Armory School?

[bwoodward]

What's the best way to learn how to become a competent armorer? Is all the knowledge passed on from person to person? Are there any books on the subject of general repair to weapons?

[Purple Fencer]

What's the best way to learn how to become a competent armorer? Is all the knowledge passed on from person to person? Are there any books on the subject of general repair to weapons?

This is a pretty good place for advice...you have a few heavy duty guys who post here (Dave Neevel, Donald Clinton) and a boatload of folks with expreience, like myself. We're all very happy to pass on what we know, although some things you just need to do firsthand.

Books: I highly recommend the Rudy Volmnann armory book (damnned if I can remember the title, tho)...I learned much of what I know by that book plus my own experiences (read: foul ups!)

There's also an armorer's college...wasn't held this year because of the Olympics, I believe (same for coach's college), but if they have it next year, I wanna go!

If you have questions, please feel free to ask....you might get a million different responses (like what glue to use), but you;ll get answers!

[klauver]

Start by buying Dr. Volkman's "Big Book of Fencing" which includes a great section on armory issues, like 42 pages. It is also one of the most approachable books on fencing using American vernacular. Or you can buy the armory part by itself. Contact Dr. Rudy Volkman, 1967 Battle Row, Augusta, GA USA, 30904.

[SJCFU#2]

The Volkman manual is also available through many US equipment vendors (was about $10 last time I looked). There are a number of other manuals that people have written over time (Chris Green's comes to mind).

You can also take a look at the ASK THE EXPERT section on FENCING.NET (look under ABOUT FENCING).

While books are a good starting point there is no substitute for actually going out there, taking things apart and putting them back together (although it does help to know exactly what it is you are taking apart so that you can note the differences between say, a French and a German foil tip)

[TheArmourer]

Best bit of advice I can offer is start taking things apart, noting how their assembled.
It's how I learnt most stuff.
And as mentioned above - this site is an excelent source!

[DHCJr]

I concur with all of the above. Armorer's College is going this next summer. Times have not been confirmed, but it will be the Olympic Training Center. Another good source is the Canadian Federation web site. They have a very good manual. The only negative, it is a little out of date as the Sabre section, talks about sensors.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Is it a good place to learn? I'm a good enough armorer, I know the rules, and I've been able to fix any problems that came up. What do I have to gain from it besides a certificate?

[oiuyt]

Armorer's College looks to be very worthwhile, completely independently of the certificate. I've attended the past three Coaches Colleges (2 sessions/year), and the two are held in conjunction each year. Eventually I hope to go to AC, but for now my focus is on working through the CC system first (sabre 3 and whichever of foil 4 and epee 4 best fits my schedule for this coming summer, preference for epee). Dan DeChaine is a huge fount of knowledge as well as a really fun guy to hang out with. The people that attend end up REALLY learning as close to everything about everything as one possibly can in 7 days of non-stop armoring with a huge variety of equipment and one of the best armorers in the world as an instructor.

Not bad for $285 (or whatever the exact cost is), which includes all food and lodging for a week.

-B :)

[DHCJr]

Is it a good place to learn? I'm a good enough armorer, I know the rules, and I've been able to fix any problems that came up. What do I have to gain from it besides a certificate?

Do you know all the rules? What is the minimum length of a Foil Blade? The person who stops learning might as well be dead. If you're lucky enough to see Dan, ask him if he knows everything there is to Armoring. Have you ever tried working on a Zivkovik reel, would you know how to fix a Tolbom point, have you built a test box, have you ever worked with a Gabarit?

In my opinion and most around the world Dan is the best and he will tell you he learns something new at every competition. Even at my level, and considering I am lucky and get to work with him often, I am thinking about going if I can get off work. Not to learn Armoring, but I expect I will learn some, but to learn how to teach others.

[Purple Fencer]

Donald...when were the approx dates for the college the last time??

I REALLY want to go, but if it falls in the middle of drum corps season I'll have to give it a miss (kinda hard for the corps if the drum major isn;t there!)

