Repairing Torn Lames

[Dr. Bob]

Last Tuesday, one of the fencers at my club broke a blade and punched a hole in my brand new lame (aargh!). I'm sure this isn't the first time this has happened (except to me). What is the best way to repair the lame? Thanks for any practical suggestions.

[prototoast]

It'd suggest a patch. Get a small piece of lame cloth and just sew it over the hole.

[Amadeus]

It'd suggest a patch. Get a small piece of lame cloth and just sew it over the hole.

i had the exact same thing happen to me, and this is the only way to do it, besides a new lamé. you can get patch material for pretty cheap somewhere. (i forget. it took alot of searching.)

[Inquartata]

I think it's better to sew the patch UNDER the hole if possible. Otherwise you may fall afoul of the rule about not having any protruding lip which can catch a point. ( Linings make patching lames a pain in the a**, but unless you've got some conductive thread there's no good alternative. )

[fencerbill]

It depends on whether it is just a cut or an actual hole with material missing.

If it is just a cut, get someone with a sewing machine to just stitch back and forth over the split. You can add an astonishing amount of plain thread without changing the conductivity at all. You don't need conductive thread for that kind of repair. Sew through Lame and lining, just make sure you have the lining aligned properly

If it is a hole, put another piece of Lame between the Lame material and lining and then sew with a machine or by hand.

But don't wait. If the edge of the split/hole gets frayed you have to trim it away.

You can probably get some material from the back of an old Lame.

[KD5MDK]

See if anyone has a failing lame - that's a good source for patch material. Also, someone on here from Canada is selling conductive thread at a perfectly reasonable price. You might pickup a spool of that.

[Dr. Bob]

Thanks to all of you for your advice. The hole is essentially a cut, but with frayed edges. I'll get some material from American Fencers Supply, where I bought the lame, and apply a small patch.

Thanks again.

[Purple Fencer]

Thanks to all of you for your advice. The hole is essentially a cut, but with frayed edges. I'll get some material from American Fencers Supply, where I bought the lame, and apply a small patch.

Thanks again.

Just don't forget to fold over the edges so you ensure good contact.

Ask Matt Porter about it when you go by.

[oiuyt]

The conductive thread mentioned above:

http://members.shaw.ca/ubik/thread/order.html

-B

[fencerbill]

Just don't forget to fold over the edges so you ensure good contact.

Ask Matt Porter about it when you go by.

You don't have to fold the edges unless you put the patch on top. The back of Lame material is just as conductive as the front.