07-21-2006, 02:49 AM
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#1 | | Just Joined
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 10
| A tubby new fencer with many queries...
Hello to the fencing world out there..
Decided to crawl out of hibernation and take up a sport, before I reach the point that I can't see my toes 
Anyhow, would be appreciative of the more enligthen individuals out there could provide pointers on the following matters..
- noticed that other fellow foil fencers have a bend in their blades, is it necessary to set the blade? How does one go about it?
- my lame is turning green at the collar!! I sweat buckets when I can fence, but on the label it says it's a non-washable lame.. so is there any way to arrest the oxidation? 
thanks a bunch | 
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07-21-2006, 03:05 AM
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#2 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,183
| Quote: |
Originally Posted by tubbyFencer Hello to the fencing world out there..
Decided to crawl out of hibernation and take up a sport, before I reach the point that I can't see my toes
Anyhow, would be appreciative of the more enligthen individuals out there could provide pointers on the following matters..
- noticed that other fellow foil fencers have a bend in their blades, is it necessary to set the blade? How does one go about it?
- my lame is turning green at the collar!! I sweat buckets when I can fence, but on the label it says it's a non-washable lame.. so is there any way to arrest the oxidation?
thanks a bunch | Just so everyone here understands NO ONE is more tubby than me!!! I am the tubbiest.
Secondly, there are two bends in a foil blade. The first bend is in the last third of the blade called the foible. A proper bend in the blade here is such that the apex of the bend is in the middle of the foible. A good blade is such that the remaining 2/3rds has very little give or flex at all. Its important to get a light stiff blade for this purpose and then gently teach the blade to flex in this area. It helps tremendously with the feel of the blade... how light and easy to use it feels.
The second bend is at the tang of the blade and is usually set with a bench vise though you can use the butt end of a crescent wrench and a copper pipe for leverage. Thjis is largely trial and error though it is time well invested. ergonomics applies to fencing too.
Finally you have a copper lame. It can be washed but you must dry very quickly. You can 'arrest' the oxidation with lemon juice or citric acid. But you will find it all for naught. Spend the few extra bucks for a triplette ultralight lame or a stainless inoxidizable lame.
Livin Large and In Charge,
Fatfencer | |
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07-21-2006, 04:22 AM
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#3 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Long Island
Posts: 303
| Congrats on getting into things. I just lost twenty lbs. b/c I picked up fencing again after a years hiatus.
If you work hard you should lose weight fairly quickly. But either way Kudos and congrats on walking the road.
For the record, there is no necessity (I'm not saying fatfencer is wrong) to have a bend at the foible. Most fencers prefer it b/c when a hit is made there is more solid contact and it is definately beneficial for that.
As per the bend in the tang s/he's 100% right. But, most likely, as a beginner your club armourer or whoever sold you the blade should have mounted it and would have taken care of that.
In terms of the "green-ness"/oxidation I'd say about the same thing. First off, if you're not already, make sure you hang your lame IMMEDIATELY after you're finished fencing. If you're just putting it in your bag that can make matters much worse.
Beyond that there's not much to be done, I'd replace it, however, I would then use that lame as a practice lame. Use it in the salle/club and save the newer one for any competition you might go to in the future.
Good luck and welcome.
__________________ Characteristically, I had been trying too hard, and remembered again that wonderful piece of advice given by a French thinker: Trouve avante de chercher--Valery, it was. Or maybe it was Picasso. There are times when the most practical thing to do is to lie down. | |
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07-21-2006, 11:20 PM
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#4 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Carlsbad, CA
Posts: 610
| I am the queen of washing stuff that says it's not supposed to be washed. I say, wash your lame! After a certain point, you don't have anything to lose, and I really doubt it's genuinely not washable. Not machine washable, sure, but washable, yes.
Not in a machine, but by hand, gently, in a sink or tub, with lukewarm water, a dash of gentle detergent (like Ivory or Woolite) and a generous slug of ammonia. (Which you buy in the same aisle of the grocery store as bleach. Apparently this was news to one of my (male) clubmates.) Let it soak, use a toothbrush to gently clean the collar a bit more, then rinse, rinse, rinse and drip dry. Do not fold or wad up the lame (this will break the metallic threads), but press it gently with your hands or a towel to get the excess water out.
The ammonia is essential because it removes the sweat salts that cause corrosion.
Try to hang it to dry somewhere with lots of ventilation. Direct sun is best. I put my lame out on the porch after I wash it. | |
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07-23-2006, 01:04 AM
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#5 | | Boom!
Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Canada
Posts: 5,925
| 37 pounds down since I picked up a foil.
The only suggestion I can give you about your lame is don't wear it unless you need to wear it. I know that sounds silly, but I've seen people at my club dry fence half the night whilst wearing their lame...
Welcome to the sport - you picked a great one!
__________________
Pound for pound, the amoeba is the most vicious animal on earth. | |
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07-23-2006, 03:47 AM
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#6 | | Épéeist Hive Queen
Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Sweden
Posts: 12,701
| Quote: |
Originally Posted by ThatReallyHurt The only suggestion I can give you about your lame is don't wear it unless you need to wear it. I know that sounds silly, but I've seen people at my club dry fence half the night whilst wearing their lame... | LOL! Foilists...   
Welcome to the sport and the forum, Tubby!
__________________
Fencing is my only PvP. | |
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07-23-2006, 05:36 PM
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#7 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Houma,Louisiana USA
Posts: 165
| Fanfare
Welcome to the forum! Enjoy your stay!
saberspiritTerrance | |
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07-23-2006, 10:42 PM
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#8 | | Just Joined
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 10
| Thanks for all your replies.. will definitely put them all to good use! Yet, definitely need to loose some weight, the lastest comments of fellow fencers here is that I look like a beach ball with my rainbow lame...
Though I am a weeee bit confused.. most people would advise ammonia for cleaning but Citric ACID?! Wouldn't that further corrode the lame?.. hmm.. | |
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07-24-2006, 03:15 AM
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#9 | | Épéeist Hive Queen
Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Sweden
Posts: 12,701
| Quote: |
Originally Posted by tubbyFencer ...I look like a beach ball with my rainbow lame... | Oooh, I can't wait for Inq to notice this...hehehe... 
(No offense, but you'll see what I mean! )
__________________
Fencing is my only PvP. | |
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07-24-2006, 05:13 AM
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#10 | | Curmudgeon-in-Chief
Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Somewhere in your nightmares!
Posts: 23,190
| I'm fervently hoping he's somewhere overseas, so that I will never have to "notice" it.
Anyway, he's a foilist. I try not to look at them too much.
__________________
Use the Shift key, people! Keyboard manufacturers everywhere are ineffably saddened when you ignore what they made just for you!
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07-24-2006, 05:20 AM
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#11 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: London
Posts: 498
| Quote: |
Originally Posted by tubbyFencer Thanks for all your replies.. will definitely put them all to good use! Yet, definitely need to loose some weight, the lastest comments of fellow fencers here is that I look like a beach ball with my rainbow lame...
Though I am a weeee bit confused.. most people would advise ammonia for cleaning but Citric ACID?! Wouldn't that further corrode the lame?.. hmm.. | I believe the lemon juice / citric acid option (a fairly gentle acid by comparison and probably not as corrosive as ammonia) is intended to dissolve the oxidisation on the top of your lamé; you probably won't need much to do it and it does work. Rinse well. [edit: the lamé that is]
__________________
I caught this morning morning’s minion, king-
dom of daylight’s dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding
Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding
High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing
In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing,
As a skate’s heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl and gliding
Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding
Stirred for a bird,—the achieve of; the mastery of the thing! | |
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