Is this able to be fixed?

[Kylee]

Okay, I'm a new fencer, poor, and came upon a opportunity.

I happened to be in the gym where my College fencing class is held, everyone is gone, lo and behold...a broken foil in the trash! I asked the next day, and I can keep it.

Well, it has no grip or bell-guard, so it is just the blade.

Is there any way I can just buy the parts, put it on? Also, I'm used to a American pistol grip (I beleive that is what it is) , I haven't seen those around...

[mrbiggs]

Broken? Like in half? No, you can't fix that.


Just broken electrically, yes, you can fix that. You can just put a handle, guard, etc. on for dry use, and then try to fix it if you want electric.

[Lady Quindecim]

Blades are like hockey sticks... no can fix.

You can build your own weapon, but for your first (starting from scratch) it is cheaper to get a complete one. (basically. unless you are building a "high level" one, but let's not worry about that here, in this post.) When that blade breaks, which if you use it, you can count on that happening down the orad, all you need is a new blade - which is why the broke one was in the trash without anything on it, eh.

...but I like the way you think...

[cplmontana]

Throw a rubber tip on it, get some wood and you can make yourself a practice dummy for at home.

[Purple Fencer]

Throw a rubber tip on it, get some wood and you can make yourself a practice dummy for at home.

Depends on where it's broken....tang, midway down the blade, etc.

[Kylee]

No, no, no.

It's not broken in half, it's just the blade without the grip and guard, it even has the rubber tip on it like this.

Okay, I guess I will try and get my own foil. Now, does anyone know of that American Pistol grip?

If I get a lighter pommel, will that make the foil feel lighter or just make it off-balance?

[whiteandbluefencer]

If it's not broken, why was it in the trash?!

This seems like a very odd occurrence for a college club... or any club for that matter. Fencers just don't throw away an unbroken blade.

[chinbeard]

No, no, no.

It's not broken in half, it's just the blade without the grip and guard, it even has the rubber tip on it like this.

Okay, I guess I will try and get my own foil. Now, does anyone know of that American Pistol grip?

If I get a lighter pommel, will that make the foil feel lighter or just make it off-balance?

If it's not broken, try bending it and stuff to make sure it's safe. If it doesn't snap, then save some money and just use it.

I think AmFence and/or TCA used to carry them, but didn't see it on their sites. You might have to settle for one of these: http://www.blue-gauntlet.com/store/products/223

If you're using a pistol grip, a light pommel will make the weapon just as difficult and illegal to hold as a heavy one. If you're talking about the weight difference between pommel nuts, you're nuts.

[Kylee]

I forgot why they put it there, I asked, but it was awhile and I have forgotten.

So it's just cheaper to buy the grip and guard, rather then just a new foil?

If you're using a pistol grip, a light pommel will make the weapon just as difficult and illegal to hold as a heavy one. If you're talking about the weight difference between pommel nuts, you're nuts.

I don't know really, umm, I just know different pommels weigh differently, right? But if it is illegal and will mess things up, I won't worry about it...

[Fencergrl]

I forgot why they put it there, I asked, but it was awhile and I have forgotten.

Probably because the best place for a foil is in the trash can...

[Lady Quindecim]

I don't know really, umm, I just know different pommels weigh differently, right? But if it is illegal and will mess things up, I won't worry about it...

For a pistol grip, the pommel is the little nut that holds the grip onto the tang and is recessed _into_ the grip. Talking about a light weight one of those would be like talking about light-weight wires. (or, wire - we are talking foil here.)

[CMiner]

TCA has an American grip here. And you can get bell guards/ nuts, etc, just about anywhere.

But as other people said, test the blade first. I've thrown out blades that hadn't yet snapped, but would hold almost a 90 degree angle when bent.

[bob46]

Probably because the best place for a foil is in the trash can...

LOL! can epees be recycled? :

[yearsofwisdom]

LOL! can epees be recycled? :

BUT sabres belong in in the dumpster

[Lady Quindecim]

Hey, now... any fencing is good fencing.
But yeah, there's epee, and training for epee, and that's pretty much that.

[Inquartata]

If it's not broken, why was it in the trash?!

Probably because the owner had more money than patience.

Fencers just don't throw away an unbroken blade.

I came away from Nationals with two sabre blades in this fashion. Well, not in a trash can, but discarded after being replaced by a vendor. One had a bend along the vertical plane, the other a slight S curve in the horizontal. I took them because I was collecting a few broken blades, but just for the heck of it after I got home I took a crescent wrench and length of pipe to them. So now I have two perfectly serviceable blades.

Probably because the best place for a foil is in the trash can...

Agreed! Right next to the epees!