fencing foils

Joined
Aug 15, 1999
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anybody know what type of steel fencing foil, epee, and sabre are made from? Heat treating spec's? or any other info?
I know its cheaper and easier to buy them , but I still would not mind trying to make a couple.
 
It is some sort of spring steel, heat treated (careful use of heat to straighten serious bends in the blade). The higher quality blades are called Maraging blades and apparently are a type of damascus.
I would use 5160, but maybe 4130 would be better?
 
Well that's very interesting... I was told by a fencing instructor (which doesn't mean it's true or anything) that a maraging blade was simply heat treated/tempered to break flat when overstressed, versus a uneven break which can potentially occur with you're typical foil/epee/sabre. I clusily stepped into a thrust of my opponent's one time and the other guy's foil broke at a bad angle. Fortunately I wasn't too badly off balance so I quickly shifted to the side and avoided thoroughly impaling my shoulder, though it did penetrate my jacket nicely. The instructor said he had seen a guy get seriously skewered once on a bad break, which was what consequently brought up the maraging blade conversation. I'd really like to know exactly what a maraging blade is supposed to be now.
 
"Maraging" steel is a specific kind of high chromium steel, approximately 36% chromium. Also used in golf clubs. Is used this way to due purportedly high resiliency (and in foils) less breakage.

To my knowledge, all commercially produced foils in the world are drop forged. I have never heard of one being hand forged - but obviously, it was done this way at one time.

A new book has just been published "By the Sword" - Richard Cohen. I haven't read it, but is supposed to be comprehensive and readable. Don't know if there is any steel info there.
 
Nobdy,
Good time for a Kevlar jacket. Our armorer is thinking about making us all change to all FIE gear. He was one of the first graduates of USFA's armorer's college and he told us there have been a couple of instances of guys being injured by flicks when the tip of the blade(with the flat electric tip, mind you)penetrated their jacket. Apparently a flick generated 16 times the force of a straight thrust! Maybe that's one reason USFA is moving towards making flicking obsolete.
Hagar-
On the steel- I'd call some places that sell blades and ask them. There is bound to be someone who knows. I'll email Maestro Beguinet and see if he knows.
 
Nobdy,
Good time for a Kevlar jacket. Our armorer is thinking about making us all change to all FIE gear. He was one of the first graduates of USFA's armorer's college and he told us there have been a couple of instances of guys being injured by flicks when the tip of the blade(with the flat electric tip, mind you)penetrated their jacket. Apparently a flick generated 16 times the force of a straight thrust! Maybe that's one reason USFA is moving towards making flicking obsolete.
Hagar-
On the steel- I'd call some places that sell blades and ask them. There is bound to be someone who knows. I'll email Maestro Beguinet and see if he knows.
 
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