New style strips and straightening the weapon

[counterattack]

One time on each of the past two weekends I have drawn a card for straightening my weapon on the strip. Now I would be the first to gasp at the sight of a fencer intentionally touching his weapon to a copper strip, however these were the new hard metal strips (one Zivkovic and one BG). In each case the tourney was in a gym with a wood floor. In the first case we were told before the event "touch the floor, even in attempting a foot touch, and you will get a card. Don't even think of straightening your weapon on it." This past weekend we weren't given any warning, but common sense says that the metal strips are certainly the better (i.e. less likely to be hurt by straightening) surface. Actually, at one of the clubs I go to we are prohibited from straightening anywhere BUT the strip in order to prolong the life of the wood part of the floor. As it turned out neither of the yellow cards hurt me, but in one of the bouts we went to priority, so a further yellow would cost me the bout. I know what the rules say, but I just assumed sanity would prevail. So how do we go about getting the rules changed to reflect the new reality that hard strips are a fine and dandy place to straighten your blade? Is there a good reason not to change the rule?

[Inquartata]

Originally Posted by counterattack

So how do we go about getting the rules changed to reflect the new reality that hard strips are a fine and dandy place to straighten your blade?

Convince Rene Roch that it will make fencing more telegenic and spectator friendly, and that mysterious unnamed executives at NBC have promised some coverage, maybe, perhaps, possibly, if you change the rule.

[Phincer]

Originally Posted by counterattack

In each case the tourney was in a gym with a wood floor. In the first case we were told before the event "touch the floor, even in attempting a foot touch, and you will get a card. Don't even think of straightening your weapon on it."

What I don't get is why the LOC, if they were intent on protecting the wood floor, did not provide carpet scraps or samples at each end of the strip for straightening weapons. That should never have been a card issue.

[counter riposte]

When you get rid of all the copper strips, conductive fiber strips and such which have a tendency to tear, the rule becomes obsolete. Until then, consider bringing a swatch of carpet to the club/competition upon which you can straighten your blade.

[brtech]

And watch out for the even newer rubber strips, which you WILL NOT be allowed to straighten your blade on.

[noodle]

as long as there exist strips that will get torn up when people do this, the rule will exist. especially with the new cloth&rubber strips. just cuz your strips don't get torn up when doing it, doesn't mean my strips won't.

[rory]

Just use your hands/knee to straighten the blade.

[oiuyt]

Originally Posted by Phincer

What I don't get is why the LOC, if they were intent on protecting the wood floor, did not provide carpet scraps or samples at each end of the strip for straightening weapons. That should never have been a card issue.

Duke University did this both for a meet that we attended last February and for NCAA Regionals. Not so much samples or scraps as something roughly the size of a doormat done in Duke colors with text saying something like "Straighten Blades Here" printed on them. But then Alex doesn't really do things halfway... :)

-B

[keropie]

I dunno... he kinda has half his hair...

[counterattack]

Originally Posted by rory

Just use your hands/knee to straighten the blade.

I had a blade snap while hand straightening. The broken end stayed in my hand, the rest of the weapon straightened immediately, slicing my palm in the process. It was a beautifuly clean cut and bled like mad. Also, the palm does not bandage well, and grime and sweat sting. Further, little tiny metal shards are painfully removed after much searching.

[counter riposte]

Originally Posted by counterattack

I had a blade snap while hand straightening. The broken end stayed in my hand, the rest of the weapon straightened immediately, slicing my palm in the process. It was a beautifuly clean cut and bled like mad. Also, the palm does not bandage well, and grime and sweat sting. Further, little tiny metal shards are painfully removed after much searching.

Ouch. Which is why most people use wrenches if they were to straighten by hand.

[counterattack]

Originally Posted by counter riposte

Ouch. Which is why most people use wrenches if they were to straighten by hand.

Yeah. Which is why most people just use the foot and the floor. Which is why "keep your epee straight" is not compatible with "don't use the floor". It just seems that the rules can be very particular when they want to be, so why not just say "on hard metal strips, straightening the weapon is allowed." That excludes copper, that excludes cloth, that excludes rubber. I suppose that though people change rules at a whim, it is not really the fencers themselves, so until some well placed coach or board member gets a bug about it things will stay the same.

[wahrman]

and I don't normally keep a wrench on me whilst fencing.

the SNO was a tad confusing with the particle board under the metal
and the threat of death if we touch the basketball floor.

oh well.

Originally Posted by counterattack

Yeah. Which is why most people just use the foot and the floor. Which is why "keep your epee straight" is not compatible with "don't use the floor". It just seems that the rules can be very particular when they want to be, so why not just say "on hard metal strips, straightening the weapon is allowed." That excludes copper, that excludes cloth, that excludes rubber. I suppose that though people change rules at a whim, it is not really the fencers themselves, so until some well placed coach or board member gets a bug about it things will stay the same.

[Mr Epee]

Originally Posted by counterattack

I had a blade snap while hand straightening. The broken end stayed in my hand, the rest of the weapon straightened immediately, slicing my palm in the process. It was a beautifuly clean cut and bled like mad. Also, the palm does not bandage well, and grime and sweat sting. Further, little tiny metal shards are painfully removed after much searching.

You must have been doing it wrong.

Be more careful, please.

[jBirch]

I always thought of it as a manners thing...don't straighten your weapon on the piste as it's rude.

- James.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

Originally Posted by Mr Epee

You must have been doing it wrong.

Be more careful, please.

... sometimes blades are just ready to break. I had an old cheap blade that had never really been set originally, and I didn't really use it. I finally broke another blade, and was finally going to use this one, and asked someone to set it a bit, and it broke VERY easily. Luckily she was using her foot and the ground rather than her hands.

Crap blade break even when doing it right sometimes......

[DJ Apostrophe]

just as a point of fact with the weapon bending discussion, T. Nagy got a card in the gold medal bout of WE World Championships for bending her weapon on the hard metal strip...

just a point.

-w

[Mr Epee]

Originally Posted by MyrddinsPrecint

... sometimes blades are just ready to break. I had an old cheap blade that had never really been set originally, and I didn't really use it. I finally broke another blade, and was finally going to use this one, and asked someone to set it a bit, and it broke VERY easily. Luckily she was using her foot and the ground rather than her hands.

Crap blade break even when doing it right sometimes......

Oh, I agree... blades occasionally break with little effort.

My comment was about taking care not to gash one's hand(s).

That can be avoided.

It's like people slicing their palm when cutting bagles... well, you can hold the bagel, but just be careful about which direction you're cutting.

[Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by Mr Epee

Oh, I agree... blades occasionally break with little effort.

My comment was about taking care not to gash one's hand(s).

That can be avoided.

It's like people slicing their palm when cutting bagles... well, you can hold the bagel, but just be careful about which direction you're cutting.

Speaking of bagels, don't light one on fire and throw it at an NAC. (Unless Rene Roche tells you to so the event will be more telegenic.)

[Mr Epee]

Originally Posted by Grasshopper

Speaking of bagels, don't light one on fire and throw it at an NAC. (Unless Rene Roche tells you to so the event will be more telegenic.)

Dude, your brain is fried.

Lighting bagels on fire and throwing them is fine... as long as you can keep a straight face. It's when you snicker that they slap the cuffs on you.