Colored blades

[Carlos37]

Are colored blades any different from non colored blades other than the color?Do they have an advantage/disadvantage in the fencing department?

[gatsby]

the coloring is just a coating to prevent rust from forming. it's not all that effective but it can make the blade look pretty cool (or tacky).

[SJCFU#2]

The colored coating may not hold up under the wear and tear of regular fencing however it is usually very effective at preventing rust during shipping (which is really all that it is intended to do).

Colored blades are often a little bit easier to wire the first time, but this is mainly because there is no need to scrape every last trace of grease out of the groove prior to gluing (bare blades are often packed in grease to prevent rust during shipment - on an old blade that has been sitting in the warehouse for years the grease can harden to a point where it is practically solid).

Some manufacturers also use different colors to identify blades as having certain characteristics (such as greater stiffness). However there is often enough variation between individual blades of a single color to provide significant overlap between groups of different-colored blades.

[Purple Fencer]

Colored blades are often a little bit easier to wire the first time, but this is mainly because there is no need to scrape every last trace of grease out of the groove prior to gluing

You still have to get the color coating out of the groove, tho....you want bare, shiny metal for the glue to adhere to. it's just a LOT easier than getting the grease out!

[LTranter]

I have an STM rainbow that I love, but reading this post I just thought of something. Does the color coating come off if the blade is cleaned with a sanding block, or does the coating eliminate the need for that type of cleaning?

L

[pokey]

I have an STM rainbow that I love, but reading this post I just thought of something. Does the color coating come off if the blade is cleaned with a sanding block, or does the coating eliminate the need for that type of cleaning?

L

The sanding block will take off the coating, as will just normal wear and tear from fencing. Anecdotally, I found that with color finished blades I didn't really need to use a sanding block, certainly not as often as my unfinished ones. By the time I needed the sanding block, the blade was so dinged up that losing the coating wasn't a big deal anyway. YMMV