Saber Canting

[Y.L.]

Hi,

I making my first saber, as opposed to buying complete weapons. Do I need to
cant (bend) the tang as you do with a foil or epee? Thanks.

Y.L.

[pochas]

In article <a02e0196.0308190330.6c06f905@posting.google.com >,
dmturner@dmturner.org (Delia M. Turner) wrote:

> "Y.L." <inane@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:<i1e0b.105188$0v4.7371826@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>...
> > Hi,
> >
> > I making my first saber, as opposed to buying complete weapons. Do I need to
> > cant (bend) the tang as you do with a foil or epee? Thanks.
> >
> > Y.L.
>
>
> Yes. It improves the balance. The amount will depend on your
> preferences. Since I am a right-hander, I bend the tang down and to
> the left.

Down only for me. Down-and-in makes it twist during a strike, which I
don't like.

[William Marshal]

"Y.L." <inane@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message news:<i1e0b.105188$0v4.7371826@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>...
> Hi,
>
> I making my first saber, as opposed to buying complete weapons. Do I need to
> cant (bend) the tang as you do with a foil or epee? Thanks.
>
> Y.L.

A dissenting ( and apparently minority ) view. I have never bent my
tangs in any fashion, and have never felt comfortable fencing with
sabres which have been thus canted. Weapon "feel" is an extremely
individual thing, do what feels best to you...

N.B. Bent-tanged sabres seem to break more often where the blade and
guard meet. I have had exactly one blade break there in the 20 years
I've been fencing ( mine go where the foible blends into the forte ).
Most of the people I know have broken dozens there, and they all bends
their tangs...

[Delia M. Turner]

It's absolutely a personal thing. However, I will add that in years
of bending the tang, my weapons have always broken in the middle of
the blade or near the end (where yours do), never at the tang.

--Delia



trebuchet30303@yahoo.com (William Marshal) wrote in message news:<dc7987e.0308192136.5249a6f4@posting.google.c om>...
> A dissenting ( and apparently minority ) view. I have never bent my
> tangs in any fashion, and have never felt comfortable fencing with
> sabres which have been thus canted. Weapon "feel" is an extremely
> individual thing, do what feels best to you...
>
> N.B. Bent-tanged sabres seem to break more often where the blade and
> guard meet. I have had exactly one blade break there in the 20 years
> I've been fencing ( mine go where the foible blends into the forte ).
> Most of the people I know have broken dozens there, and they all bends
> their tangs...

[Chris Hagen]

Aas with many things, technique defintitely affect results; clearly NOT bending
the tang is NOT going to increade its likelihood of breaking there; that being
said, there certainly ARE ways of bending it that are better/worse than others,
in that respect.

Most people try to bend it too fast, and too sharply.

Also, I strongly recommend not trying to bend them back, straight, and never
try to make a right-handed cant into lefthanded, or vice-versa.

As well as the fact that people fence in very different manners: your results
WILL vary!

Also, as pointed out, it's PARTLY what you get used to.

Good luck


In article <a02e0196.0308200448.77022af4@posting.google.com >,
dmturner@dmturner.org (Delia M. Turner) writes:

>Subject: Re: Saber Canting
>From: dmturner@dmturner.org (Delia M. Turner)
>Date: 20 Aug 2003 05:48:22 -0700
>
>It's absolutely a personal thing. However, I will add that in years
>of bending the tang, my weapons have always broken in the middle of
>the blade or near the end (where yours do), never at the tang.
>
>--Delia
>
>
>
>trebuchet30303@yahoo.com (William Marshal) wrote in message
>news:<dc7987e.0308192136.5249a6f4@posting.google. com>...
>> A dissenting ( and apparently minority ) view. I have never bent my
>> tangs in any fashion, and have never felt comfortable fencing with
>> sabres which have been thus canted. Weapon "feel" is an extremely
>> individual thing, do what feels best to you...
>>
>> N.B. Bent-tanged sabres seem to break more often where the blade and
>> guard meet. I have had exactly one blade break there in the 20 years
>> I've been fencing ( mine go where the foible blends into the forte ).
>> Most of the people I know have broken dozens there, and they all bends
>> their tangs...
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>From: dmturner@dmturner.org (Delia M. Turner)
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>Subject: Re: Saber Canting
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[Winter Trail]

I've always (well, since I got it drilled into my head by a certain coach) bent
my sabre down and to the left (to the right for those lefties out there), and
it has worked like a charm for me. I quite like it, but that's just me. The
first few days you definitly have to get used to it, but afterwards, it's nice,
becuase if you say extend straight forward, the blade will hit things that you
usually have to twist your hand aorund to get at, such as a wrist, or head.
Anyway, that's just my opinion. Like every one else says, it's up to your own
personal tastes. If you have the money to, try one bent, and one not, and
decide which one you like better. It would also be a good idea, if you're
going to bend it, to get someone who knows what they're doing to help you the
first time.

-Eileen

[Fencerbill]

In article <20030830195645.20751.00000129@mb-m21.aol.com>, wintertrail@aol.com
(Winter Trail) writes:

> It would also be a good idea, if you're
>going to bend it, to get someone who knows what they're doing to help you the
>first time.

To repeat some advice I have given before:

Use a vise and a small plumbing wrench to bend blades. The vise isolates the
part of the blade you want to bend and the pipe wrench defines exactly where
you apply the effort. The pipe wrench is best because the jaws are at right
angles to the length of the handle.

Put the tang in the vise, leaving 1/4 inch of the tang exposed. Apply the pipe
wrench just above the tang and pull towards you. This gives you the most
control over the amount of force applied. The 1/4 inch separation, as opposed
to putting all of the tang in the vise, is to prevent excess strain on any part
of the blade.

I put the blade in the vise twice, once for the down bend and again for the
side bend.

Bill Hall