BF Blade Bending sideways

[Pvlpv]

Hello,

I just bought a BF blade (by FWF) less than 2 weeks ago from fencing.net, I had 4 practices with it and went to one tournament. It is bending sideways to the right (I am a right handed fencer), I have never seen this happen before. This is the first time with BF blades, I have been using vnity's prior to this. Does anyone have any suggestions? Should I bend it back? Can I return it?

Thanks

[Wingz240]

Put it under your foot against the ground and bend the other direction. Or put it in a clamp and bend it the other way using a wrench.

[Superscribe]

This happens sometimes if you aren't careful with your point. You will likely not be able to return it.

Fencing blades are a lot like batteries in that sense.

[vivoescrimare]

This is not uncommon with fencing blades - though BF's are less prone to this kind of behavior than many. Blades of any kind are malleable - especially if you find yourself hitting hard and/or within very close distances. Bend it back and it should be fine.

Vivo

[Pvlpv]

thanks, never had that happen to me before in 5 years of fencing.

[downunder]

We've seen it a lot in recent BF blades at our club.

Anacdotal evidence I know - but having seen a sideways bend in relatively new BF blades with more than 10 blades from international cadet/junior fencers makes me think something is wrong.

This conversation has already come up at the club - not prompted by this thread.

[yearsofwisdom]

yeah. mine did that too. best to train a nice and left sided curve in it if your a righty before you fence strenuously with it. Also lighten up with your touches... i broke my bf in 2 months....

[brtech]

Armorers fix side bends with a box end wrench or the hanging loop of a c-wrench. Slide the wrench over the blade. Start at the top of the bend, and squeeze the wrench into the blade, slide down a bit, repeat. Make small adjustments.

[gatsby]

My BF's have done that too but my Vniti's are okay. I just bend them back whenever I need to.

[erooMynohtnA]

Are we talking epee or foil? Are there any visible differences between the BFs that are doing it and previous ones, perhaps in the blade profile?

[Cookeit]

Odd this should come up.

The one BF foil I have ever had got a side bend 2 weeks ago at a tourney.
While I was trying to fix it, it snapped...

I normally use Vniti's and that is the first time I have ever seen a blade get a side bend like that.

[yearsofwisdom]

yeah my vnitis get side bends at times too from a bad touch but they usually stay straight. the one i had in my BF was permanent through its 2 month life span..

[downunder]

Are we talking epee or foil? Are there any visible differences between the BFs that are doing it and previous ones, perhaps in the blade profile?

I've personally only seen it in the foil ones - but I do coach at primarily a foil club.

[gatsby]

I was talking about foil. My clubmates BF's seem to be doing that too. Has there been a recent change in the blade-making process that makes them prone to sideways bends? Either way, they still feel great. Just a bit of a hassle to use sometimes.

[fencerbill]

Sideways bends are harder to correct than up/down bends. Almost as bad as up/down bends in Sabre blades. If you can really correct sideways bends near the tip of a Foil by running it under your foot, try turning water into wine next.

I remain an advocate of using a substantial vise and a plumbers wrench. Have used it on sideways bends on Foil blades, up/down bends on Sabre blades and even sideways bends on Epee blades.

[tat668]

I use a hard wood block with a 1/4" deep saw line on the surface as an anvil to do minor straightening on the thin end of blades.

Clamp the wooden block in a shop vise, place the bent side of the blade near one end, tilt the blade up towards the direction you want the blade to correct and use a wooden mallet or weighted leather mallet to tap the blade at the bend pushing the blade onto the block. I have a lead mallet for the ones that needs more convincing. Go slow and increase the angle and strength of the strike slowly. Do not use a steel hammer, it will fracture the metal surface and cause it to break when stressed.

TCA site mentioned that BF was sold last year and they are evaluating the quality control of the new BF owner.

[antonsilver]

Had the problem with a fie N epee blade that it kept bending to the right.

When I examined the blades cross-section it seemed like the right V arm was a bit thicker than the left, having the effect that the blade bends a bit better to the right than to the left. (but unfortunately it also makes it more difficult to straiten it again)

Thought it was a accidental bad blade, but on both my newly bought viniti and LP blade the right leg of the V is longer than the left... So maybe it is part of the design?

[passata_sotto]

Armorers fix side bends with a box end wrench or the hanging loop of a c-wrench. Slide the wrench over the blade. Start at the top of the bend, and squeeze the wrench into the blade, slide down a bit, repeat. Make small adjustments.

This is the way that Gary (swordmasters) told me to fix my son's as well.

Its funny though that the thread started out about a sideways bent BF and the last three BFs we have purchased have had the same problem and we have never had this problem before...