  I'd go so far as to say they are a touch more durable than Iron Liege's stuff...  but IL does glow wire.

It's unfair to compate iron liege and Alt-nem to Calimacil in regard to construction. Calimacils are made entirely different from latex weapons

I really wish Calimacil did custom weapons... even custom hilts would be better than nothing.

I agree and also wish Calimacil had like 30 more varieties to at least diffuse the commonality of some designs. That would help given that custom work is harder for them. I like A-N's work. Can't wait to give IL a shot at a glow wire project. Down the road...

I wouldn't worry about A-N's durability. I'll let you toss the axe I have around, the blade is extended from the haft farther than most axes and the thing is very very strong!

I keep wanting to jump into this conversation, but everyone is doing my job for me lol. The cult of Calimacil is spreading...

I'll second everything that has been said so far about the Calimacil's, and especially what Geoff mentioned about the cost of custom weapons. They did do custom orders once upon a time. They may even return to it again some day. But at the moment, it's just too expensive. The injection molding process -- while necessary to the production of these weapons -- is prohibitive to creating custom orders... BUT, it helps to keep the price down on the normal swords, since they can be easily mass-produced.

Calimacil's are intended for war-gaming, so they HAVE to be able to stand up to just about anything -- and they do. As far as comparing durability, it's a matter of high-density foam + carbon fiber cores vs latex + (what DO they make their cores out of???):


Latex will eventually crack. [Calimacil] Foam won't.

Latex will eventually break or tear, if hit into something hard enough. the Calimacil foam won't. It can, of course, be cut (note to self: don't let customers try swords if they're wearing spiked bracelets), but so can latex.

I have only once in my life seen a Calimacil break, when a very angry teenager wailed it beyond what would ever be considered combat-force -- even for war-gaming -- into Vince's junk. As it is, that sword turned out to be part of production series that got recalled.

I have NEVER seen calimacil foam break. In the above scenario, while the CARBON FIBER rod was split in 'twain, the foam was and remains to this day, untouched. I can twist it and turn it 1080 degrees (yes that's supposed to be 1080, not 180)  and it still will not break. That is durable stuff.


There's bunches of other comparisons between latex and Calimacil that can be made, but you're only asking about durability so I'll keep it to that.

In terms of some of the comments made about more variety... well, I CAN tell you that they're working on it. They just added several new weapons, including a Falchion and that new Odo [strike]hammer[/strike] mace.

If you've got something specific you'd like to see, a direction you'd like them to take, a complaint, comment, or compliment, don't just mention it off-hand in a forum: let me know the details! They pay me (well, not really, but it is in my job description at least ) to collect that kind of feedback! Gimme gimme gimme!

From the 3 Iron Liege weapons I own (now 2)... I've never had issues.  Of course mine were all custom and 2 had glow-wire built in.  Just be aware that any custom orders from IL have a huge wait time.  I am not even sure if IL is still doing customs right now.

I'd love for Calimacil to make more axe-like weapons, and hammers. Swords are all the rage, but there's far too few choices for non-sword imho. I'd also love to see them make a line of themed armor-like items. There's no company doing it in the same vein as Norton Armories and while Norton is awesome, they are slooooooow and you need to hound them to get the work done (they are heavily distacted by movies and various productions). They are also waaaay overpriced, especially with the currency exchange, and the price of shipping overseas. Calimacil breaking into that market I think would yield major dividends (I'd make that comment on facebook and via other feedback means btw, but coming from an insider at the company couldn't hurt!).

Cheers,

MC

I shot the Calamacil guy a message asking if they ever planned on making a KR-length, greatsword (60"), but he didn't reply.

I heard somewhere that IL has halted weapon production for personal reasons, but this was 6 months ago or more, so it's possible that he is back now.

T

IL is alive and kicking trying to raise production levels

 Smith Theronal does  a really neat looking Kithrix type character

He moved from the west all the way to the east coast somewhere  and re-opened last year

I bought just a couple of months ago


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Jenna

  What are you bringing to the March Event? 

Do you have anything that would go with a Bratel LeGrand Sabre?

I have a second Bratel la Grande. Dual wielding those would be pretty sweet .

There's a matching dagger, but I had them send me a Brennus dagger instead.... you could have a look at mine at least if you'd like at the least, see if you have an interest in picking one up.

I'll post the full list of my inventory after (or maybe right before) Dreamation. Are you planning on attending?

Plans are Yes at the moment,

I noticed that you wore the Le Grand and a longer one to go with, What was that?

The only Le Grande I've worn is the dagger... is that what you mean?

In addition to that dagger (which replaced a Brennus I lost -- but recently found) I also wear a Captain Deep saber (too long too realistically fight normal florentine with, honestly), and a matched set of Tarkasis Sabers, one 36" and the other a 32" size they no longer make. Maybe that's what you meant?

I find the Tarkasis sabers handle BEAUTIFULLY in a set (in fact, I always order them in two's and try to sell them that way), but I find them to be weighted slightly awkwardly as a single or paired with anything else, except maybe a small dagger.

Edit: If you're coming and you have your eyes on the other Le Grande sword, let me know if you're committed to it so I can hold it for you... it's a popular model.