best way to straighten epee blade without stressing it too much/shortening its life?

[syswei]

My son uses BF blades and they seem to last only 2 months on average. I often see him straightening out his blade in various ways: 1. holding the epee in the air, one hand on the grip and one closer to the tip; 2. against the floor, with his foot; 3. against the floor, without his foot. Which way of straightening/rebending do people think would be best for blade longevity?

And are there any general tips for improving blade longevity? For instance, would it be best to rotate his usage between 3 blades, or just use one blade (not using the 2 spares at all) until the one blade breaks?

Thanks in advance to anyone who might help.

[Natureboy]

If you have BF blades breaking regularly at 2 months of use there may be some issues your son should address.

First is fencing form. If he is constantly hitting in a way to bend his blade (particularly if he is bending the tip UP) he needs to work on form. If he is bending the blade past it's normal bend after nearly every touch, he needs to work on distance. This will help him to bend the blade less frequently. All things being equal, the less a blade is bent past it's memory point the longer it will last. Talk to his coach about his distance and how he is hitting.

Second is how he straightens it. Using the floor and his foot, GENTLY pulling the blade through to gradually return it to the right bend is the best way to do it while out on the strip if the bend isn't too severe. Better is to use a box wrench (around 5/8 size works nicely) put over the blade to carefully concentrate the bending force right where is is needed most; then GRADUALLY return the blade to the right shape. Rotating won't help. It may seem like they last longer, but it's just that the blade is breaking at X number of bouts and by rotating you're taking longer to fence X number of times with a particular blade.

If he is having to straighten his blade after every action his blades will not last long regardless of how he straightens them and no matter how carefully he is straightening them. For comparison I usually get 9-15 months from a BF white blade @ a usage rate of 25-40 bouts a week.

[syswei]

Thanks, Natureboy!

[MyrddinsPrecint]

He could also try another type of blade.

When I switched from sabre to epee, I knew I was going to have distance issues for a while, but I also didn't want to buy super cheap blades. Many recommended Vnitis, and they were perfect for the task-- *very* forgiving as I had to relearn acceptable distance.

[brak]

switch to a less expensive blade for him to use in practice right away, or at least until u solve the problem. i personally like to bend my BF blades by using my foot with the blade against the ground, and do it very gently.

i also recommend, for BF blades, that u do NOT use BF Blue, because the stuff that makes it "blue" actually weakens the blade and the blades tend to break at a faster rate.

[foibles]

switch to a less expensive blade for him to use in practice right away, or at least until u solve the problem. i personally like to bend my BF blades by using my foot with the blade against the ground, and do it very gently.

i also recommend, for BF blades, that u do NOT use BF Blue, because the stuff that makes it "blue" actually weakens the blade and the blades tend to break at a faster rate.

This post consists of inane globules of uninteresting stupid.

Please try harder Brak. We expect a higher quality of troll here at fnet.

[brak]

This post consists of inane globules of uninteresting stupid.

Please try harder Brak. We expect a higher quality of troll here at fnet.

r u serious? how is it trolling?