Alchem Fencing Blade Stiffness Testing 314 East 195th St. Euclid, Ohio 44119 (216) 313-8674 alchem@en.com

The stiffness of blades vary greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer, from type to type, and even within a batch of the same type by the same manufacturer. A number of tests have been devised to determine blade stiffness. We prefer the bathroom scale test due to its simplicity.

To conduct this test, slowly press a blade point down on a bathroom scale. Use the palm of the hand to avoid preventing it from flexing. At some point the blade will bend and the weight displayed by the scale will momentarily cease to increase. This is the flex force of the blade. Next grip the tang tightly and slowly press the point down on the bathroom scale carefully countering its tendency to flex. At some point the blade will suddenly bend and the displayed weight will drop. The maximum weight attained prior to the drop is the maximum flex force of the blade.