Maraging a stranger in the court of fencing

Maraging a stranger in the court of fencing

Those who practice fencing at least once in their life will have asked themselves the question of why maraging steel is used in the manufacture of blades.
Without too many pretensions, below are some general indications that will help us understand the reasons.
Fencing is a sport that requires the use of specially designed blades for competition.
Maraging steel is a material commonly used in various industrial sectors such as:

• automotive; 
• aerospace; 
• ballistic and armaments;
• machine tools;
• medical, and in many other sectors, including also in the production of fencing blades (swords, foils and sabres). 

Maraging steel is a metal alloy composed primarily of iron, chromium, nickel and molybdenum. It is a high-strength steel alloy that offers an excellent combination of fracture toughness, hardness, corrosion resistance and toughness – the ability to absorb energy and plastically deform before failure.
It is strong enough to withstand blows, yet flexible enough to avoid snapping or splintering; in addition, it is light enough to handle easily and resistant to wear and tear; that is why these characteristics make it an ideal material for the manufacture of fencing blades.
Maraging is a very corrosion resistant material; this means that the fencing blades produced with this material do not deteriorate easily thus guaranteeing a high level of safety in competitions.
Another feature of maraging steel is that it is a material that can be worked easily, that's why fencing blades made from this material can be molded to have a desired shape or design; it can be easily polished in order to have a nice finish (a feature that some BRANDS tend to emphasize also from an aesthetic point of view).
Since it is a corrosion resistant material, fencing blades made from this material do not need constant maintenance.
Summarizing, maraging steel is the ideal material for the manufacture of fencing blades.
The only sore point is the cost which has a significant impact on the pockets of the athletes.