cant

[fencing beginner]

I'm really confused on how to bend/cant a blade. I'm fencing foil and I've broken a blade trying to bend it with my hand because it bent slightly up. Can someone please tell me how to properly bend a blade safely without it snapping?

[mytouch2003]

try bending the blade slowly below your foot. starting near the middle and work your way out to the tip. this is a safer way to do it. So just by sliding it under your foot (of course not on the medal strip )

[HDG]

Are you concerned about bending or canting? They are not the same.

PS You'd probably have better luck with this in the Armory...

[peet]

Originally Posted by fencing beginner

I'm really confused on how to bend/cant a blade. I'm fencing foil and I've broken a blade trying to bend it with my hand because it bent slightly up. Can someone please tell me how to properly bend a blade safely without it snapping?

BTW, if the blade broke when you were trying to correct an upward bend with your hand, it was probably that blade's time to break anyway. Don't worry about it too much.

But like mytouch said, it's safer to do it with your foot. If it's that blade's day to break and it happens in your hand, your hand can get a pretty nasty cut.

Under your foot, on the carpet if there's any around, is a good way to go.

cheers!

-p

[fencing beginner]

Originally Posted by HDG

Are you concerned about bending or canting? They are not the same.

PS You'd probably have better luck with this in the Armory...

What's the difference between canting and bending? Because I just got a new foil recently and it's completely straight and I want it to bend a few degrees down. How would I safely do that?

[HDG]

Originally Posted by fencing beginner

What's the difference between canting and bending? Because I just got a new foil recently and it's completely straight and I want it to bend a few degrees down. How would I safely do that?

Canting is essentially introducing an angle where the tang meets the blade. You can give your weapon a downward (and indeed sideward) cant, and you can also bend the blade downward. Different processes.

Do an Advanced Search limited to the Armory, searching only thread titles for "canting"; you will get several dedicated threads.

[peet]

Originally Posted by fencing beginner

What's the difference between canting and bending? Because I just got a new foil recently and it's completely straight and I want it to bend a few degrees down. How would I safely do that?

Most people use "cant" to mean the bend(s) in the tang, right where it goes through the guard. They use "bend" to mean the bend in the middle of the blade.

(I am not a pro armorer, but...)
Canting the tang is best done in a vice, using something that increases your leverage, like the hole in the end of a large wrench, and is easier to show someone how to do than tell over the web....

I usually tell my students that the tang should be bent mostly down, and a little in, but that's a matter of personal preference. A search of this forum will turn up many different opinions about this.

-p

[fencing beginner]

I'm really confused with the terms right now... cant = building a new bend into a new blade right? and bend = bending a blade to follow a cant? And also, what/where's the tang?

[mytouch2003]

listen to what I said. It answers your question (at least based on your additional inquiry)

[HDG]

Originally Posted by fencing beginner

I'm really confused with the terms right now... cant = building a new bend into a new blade right? and bend = bending a blade to follow a cant? And also, what/where's the tang?

The tang is the part of the blade that is contained within the grip of your foil. It is threaded at the end to accommodate the pommel. Usually where it meets the "blade" part of the blade (i.e. at the guard), fencers introduce a downward & inward angle.

Again, this is distinct from any bend that you might add around the midpoint or last 1/3 of your blade.

I am going to suggest that you put this matter aside completely and ask your coach for help. He or she should know what to do, and can demonstrate and talk you through it better than we will be able to here.

[annacattiva]

Originally Posted by mytouch2003

listen to what I said. It answers your question (at least based on your additional inquiry)

Not really.

The tang of the blade is the round part with the threads that goes into the guard and the grip. "Canting" is bending the blade at the point right where it goes into the guard. Usually, as people have mentioned, you cant the blade slightly down and in. "Bend" usually refers to the gentle curve that your blade should have along its length, mostly towards the foible (far, thinner end of the blade).

Canting can be done with a chair (blade across the chair where you hold it while applying downward pressure on the guard, off the edge of the chair) or better, with a vise and some kind of lever. Bending can be better done on the floor, by running the blade underneath your foot as you apply gentle but continuous pressure.

Anna

... and HDG beat me to it! Including the very good advice that you ask your coach to show you.

[mytouch2003]

"Because I just got a new foil recently and it's completely straight and I want it to bend a few degrees down. "

I was referring to that

[fencing beginner]

Aha, so canting is bending the entire blade, from
--)---------
to
--)________
more or less. So I really shouldn't worry that much about canting, and for bending the blade under your foot, should you just keep your foot near the middle of the blade and gently pull up and slowly move to the tip?

[Gav]

Originally Posted by fencing beginner

I'm really confused on how to bend/cant a blade. I'm fencing foil and I've broken a blade trying to bend it with my hand because it bent slightly up. Can someone please tell me how to properly bend a blade safely without it snapping?

There's no such word as can't.

This really belongs in the armoury.

[lefty_monster]

Originally Posted by fencing beginner

Aha, so canting is bending the entire blade, from
--)---------
to
--)________
more or less. So I really shouldn't worry that much about canting, and for bending the blade under your foot, should you just keep your foot near the middle of the blade and gently pull up and slowly move to the tip?

By george, I think he's got it! I personally don't cant my blades because I don't want to break anything and I probably can't do it right anyway. (Take that, Gav!) But since I tried a canted weapon, I think I like it and will have someone show me the proper way to do it. It's one of those things that is impossible to explain, it must be shown.

[Inquartata]

Originally Posted by HDG

fencers introduce a downward & inward angle.

Not all of them. I know of at least one exception.

[HDG]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

Not all of them. I know of at least one exception.

I did qualify with "usually"...

[Grasshopper]

Are you a Mexican or a Mexicant?

[Inquartata]

I think he's a Cantor. But I cant prove it.

[piste off]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

I think he's a Cantor. But I cant prove it.

Maybe we should have a Gallop poll to find out, instead of just horsing around.

Mr. Eddie