When did you do it the first time ...

[Zilverzmurfen]

Dude can be applied to either gender

Aha!

Dudette is used in some US subcultures, primarily by stoner surfer types.

Is that stoner Zmurfer types, you say?

[wildmoppet]

Originally posted by Alain
I just say: "Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.. . "

Has always worked for me. Guess i'm just too idle. I do know how to do the simple stuff, I just never do them myself because he can do them better and he does just so enjoy doing it...

[The Armourer]

Heh, I ask others for help. I have no clue how to look after my stuff. I intend to learn this year though, because my epee isn't working at the moment, so it's perfect time to get someone to show me what to do.

Well we have all seen your pic and the majority will not be able to use this technique!! (psssssssssst need that weapon fixed )

[The Armourer]

Er, I can do most stuff myself. Failing that, I just say: "Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.. ."

OK whats wrong? You know you should have started this earlier

[The Armourer]

Aha!


Is that stoner Zmurfer types, you say?

... is there a term for masculine and feminine then ???

[Alain]

Has always worked for me. Guess i'm just too idle. I do know how to do the simple stuff, I just never do them myself because he can do them better and he does just so enjoy doing it...

You're right. The way I look at it, we are doing them a favour. It gives them something to do AND it keeps 'em off the streets...

[Purple Fencer]

I started doing my own stuff after about the 1st year...and the Volkmann book was a huge help.

Now armory is a large part of my business...

D'Artag-NOT, next time you see me at an Orange Coast event, feel free to ask me to demonstrate armory...MORE than happy to do so...Donald Clinton, too, but he may be busy working on the reels or giving me a hand.

Fixing your own gear isn't really that difficult...just takes patience and atention to detail...and a basic knowledge of how the stuff works.

[Welted 24/7]

Sabres, as Inq has already pointed out, don't exactly require an electrical engineering degree to maintain.

Replace blade
Replace grip
Replace socket

That's about all there is to do on a sabre. As far as body cords, I don't have the faintest of what I'm doing, so I just give them to our resident part-time armorer(Zara_athlen). I should probably get him to show me how to fix them at some point...

[pgepps]

Used to be the designated troubleshooter at a RadioShack in my early college days, so as soon as I started getting my own equipment I started studying how it worked--asked lots of questions, worked on small problems first, used my continuity tester to figure out the circuits, and read up a lot on the web.

After a year in fencing, I ended up club armorer--largely due to my ability to test and build bodycords, reel cords, etc. out of the odd bits in our armory junk bin. When you double the stock of available cords with a cheap speaker-wire purchase, the fencers express their gratitude.

But they still flick me to death on strip. :-)

[Stylothek]

I love fixing things. Mostly because everything I touch breaks at first.
I have been fencing for bout 10 years now but up until a few months ago I couldn't rewire my foils, always had others take care of it. But I'm really interested and am learning couple of good things through my new coach, the internet and especially this forum.

[pacer]

If it's electric, I don't get it. I rely on others in my family or at the club. Hewever, I return the favor by doing uniform repairs.

[Alex_Paul]

It has to be said that it never ceases to amaze me how unwilling people are to try to fix their weapons. I have seen people come into the shop with a "broken" epee and when you look at it clearly one of the wires has come loose and is not screwed into the IGS! Five seconds to fix even if you are a muppet!

There are also a number of repeat offenders who are totally unwilling to learn even the basics and habitually come into the shop before a comp with about 10 weapons and say "not sure which of these are broken, can you check them all" whch is extremely annoying! I have tried many times to get them to remember which aren't working and what the symptoms are but they just can't be bothered, not only that but they will not learn how to do even very simpe things themselves.

[Gav]

Alex,

Charge 'em!

[sabreur]

Sabres, as Inq has already pointed out, don't exactly require an electrical engineering degree to maintain.

Replace blade
Replace grip
Replace socket

That's about all there is to do on a sabre.

You forgot "screw the pommel on and off" and "bend the blade."


MR

[The Armourer]

It has to be said that it never ceases to amaze me how unwilling people are to try to fix their weapons. I have seen people come into the shop with a "broken" epee and when you look at it clearly one of the wires has come loose and is not screwed into the IGS! Five seconds to fix even if you are a muppet!

There are also a number of repeat offenders who are totally unwilling to learn even the basics and habitually come into the shop before a comp with about 10 weapons and say "not sure which of these are broken, can you check them all" whch is extremely annoying! I have tried many times to get them to remember which aren't working and what the symptoms are but they just can't be bothered, not only that but they will not learn how to do even very simpe things themselves.

... you can't be charging them enough! I agree though, it does seem that there is a group of fencers who are off the bottom end of the 'mixed ability' scale!

[Asphalt]

Its the same with cars, bikes, computers etc...
there's plenty of people who use them, few who like fixing them, and looooads who don't care how it works as long as it does.
it is the way of things... and a good way to make money.

[Gav]

Yeah, ever read Zen and the Art...? There's whole chapters about this. Alex, take advantage and charge them more - that's the capitalist way.

[D'Artag-NOT]

When you double the stock of available cords with a cheap speaker-wire purchase, the fencers express their gratitude.

But they still flick me to death on strip. :-)

There are no friends on strip.

[D'Artag-NOT]

Five seconds to fix even if you are a muppet!

Is that like being a muggle, or does Big Bird actually do his own armoury work?