[oiuyt]

Generally end of July, first half of August. They run 3 week-long sessions (with a couple of days between) during that time. I believe that AC is run all three sessions, but certainly for at least two of them.

-B :)

[Pepster]

I'm a good enough armorer, I know the rules, and I've been able to fix any problems that came up. What do I have to gain from it besides a certificate?

After I'd been armoring a year, I thought this way

After two years, I was fairly convinced that, although I had been wrong a year before, now I DEFINITELY knew my stuff.

It's been nearly four years, and now I'm surer than ever that I don't know S__t. And sure enough, every few months, something comes up that just stumps me for a while. You'd be amazed what's out there to learn.

-Pep

[Purple Fencer]

Generally end of July, first half of August. They run 3 week-long sessions (with a couple of days between) during that time. I believe that AC is run all three sessions, but certainly for at least two of them.

-B

Ahhh crap....that's part of our performance season....although, if the one of the sessions lines up with the Jr corps worls championships in August it'd work perfectly, since we don;t practice that weekend.

Here's hoping...

[oiuyt]

Look for official information to come out mid-spring. Note that the college is a week-long session, not just a weekend. Figure on 7 days of armoring (so ~8 days total) which will not necessarily line up with calendar weeks (in fact, they can't all do so).

There's some information available on the website for USFA Coaching education: http://coach.usfencing.org/Index.htm

Not particularly complete and certainly not pretty, there's some stuff there that might be interesting to those interested in Coaches College or Armorer's College.

-B :)

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Do you know all the rules? What is the minimum length of a Foil Blade? The person who stops learning might as well be dead. If you're lucky enough to see Dan, ask him if he knows everything there is to Armoring. Have you ever tried working on a Zivkovik reel, would you know how to fix a Tolbom point, have you built a test box, have you ever worked with a Gabarit?

In my opinion and most around the world Dan is the best and he will tell you he learns something new at every competition. Even at my level, and considering I am lucky and get to work with him often, I am thinking about going if I can get off work. Not to learn Armoring, but I expect I will learn some, but to learn how to teach others.

I'm still learning, and I do agree with you about that. I have built a test box. I was just concerned whether it was worth the money or not, considering that I have yet to find a problem I cannot fix.

[DHCJr]

It is worth it, very much so. One thing that happens you will see things you have never seen before. Dan will have things there, that will take you years to see for the first time, like the Gabarit and see the inside of reels and machines and know how they should be put back together. You learn little tricks like what those little black tubes on an Uhlmann body cord are for and why they are important.

And the most important thing, to learn how to understand the rule book, not just know it. That first question I gave, the minimum length of a Foil Blade. You could know the book by heart and recite it word for word, but you won't find any place telling you the minimum length. But if you Understood the rule book, you would be able to know the minimum length and to prove it.

After over 30 years, I may be able to fix everything I have come across, but I am amased how much I don't know. If you can afford it both in time and money, it is worth it.

If you go you might ask him about the time he was taken off a plane at gun-point with his bags on the tarmac away from every thing, the trials and tribulation of being an Armorer and making sure they have every spare part imanigable.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

It is worth it, very much so. One thing that happens you will see things you have never seen before. Dan will have things there, that will take you years to see for the first time, like the Gabarit and see the inside of reels and machines and know how they should be put back together. You learn little tricks like what those little black tubes on an Uhlmann body cord are for and why they are important.

And the most important thing, to learn how to understand the rule book, not just know it. That first question I gave, the minimum length of a Foil Blade. You could know the book by heart and recite it word for word, but you won't find any place telling you the minimum length. But if you Understood the rule book, you would be able to know the minimum length and to prove it.

After over 30 years, I may be able to fix everything I have come across, but I am amased how much I don't know. If you can afford it both in time and money, it is worth it.

If you go you might ask him about the time he was taken off a plane at gun-point with his bags on the tarmac away from every thing, the trials and tribulation of being an Armorer and making sure they have every spare part imanigable.

Yeah... I'm still debating armorers college vs coaches college. Not that I'm old enough for either. I dont think I'd want to do armoring at a national event, but getting a coaches certification would be nice, so I can have some credentials to back myself up.