How often do blades break, and what does it cost to keep up?

Blades break, it's a when, not an if. A practice blade under regular use typically lasts six months to two years; competitive teens who fence four days a week might snap a couple a year, while a once-a-week recreational fencer can go years. They almost always break at the moment of a hard, flexed hit, with a distinctive crack everyone in the club recognizes.

Budget-wise, replacement blades cost far less than complete weapons, and rewiring or swapping a blade is a learnable 20-minute job with a wrench and a soldering-free kit, most clubs have someone who'll teach you, and it's the single most money-saving skill in the sport. Keeping a spare assembled weapon is standard practice (and required at many events).

Safety context parents want: a snapped blade is dramatic but the system is designed for it, masks, jackets and plastrons are all rated specifically to stop broken-blade punctures, and the famous safety improvements after the 1980s (maraging steel, higher clothing ratings) targeted exactly this. Standard practice is to stop immediately when a blade breaks; kids learn this fast.

Make blades last longer: don't let them get whippy-bent, store weapons flat or tip-up, wipe rust promptly, and fix a persistent S-curve by gentle re-bending rather than ignoring it, a blade that's been kinked in the same spot is where the next break happens.