Washing Lames

[sabreuse]

I know there's a how-to on this subject on the Fencing.net home page but I'm still squeamish.

I've got a stainless steel (Triplette) lame that I've had for about a year. I generally fence in it 2-3 times a week. The lame's still plenty shiny all over and I've never had any problems with it when it's been checked for tournaments. It looks clean all over except for the grossard part which is non-lame (for sabre). That part is some kind of denim and is getting pretty dingy looking. I always hang the lame up on a hanger after I use it and pretty much baby it when I'm not wearing it. When I fence, I don't sweat enough to go all the way to the lame (I just soak my t-shirt and jacket). Do I really need to wash my lame?

[HilandDoug]

How does it smell? Your clubmates might appreciate it if you wash it.

[neevel]

No need to be squeamish-- just fill a washtub with warm water, a mild soap (Ivory Snow or Woolite) and a bit of ammonia, dunk the lame in and gently swish it around by hand, then rinse it under running water and let it hang dry. I've done it countless times-- you won't damage anything.

Lames fail for two reasons:
1) The metal strands become coated with something (corrosion or salts) which hinders conductivity.
2) Metal strands break with use, which eventually causes an area to go dead when enough strands have broken.

With a stainless lame, breakage is the usual failure mode if it's been well cared for. However, if you let it go unwashed for long enough, the stands can get encrusted with enough salts that they'll not conduct. While a washing will often get rid of the salt, sometimes it'll get built-up so thick that you won't be able to get rid of it. Even if you don't sweat much, then, it's still a good idea to wash your lame with some degree of frequency.


-Dave Neevel