Hanwei Longsword Foil, points that need be improved
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:46 pm
Ok, since Roger N. collects reports on failures of these I am posting this here to be discussed:
After a year of use one of my Hanwei Longsword Foils finally failed. However, I am the one to blame since I believe in that one year of use the foil has taken a lot of punishment from all possible angles etc. and hence simple material failure can be ruled out. Overhardened blades will snap on the first major stress you subject them to, and not after you have had to bend them back to true manually a few dozen times after thrusts - which I did. That said, obviously there was some wear and tear involved in the failure but I believe improper usage to have been the main factor: I hit the other fencer's weapon's schildt full force, edge on edge. Actually, this was the first time that I let myself get carried away and threw a cut that I was not completely sure of, the other fencer did manage to parry badly, blade broke. Serves me right, will not happen again.
The stretch that most of the documented breaks happened at has the blade barely 1.5mm thick and <20mm wide, it is only logical that this area can not stand up to the sheer beef of the schildt, especially with that edge that barely reaches 2mm there.
So, from my viewpoint the Foil may be improved by:
-schildt: no "hooks", stay true to the original and make the shoulders of the schildt straight and rounded with an edge of >5mm. People tend to abuse the hooked schildt (Pushing up into Kron needlessly out of despair etc.).
-edge of schildt: decrease width of schildt by 3mm on both sides, take the material to increase the edge to a rounded >5mm. I did grind of some 2mm on both sides on mine (along with the "hooks") to get a 3+mm rounded edge.
-increase radius at tang root.
-increase tang thickness as a whole and throughout (2mm added to width and 1mm to height should suffice). Very important imo. We have had to bend them back to true regularly after disarms etc.
-increase thread length at tang and at nut + bigger nut as a whole. As is, the construction looks just flimsy.
-blade, handle and cross lengths are good, DO NOT shorten! Should they ever shorten it as some ignorant people have asked for we will loose the only of the shelve sword not made for midgets.
-switch material to 9260 spring steel. May increase price but will definately increase durabilty compared to 1060 or 1090 steels.
Cheers, H.
After a year of use one of my Hanwei Longsword Foils finally failed. However, I am the one to blame since I believe in that one year of use the foil has taken a lot of punishment from all possible angles etc. and hence simple material failure can be ruled out. Overhardened blades will snap on the first major stress you subject them to, and not after you have had to bend them back to true manually a few dozen times after thrusts - which I did. That said, obviously there was some wear and tear involved in the failure but I believe improper usage to have been the main factor: I hit the other fencer's weapon's schildt full force, edge on edge. Actually, this was the first time that I let myself get carried away and threw a cut that I was not completely sure of, the other fencer did manage to parry badly, blade broke. Serves me right, will not happen again.
The stretch that most of the documented breaks happened at has the blade barely 1.5mm thick and <20mm wide, it is only logical that this area can not stand up to the sheer beef of the schildt, especially with that edge that barely reaches 2mm there.
So, from my viewpoint the Foil may be improved by:
-schildt: no "hooks", stay true to the original and make the shoulders of the schildt straight and rounded with an edge of >5mm. People tend to abuse the hooked schildt (Pushing up into Kron needlessly out of despair etc.).
-edge of schildt: decrease width of schildt by 3mm on both sides, take the material to increase the edge to a rounded >5mm. I did grind of some 2mm on both sides on mine (along with the "hooks") to get a 3+mm rounded edge.
-increase radius at tang root.
-increase tang thickness as a whole and throughout (2mm added to width and 1mm to height should suffice). Very important imo. We have had to bend them back to true regularly after disarms etc.
-increase thread length at tang and at nut + bigger nut as a whole. As is, the construction looks just flimsy.
-blade, handle and cross lengths are good, DO NOT shorten! Should they ever shorten it as some ignorant people have asked for we will loose the only of the shelve sword not made for midgets.
-switch material to 9260 spring steel. May increase price but will definately increase durabilty compared to 1060 or 1090 steels.
Cheers, H.