Just noticed huge flaws in my new STM FIE epee blade.

[the reluctant fencer]

I just wired my STM FIE and hit it with some 400 grit to get rid of excess glue andI smoothed the backside out as well. Right under the surface of the metal that I lightly sanded holes started showing up!!! there must be 120 small holes near the edge of the blade the entire length of it!!! any holes will cause stress points and make the blade a lot easier to snap. This i not comforting as this blade is BRAND NEW. I am going to fence with it this weekend so I will see how it does.

[HDG]

So just to be clear, you're going to use a weapon you believe to be unsafe?

[the reluctant fencer]

no. I know it will be fine to use but what I am saying is that it will wear faster. the same effect as if you had lots of nicks on the edge of a weapon. stress risers cause the metal to fatigue faster.

[Purple Fencer]

Originally Posted by the reluctant fencer

I just wired my STM FIE and hit it with some 400 grit to get rid of excess glue andI smoothed the backside out as well. Right under the surface of the metal that I lightly sanded holes started showing up!!! there must be 120 small holes near the edge of the blade the entire length of it!!! any holes will cause stress points and make the blade a lot easier to snap. This i not comforting as this blade is BRAND NEW. I am going to fence with it this weekend so I will see how it does.

Post a picture...I'll ask Dimitri at StM about it...

[HDG]

Originally Posted by the reluctant fencer

no. I know it will be fine to use but what I am saying is that it will wear faster. the same effect as if you had lots of nicks on the edge of a weapon. stress risers cause the metal to fatigue faster.

Thanks for clarifying; didn't mean to come across as hostile [if I did].

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

The gig is up guys.

Scandals to get us to buy more blades....

[PeterGustafsson]

Hi!

Originally Posted by the reluctant fencer

I just wired my STM FIE and hit it with some 400 grit to get rid of excess glue andI smoothed the backside out as well. Right under the surface of the metal that I lightly sanded holes started showing up!!! there must be 120 small holes near the edge of the blade the entire length of it!!! any holes will cause stress points and make the blade a lot easier to snap. This i not comforting as this blade is BRAND NEW. I am going to fence with it this weekend so I will see how it does.

Emphasis mine.

Let me get this clear: are all holes placed on the underside, opposite to the blood groove?

Since you write that you used grit paper to get out glue, I assume that it is an epee blade - please correct me if I am wrong.

Can you post pictures of it?

If the "holes", or rather, pits, are on the underside, they will be subjected to compressive stress during bending, unless you bend the blade the wrong way. Steel, as the great majority of other materials, is considerably stronger in compression than in tension. The fatigue cracks will start from the upper surface of the blade. Once the fatigue crack has penetrated through a sufficient percentage of the blade cross-section, there will be a ultimate brittle fracture. However, this happens far before the fatigue crack has penetrated close to the small pits.

Therefore, I do not believe that the pits you describe will severly affect the fatigue life of the blade provided that they are not a symptom of a bigger problem, and that you use the blade correctly.

Sunch bigger problems could be that there are pits on the upper surface, or that there are problems with excessive slag inclusions. The latter would indicate real problems with the production process before the steel came to the blade manufacturer.

In any case, you can use the blade for target practice if you do not want to send it back. Once it breaks, the broken surface will tell a lot of information to the trained observer.


Have a nice time!

Peter Gustafsson
Mechanical Engineer, job experience in fatigue testing of metals

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

While PG's post is good, he neglects the fact that the blade has holes/dings/tooth marks on it. Its totally unnacceptable.

[mrbiggs]

Originally Posted by D+F+P=Hadouken!

The gig is up guys.

Scandals to get us to buy more blades....

I doubt it a bit. Fencing blades depend almost entirely on reputation in terms of longevity. If STM shortens the lifespan of their blades intentionally, they will soon gain a reputation of having a short lifespan, and no one will buy them.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

We all know thats how it worked out for blaise freres....