Question about foil blades.

[Morion]

I've been fencing for about 6 months now and have accuired most of my basic gear including an electric foil with a french grip. One problem I have encountered is that the Arizona summers can get rather humid and my blade is rusting. What would be the best way to clean the blade? I do take care BTW to make sure the blade doesn't come in contact with my sweaty whites.

I was also wondering about getting a replacement blade and a repair kit to keep on hand just in case. Can any of you recommend suppliers and manufacturers of such equipment? In the case of the repair kit are there any specific makes and models that stand out as being superior? I don't need master grade equipment but long years of dinking around with my old project car have taught me that cheap tools are never a bargain.

Thanks for your ideas!

[CvilleFencer]

Good news and bad news. As a general rule the cheaper blades are going to rust. Some of them, like the fleche seem to rust just by existing. You do not really have to do anything for them to tarnish.

However, if you buy any of the "colored" blades by Priuer (now selling as the revived France Lames), StM, Uhlmann, Triplette, Vniti, the Blue Gauntlet SG, or the Physical Chess competition series, you will never have to worry about them rusting... at least until you fence all the finish off. I tend to think the finish on the Vniti, StM, and the BF stuff holds up the longest. Of course you could just invest in a good Maraging blade. The very low content of the metal makes them almost stainless, and while they will dull with time you really have to abuse them to get them to actually rust.

As to the tool kit I like to make my own, but if you want a prepackaged one Blue Gauntlet (I have had bad experiences with them) and Uhlmann as sold by Fechtsport Lagenkampf make tool kits. I think American Fencing and PBT offer them to. Also you might check out Leon Paul. If they make one it would probably be a good one.

As a general rule the prepackaged kits are geared towards one type of weapon. The Uhlmann kit works best on German points and sockets for example.

Hope all of that was some help! Good luck.

[neevel]

Just use a green scotch-brite pad to clean off any surface rust as it crops up.

You should definitely order spare springs and screws for your foil. Since different vendors sell different "French" and "German" points, and they're not all cross-compatible you're best off just ordering spare parts from the same vendor that you got your weapon from.

Blades are as much a matter personal preference for stiffness, balance, and general "feel" as durability. Once you're certain you will be active in the sport for a while, it is unquestionably worth it to buy maraging blades-- the enhanced durability will more than pay for the purchase price, and the nickel content in maraging steel makes them very resistant to rust.

Go take a look at the thread over in the armory section about recommended tool kit. Just make a list from that and head to a hardware store to pick up what you don't already have. Spare point parts and a handful of specialty tools (point setters, rounding mandrels for fixing dented barrels, test weights, etc.) are the only items you'll need to get from a fencing vendor. An ohmmeter is preferable to an LED test box for checking weapons. An inexpensive analog meter is fine. Stackable bananna-plug leads and removable alligator clips are the best sort of lead.

-Dave

[Cerian]

I found a rather nice thing for removing rust at American Fencing Supply. It's a 'corrosion removal block'. Pretty much just a block of grit. It's somewhere on this page: http://www.amfence.com/html/tools.html

Cheap blades and living in the fog belt of SF can result in quite a bit of rust.

[mfp]

Originally posted by Cerian
I found a rather nice thing for removing rust at American Fencing Supply. It's a 'corrosion removal block'. Pretty much just a block of grit.

There's no need to buy a 'corrosion removal block' from AFS. As neevel pointed out, such things can be found at most any hardware store (and often cheaper).

[I've even seen polishing stones in Germany with Uhlmann stickers on them for those folks unfamiliar with hardware stores or with extra money to spend. I wonder if anyone ever picks one up and asks if they have it in Allstar ]

[Cerian]

I know you can buy them elsewhere. I just know there was a reference to them at AMfence and I couldn't find an example of them elsewhere online.

[j4gg3d3dg399]

yes soft brite pads work great (but do not get all just most)

[neevel]

The "ultimate weapon" for cleaning off rust from
a blade is a wire wheel on a bench grinder-- it'll clear everything away. Be sure to wear eye protection, of course.

-Dave

[three_hundred_fifty_five]

Originally posted by neevel
The "ultimate weapon" for cleaning off rust from
a blade is a wire wheel on a bench grinder-- it'll clear everything away. Be sure to wear eye protection, of course.

-Dave

Then, switch the wire wheel with a grinding wheel to get the point sharp. Then, finish it off with a sharpening stone by hand. It'll clear everyone away. Literally.

[Morion]

Thanks for the ideas, although I think I'll pass on the "sharpening the blade" concept! The problem I currently have is that the coach of my school helps support the school by ordering all of our equipment for us. I really don't know where my foil came from or who manufactured it. Is there anyway to find out who the maker is so I can figure out what specs to look for in a replacement? It would be nice to get the right threads for instance.

I could also use some reccomendations for suppliers. Preferably in the U.S. who have online catalogs.

Thanks again!