Legality of a grip

[S. Hunter]

I was wondering if a belgian grip with the third prong sawed off would be tournament legal. I suppose it looks a lot like an old american grip - I consulted my coach and armorer and they said that it is most likely legal but if I want to use it at a tourney I better be able to argue it.

[DHCJr]

T.16 is what you want. You are removing, not attaching something. Another favorite way to modify a Belgium is by shortening the back. It is still removing.

[hpfencing]

So it is legal right, to remove something?

[Barry Paul]

Virtually any handle can be held in different positions than designed for, with the thumb greater than 20 mm from the pad. So my view is still that either you ban all none french handles or you have to leave it to the referee.

On the logic given, I take a gardere handle call it a British handle cut of one of the many protrusion and I have a legal handle?????????????????????????
It is necessary to use what we call in the U.K Logic.

[DHCJr]

No, I wouldn't say that. The Begium is considered legal and you are not adding any attachments to a legal handle, you are removing. Starting with something illegal would change the logic.

Let me give another example. You have two blades, 95cm and 90cm. One is illegal and one is of a legal length. If you were to add length to either of them, they would be illegal. If you were to remove let us say 2cm, one would still be illegal.

[Barry Paul]

Sorry but I cannot find any were in the F.I.E. rules a description of a Beguim handle or pistol grip or crosse grip or a russian handle etc etc. or a gardere. All it says if can be held in a way that the thumb is greater than 20 mm then it is not allowed. I can hold and fence with a normal pistol grip with the thumb greater than 20 mm yet you still say it is legal. It is just not logical.

[oso97]

You're forgetting the part about "and fixed in one position."

Sure you can hold a Belgan by the very end, but your hand is not then fixed in one position