Weapon Care

[counter riposte]

Why does that subject sound like a military term? I.E. your guns and how to care for them.

Anyway off tangent.

One of the posts on the discussion board requested information on mask and weapon care in high humidity areas.

The best way to prevent rust on your weapon and mask is:

1. to not store your weapon and mask with your recently used (i.e. sweaty) jacket, lame, underarm protector or shoes. Placing your weapons and jacket with this equipment will rust your equipment quickly.

2. make some scabbards. Go to Home Depot or any home improvement store such as Lowes, Dixieland, etc. and purchase some 1/2" PVC pipe, T-Connectors, caps and small bungee cords. Place the T connector at one end of the pipe, measure the distance from the end of the T to 90cm (max length of a foil/epee), cut the pipe and cap it. Drill a hole through the open end of the T, and presto, you have a scabbard, which you can secure to your weapon with a simple bungee cord. (You can skip the T if you like, I just find it easier to secure the bungee this way)

3. Mineral Oil. Oil and water do not mix, and the same applys when you place oil on weapons and masks. The cheapest mineral oil is Johnson's baby oil (the only additional ingredient in baby oil is fragrance, which will make your mask smell better anyway). Moisten a small piece of cloth, no larger than a bath towel, about 12" by 12", with mineral oil and wipe the outside and inside of the mask with it. Doing this about twice a month should prevent rust from forming in the mask, or on the weapon. If rust does form on the weapon, just sand it down, and place some oil on the blade. Oil will not damage your equipment, and will make your equipment last a little longer.

[Inquartata]

However, if you are a sabre fencer your opponents will NOT thank you for leaving oil marks across their lames or jackets. Oil may be very well for foils and epees, I don't know, but not for weapons where large areas of the blade are going to get slapped against clothing...and wiping it off before use only reduces the problem a bit, it doesn't prevent it...

[JEC]

If you are storing blades, some light oil would prevent corrosion. Before using them (or competing) wipe them with alcohol, preferably 100%. That would take care of the oil.

[Mr.Piccolo22]

There is a product out there called Never Dull. Its supposed to remove tranish and leave a protcetive coating (I'm assuming like a wax) on. I haven't used it on any of my blades yet. I was going to test the product on an old blade that I don't use anymore for tournements. If anyone has used this product before let me know what the results were.

[remise]

I used Never Dull. It only provided minimal protection. I live in a very humid state (Maryland) and at the very best, got about a 10 day reprieve from rust.

[Psi Shadowdark]

iv been using gun oil, its what i use on my carbon steel blades, light light coating, only on blae though not on mask