breaking blades

[Sloan24]

is it an issue or is it not really an issue?

and if I were to decide to change blade composition, if I could, do you think Tungsten Carbide or Silicon Carbide would be something to look into?

yet another post to find information for my engineering class... help would be greatly appreciated!!!

[edew]

The rule book has specific information on the material composition for blades. There is so-and-so percent of iron, carbon, nickel, etc and has to be created following a specific method (for maraging and non-maraging blades, although I believe the maraging process is a state secret or something of that sort).

On the other hand, if you can make a blade that meets the external standards (i.e., flexibility and weight) and can show that the breaks don't form into sharp shards, I guess you can submit it to SEMI for approval. The bottom line for fencers, really, is durability, feel and safety. If your blade meets or exceeds the standards for those three, I don't see any reason why SEMI can't approve it.

Then, it has to meet the fourth standard: cost. Is it competitively priced?

[Sloan24]

what do you think about the blades actually breaking is it fairly common?

[the ancient one]

is it an issue or is it not really an issue?

and if I were to decide to change blade composition, if I could, do you think Tungsten Carbide or Silicon Carbide would be something to look into?

yet another post to find information for my engineering class... help would be greatly appreciated!!!

Way too brittle !

Check out this thread where Peter G lists and discusses lots of possibilities:

MatWeb seaches - better materials for fencing parts

[Purple Fencer]

The rule book has specific information on the material composition for blades. There is so-and-so percent of iron, carbon, nickel, etc and has to be created following a specific method (for maraging and non-maraging blades, although I believe the maraging process is a state secret or something of that sort).

The specifics in the rule book are for FIE blades, however...nothing about non-FIE ones (since the rules are written for FIE comps to begin with)

On the other hand, if you can make a blade that meets the external standards (i.e., flexibility and weight) and can show that the breaks don't form into sharp shards, I guess you can submit it to SEMI for approval. The bottom line for fencers, really, is durability, feel and safety. If your blade meets or exceeds the standards for those three, I don't see any reason why SEMI can't approve it.

StM DOES make an FIE blade that is not maraging steel....and the only test standards are flex (within specified ranges) and durability under the flex-cycling tests (i.e....how many flexes until it breaks)....breaking flat or not has nothing to do with it....please don't perpetuate THAT myth...you've been around long enough to know better.

Someone DID come out with a carbon fibre blade.....fencers didn't like the feel (we love that ringing steel sound, y'know), so it was never persued.

[parrythis]

what do you think about the blades actually breaking is it fairly common?

Is it fairly common - with cheap blades, it can be often.

What do I think about it - in financial terms, I think it is more cost-effective to purchase better blades. I have, in fact, proven this to be the case, at least for me. In safety terms, I don't think about it. Not because I am afraid to, but because I estimate the risk to be relatively small compared to some of the other things I do. (like driving to work every day )

[edew]

The specifics in the rule book are for FIE blades, however...nothing about non-FIE ones (since the rules are written for FIE comps to begin with)



StM DOES make an FIE blade that is not maraging steel....and the only test standards are flex (within specified ranges) and durability under the flex-cycling tests (i.e....how many flexes until it breaks)....breaking flat or not has nothing to do with it....please don't perpetuate THAT myth...you've been around long enough to know better.

Someone DID come out with a carbon fibre blade.....fencers didn't like the feel (we love that ringing steel sound, y'know), so it was never persued.

I'm not perpetuating any myths. I'm just saying that I, as a fencing equipment consumer, am not likely to buy a blade that breaks easily and into a sharp shard. I don't need the aggravation from possibly killing someone.

[telkanuru]

But maraging steel doesn't break any cleaner than conventional steel, just less often.

[Beloit Fencer of Old]

breaking flat or not has nothing to do with it....please don't perpetuate THAT myth...you've been around long enough to know better.

Yes, yes, we all know that. In the course of testing, however, if a new steel composition had a tendency to break, say, to a needle-sharp point every time it failed, they probably would not approve it despite its other qualities.

[Mike O]

...Tungsten Carbide or Silicon Carbide would be something to look into?

"Tungsten Carbide drills?! What the bloody hell's tungsten carbide drills?!"

- Monty Python

(Sorry. I couldn't resist.)

[Sloan24]

lol so besides the awesome quote about tungsten carbide drills, it isn't good to make blades out of tungsten carbide, even if I could?

Ah. I think I'm not going to pursue this problem. I think I'm going to pursue another fencing problem

thank you all so much for your input!!!!! I greatly appreciate it!!

[erooMynohtnA]

Carbides are much too brittle. I wouldn't try that.

That's not to say blade breakage isn't a problem in fencing. There's no question of if your blade will break, but when.

As Peter G's post indicates, it's an interesting and complex puzzle. It has also proven a pretty difficult one to solve. Maraging steel is currently the best answer.

[Freight-train]

Cheap blades break frequentley, good blades (FIE) will last for years.