Fencing.Net - Your Guide to Fencing & Fencing Equipment

SpyderLily · 06-09-2006, 10:35 PM

I know this is random, but my boyfriend and I were having this conversation over lunch today. I just bought a Chevalier (PS) epee. I noticed that in some spots, instead of being deep purple, it was just a plain silvery color. I don't so much care about the color, but I was curious why it was like that. I asked my boyfriend about it over lunch today. He has a BF Blue and said it had a couple small spots like that too. He seemed to think that the color was just some sort of "finish." I always thought it was just the metal. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to sand it, would you? Is the color just on the outer surface, or does it go all the way through?

pinkandgeek · 06-09-2006, 10:53 PM

umm, i would be inclined to believe it is the finish, there isn't a metal that is purple to my knowledge, and adding dye to metal doesn't work. so do not sand it, you may just have to deal with it. if i am wrong some one correct me

SpyderLily · 06-09-2006, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinkandgeek

umm, i would be inclined to believe it is the finish, there isn't a metal that is purple to my knowledge, and adding dye to metal doesn't work. so do not sand it, you may just have to deal with it. if i am wrong some one correct me

I know people with BF Blues and STMs that sand them. In fact, I read a post just the other day that mentioned someone sanding their STM. As far as I know, light sanding is standard practice.

twisterfencing · 06-09-2006, 11:39 PM

SpyderLily

Please tell me this is a joke. Right?

There is no such thing as blue metel.

Its dipped for the coloring.

Gary Spruill

rcmatthews · 06-10-2006, 01:27 AM

its just to protect it from rust before shipping. light sanding is almost required eventually, and it will take the finish off.

erooMynohtnA · 06-10-2006, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpyderLily

I know people with BF Blues and STMs that sand them. In fact, I read a post just the other day that mentioned someone sanding their STM. As far as I know, light sanding is standard practice.

I believe pinkandgeek was referring to keeping the coating. If you want it to stay on there, you can't sand it. I can see why you might think a gold or blue blade was not coated (although they are), but I don't know why anyone would think the rainbow pattern on some blades was part of the steel.

rcmatthews · 06-10-2006, 02:58 AM

though it is possible to get a relatively permanent bluing on steel, such as with guns. I don't know if it would stand up to sanding though.

erooMynohtnA · 06-10-2006, 03:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcmatthews

though it is possible to get a relatively permanent bluing on steel, such as with guns. I don't know if it would stand up to sanding though.

Not relatively more than a Sharpie would.

bigdawg2121 · 06-10-2006, 05:08 AM

Here's to Parkerized blades within the year.

erooMynohtnA · 06-10-2006, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigdawg2121

Here's to Parkerized blades within the year.

I've done it. Even that doesn't hold up very well when you're swinging it into another piece of steel or (especially not) when you're sanding it. It's also more complicated than bluing and leads to high resistances. Do you know if it would work better than bluing on maraging steel?

Edit: I did a fairly poor job parkerizing the first time I tried it. It turns out that the resistance can be several thousand ohms at least.

SpyderLily · 06-10-2006, 11:20 AM

RCMatthews, thank you.

ErooMynohtnA, you are the sort of person on forums that I refer to as a jerk.

pgepps · 06-10-2006, 12:17 PM

Actually, the reverse-named Mr. Moore is giving you useful information. If the style is a bit know-it-all, well, your question was kinda ignorant. A couple others were a bit sarcastic, but....

Anyway, the info about the coatings is correct. The good news is, the coated blades don't need sanding nearly so soon; the bad news is, yeah, once you sand 'em, or start whacking 'em on other pieces of metal, the coating in the sanded area is gonna go.

Cheers,
PGE

Chafunkta · 06-10-2006, 12:37 PM

Why would you ever want to sand your blades? Is it a purely cosmetic thing?

SpyderLily · 06-10-2006, 12:39 PM

I was simply under the impression that this was a place where people of all levels could ask questions and get answers to them without be demeaned for the question they asked. You say my question was ignorant, but the pupose of asking a question is to replace ignorance with knowledge. If I'd known the answer, I wouldn't have asked the question.

sjpfencer220 · 06-10-2006, 12:57 PM

About the coating, when you first get a colored blade, the actual metal is coated in whatever colored coating. Above that is a vary thin, glue like film- you might see it peeling off eventually, it is clear. When you sand your weapon initially, this is what comes off, in effect the "protection" for the colored coating. As you sand a weapon more and more often, more and more of the coating comes off, this also happens a bit less though when you are using a rust block to take rust off. Finally, there are also sprays that you can use to color your weapon, sol by certain fencing companies, which, although they don't come on the blade when you get them, can add coloring and also give and previous coloring a sort of replacement for the film, although that wears away very quickly when you sand it. All of this information is referring to foils, although it is probably mostly true with other weapons.

epeeisky · 06-10-2006, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chafunkta

Why would you ever want to sand your blades? Is it a purely cosmetic thing?

The sanding is to get rust off. Rust will weaken the steal which will cause stress points quickly. The stress points cause microfractures in the steel which will eventually break the blade.

twisterfencing · 06-10-2006, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpyderLily

I was simply under the impression that this was a place where people of all levels could ask questions and get answers to them without be demeaned for the question they asked. You say my question was ignorant, but the pupose of asking a question is to replace ignorance with knowledge. If I'd known the answer, I wouldn't have asked the question.

Spyderlily:

If anyone has offended you, sorry!

Please understand after reading this thread that there was no ill will intended.

Please allow me to explain:

Every once in a while, a question on these threads comes along that knocks you back. Its not to say that the person asking it is not justified, it just makes you re-think??? What the heck??? Below is such a question:

Example: Can I use a french foil screws on a german foil barrel???

The answer is: Of course not. To an old seasoned fencer, this would be a "Chicken of the Sea" (Jesica Simpson) kind of question. To the one asking it, they really want to know. They're coach has not done a very good job explaining the basics of the equipment they told them to buy/purchase.

Either way, hope this helps and please understand, no ill will on this end.

Ask what ever you want on these threads. If you have a specific question and do not want to post it, please: you have an invitation to email me any time you want.

Gary Spruill

erooMynohtnA · 06-10-2006, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpyderLily

I was simply under the impression that this was a place where people of all levels could ask questions and get answers to them without be demeaned for the question they asked. You say my question was ignorant, but the pupose of asking a question is to replace ignorance with knowledge. If I'd known the answer, I wouldn't have asked the question.

I think you're reading a little too much into things.

Zilverzmurfen · 06-11-2006, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twisterfencing

Ask what ever you want on these threads.

And feel free to also use the search function!

WhipLash · 06-12-2006, 01:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sjpfencer220

Finally, there are also sprays that you can use to color your weapon, sol by certain fencing companies, which, although they don't come on the blade when you get them, can add coloring and also give and previous coloring a sort of replacement for the film, although that wears away very quickly when you sand it.

Hi could you post a link to the sprays sold by fencing companies? thanks!