Any instances of solid fiberglass core breaking?

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Any instances of solid fiberglass core breaking?

Postby Haardgrim » Sun Jan 18, 2015 5:54 am

How many instances of solid fiberglass core swords breaking their core do you know of? Personally witnessed, not just heard from a friend.

Background: At Sotahuuto, they have banned fiberglass cores because they had one break and splinter badly. I couldn't get more details, so I expect it was a hollow core. I hope to convince them to allow solid-core so we can use our weapons and they can have weapons that don't break (I broke two of their swords over one weekend). Having some numbers on breakage in Belegarth would be helpful.

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Re: Any instances of solid fiberglass core breaking?

Postby Sir Thurat » Sun Jan 18, 2015 5:57 pm

I have only ever seen 3/8" round solid fiberglass break, and that's because I had forgotten to break up the counterweights and created a stress point. When it did break, it broke clean; no crazy splinters.

1/2" round solid will almost never break. Hollow fiberglass (e.g., Bandpole, Kitespar) cores will sometimes break, but I have never seen one break to where the splinters were dangerous. It just ends up really fibrous.
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Re: Any instances of solid fiberglass core breaking?

Postby Dangus » Sun Jan 18, 2015 7:23 pm

Same experience for me. 3/8" will break if pushed too far, but the 1/2" I've never seen break. Flex out, sure, but never snapping.
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Re: Any instances of solid fiberglass core breaking?

Postby Caleidah » Sun Jan 18, 2015 7:25 pm

I broke a 1/2" cored sword on the edge of someone's shield. The core was probably 3 years old.
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Re: Any instances of solid fiberglass core breaking?

Postby Brutus » Mon Jan 19, 2015 8:28 am

I have witnessed exactly one 1/2" round core break. I remember Filth being as surprised as anyone when he broke it. Given how many other swords I've seen over the years, I dismiss this as either a nick in the core where it broke, or just a random fluke. I consider 1/2" round to be virtually immortal. I've seen several 3/8" round break, but even that is really rare.
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Re: Any instances of solid fiberglass core breaking?

Postby Sir Anastasia » Tue Jan 20, 2015 12:55 pm

7+ years of using the 0.5" solid round core as realm loaners, kickstarter prizes, personal gear, and even min. reds. I think with over 300 swords out there (we build about 80 per year)- I have personally witnessed no breaks of the core, nor have heard of any.
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Re: Any instances of solid fiberglass core breaking?

Postby Haardgrim » Mon Jan 26, 2015 2:51 am

Thanks, all, good to know the difference between 3/8" and 1/2". Follow-up question: When the cores did break, how was the break? Did it open open cleanly? Did it splinter? Did the foam/cloth cover contain it?

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Re: Any instances of solid fiberglass core breaking?

Postby Brutus » Mon Jan 26, 2015 10:04 am

The one I saw was right where the handle stopped, and the blade began. It was not a clean break, and in fact didn't completely separate the two pieces. There was a lot of splintering and many of the fiberglass strands connecting the two pieces were still intact. The blade just sort of hung from the handle.
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Re: Any instances of solid fiberglass core breaking?

Postby Sir Anastasia » Mon Jan 26, 2015 12:20 pm

Also with regard to breaks, I have heard you need to be very careful cutting fiberglass so that you don't get it fraying at the ends. I always tape over the cut and do saw work in between the tape edges so the tape supports both of the ends.

I think this type of breakdown event is extremely rare. It is honestly more common for PVC to splinter in ways that could injure people or arrow shafts would be a more likely culprit for scary breaks. Most fiberglass should be stuck in foam with a break...I honestly imagine you just get a floppy sword rather than some sort of death inducing splinter fest.
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Re: Any instances of solid fiberglass core breaking?

Postby Mekoot Gorlock » Tue Jan 27, 2015 11:20 am

With the 3/8s core I broke it splintered. It all stayed encased in the haft padding of the blub I was using, but it was definitely broken.
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Re: Any instances of solid fiberglass core breaking?

Postby Mordekiem » Thu Jan 29, 2015 5:50 pm

I had a red break on me (it hit me in the leg) that I believe had a fiberglass core. Not sure what size and if it was solid or not. But all it did was get floppy. No injury, no core sticking out. If anything the hit was soft because the energy went into the break, not the hit.

I kind of felt sorry for the guy who broke it. He borrowed it from soemone else and it was a relatively new weapon. Though made me feel kind of like a badass.
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