Whiplash

[Squall_Leonhart]

Exaggerationg when it comes to title, but I just got my BG reg. foil and it's a lot stiffer than the foil that the director of my fencing team uses. What kind of metals make a blade more "whippy"? Do blades "break in"/"soften" over time?
Btw, How does one bend a blade? (i.e. the director is left-handed and I noticed that his blade as a tilt towards the right. Is this good?)

[Thomas]

I can only answer one question. Yes blades will become more flexible over time. I purchased a Leon Paul non electrical epee. And everyone tells me it will becoma "mushy" which worries me.

[neevel]

Blades typically do soften up with use. The flexibility of a particular model of blade is going to be determined by it's cross-section and taper, and the heat-treatment.

As for the cant in your teammate's blade, yes that's part of setting up a weapon. You want the tang to be canted downwards and inwards (to the right for a left-hander). This allows the grip to sit in the contours of the palm, angles the point so it will set on the most common target-sections better, and has affects the overall balance and feel on the weapon. Exactly how much cant is a matter of personal preference, but there are limits in the rules: a foil must be able to fit through a 12-cm diameter, 15-cm deep cylindrical gauge, with the blade parallel to (but not necessarily coaxial with) the axis of the cylinder. You can use the eyeloop of a wrench to put a bend in the tang. If you search on this bulletin board, you'll find some threads that discuss setting bend in blades.

-Dave