how to...

[glowstix]

can you even turn a non insulated grip into an insulated one?? is there a special coating for the grip??

[telkanuru]

Some have rubber, but the one I have are just covered in nonconductive metal paint.

[Purple Fencer]

can you even turn a non insulated grip into an insulated one?? is there a special coating for the grip??

A coat of paint will do...the voltage on a fencing circuit is 12 volts, but the actual current is in milliamps...doesn't take a lot to block the signal.

[neevel]

You can tape it over (hockey-stick or racquet grip tape works well), paint it, or use a Plasti-Coat type rubberized coating. The coatings can be bought in either spray cans or dipping-cans, but if you get the dipping-can you'll need to transfer it to a wider container that you could fit a grip into (the standard containers are sized for tool handles).

-Dave

[noodle]

can you even turn a non insulated grip into an insulated one?? is there a special coating for the grip??

just a question
why?

[neevel]

It's actually required by the rules for foil. With older scoring boxes, bringing the metal of the foil (which was a node on the C-line) into contact with your lame would prevent your opponent from registering touches on you. Thus, the extremities of the grip (including the pommel of a French or Italian grip) needed to be insulated.

With current anti-blocking boxes, what happens when the weapon (C-line) is brought into electrical contact with the lame (A-line) is that the weapon becomes part of the valid target. So, it's in your interest to insulate the grip. Furthermore, if you are prone to sweating a lot, your jacked sleeve and glove may become soaked enough to cause an A-C short and allow your opponent to get valid lights on your foil. An insulated grip will prevent this.


-Dave

[noodle]

It's actually required by the rules for foil. With older scoring boxes, bringing the metal of the foil (which was a node on the C-line) into contact with your lame would prevent your opponent from registering touches on you. Thus, the extremities of the grip (including the pommel of a French or Italian grip) needed to be insulated.

With current anti-blocking boxes, what happens when the weapon (C-line) is brought into electrical contact with the lame (A-line) is that the weapon becomes part of the valid target. So, it's in your interest to insulate the grip. Furthermore, if you are prone to sweating a lot, your jacked sleeve and glove may become soaked enough to cause an A-C short and allow your opponent to get valid lights on your foil. An insulated grip will prevent this.


-Dave

i've only had that rule enforced upon me once and it was a year or two ago. i was reasonably certain boxes compensated for that type of thing. but sure enough, its in the rulebook.

[neevel]

Just about any box designed within the last 15 years or so will be anti-blocking. There are, however, a lot of older-design boxes (such as the Leon Paul 2-W and the Prieur 2-W 'club' models) without anti-blocking that you'll still see at tournaments.

With current boxes, you're only hurting your own chances if you don't insulate your grip, so the rule tends not to be enforced.

-Dave

[noodle]

true. which is why i'd never worried about it and hardly seen it enforced. one of those holdover rules that are still around because of ancient gear. it seems like it shouldn't be illegal per se, just something to check for troubleshooting and a fence-at-your-own-risk note (like having an insulated grip on an epee).

speaking of old boxes, i found a pair of ooooold uhlmann scoring sets/lamps/something in our old club stuff. i believe they're only for scoring (not detecting valid touches).
i just found them interesting

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

would varnish work?

[glowstix]

i guess varnish would work if regular spray paint does...but the coloured stuff looks cooler anyway.

[telkanuru]

Um... varnish tends not to stick to metal, unless I'm completely confused.

[o4aversob]

do they even check to see if your grip is insulated at high level competitions? i use big aluminum negrini german visconti's, and i dont wish to mar their beauty with tape or colorful paint.

[SJCFU#2]

At high level competitions the scoring machines are all likely to be current, so you will only hurt yourself by using an uninsulated grip.

[hpfencing]

At high Level events the handle cannot be taped at all.... People have found ways to cheat by doing that.

At local small event like the AC Open (Feburary) in Amarillo, you could get away with it but at high level events like The Crown of Texas Open in June in Amarillo you could not.

Just a little food for thought, I reccomend painting yours it will not effet the looks that much.

[DHCJr]

At high Level events the handle cannot be taped at all.... People have found ways to cheat by doing that.

At local small event like the AC Open (Feburary) in Amarillo, you could get away with it but at high level events like The Crown of Texas Open in June in Amarillo you could not.

Just a little food for thought, I reccomend painting yours it will not effet the looks that much.

If you were talking about Epee, I would agree with you. In Epee they can use it to cheat. By the way, as has been said before, but I will repeat. you could be REQUIRED to tape your handle. It probably not going to happen. As has been said before, it is an obsolete rule, like the 1mm Foil Travel rule.

The thing is, if a referee, were to tell you, you can not tape your handle in Foil, point them to M.13.

If you want to go with a bare handle and I were your opponent, I would be very happy. By the way, on my Foils, the extremities are taped. I need all the help I can get.

[jm_f]

I like the insulated Leon Paul grips which feels like plastic at first but is actually aluminium inside. Is there an off the shelf paint that I can get to achieve that feel or better yet a rubber feel? The normal paint covered aluminium grips tend to be too hard for my liking.

[Inquartata]

There is a product called Plasti-Dip. It comes in a spray-on version as well as a dip-in or paint-on. I have used it on my sabres and it works fine. You'll want to use several coats of the spray-on---the other form is too thick and viscid. It's limited to black or red, though.

[jm_f]

Is it durable enough for a pistol grip? TIA!

[Mergs]

Plasti-Dip will work OK on a pistol grip, if you prepare the surface properly (make sure to RTFD (read the f******* directions) on the can). The problem I found was not so much in actually using the weapon, but storing it in your bag. If you can protect the handles (note: not the Handels) it'll be ok, but the same thing goes for painted handles.

Another way is to find a powder coater and see if they can slip it in with one of their runs (although, you may not have much choice on color).