Fencing.Net - Your Guide to Fencing & Fencing Equipment

Decadence · 03-06-2005, 10:19 AM

Which foil tip and barrel do you favor? ive been having some trouble with both the french and german tips and i was thinking about getting a V2A point to see how that works. price isnt really a factor here as long as i dont need to get a new 20 tip in a week.

CvilleFencer · 03-06-2005, 12:09 PM

Um, this is a horrible survey... How can you mention Estoc without mentioning Negrinni/Schermasport? Where is the Leon Paul option? Why don't we break the French tips down into sport 7, prieur, galaxy or crappy Chinese/Russian knockoff? How about doing the same for German tips? A lot of "German" tips sold in the US are not made in Germany buy Uhlmann/Alstar. If it does not say made in Germany and is a newer puchase it is a knockoff. There are a lot more tip otions, and it gets a lot more complicated that just picking a "country pattern". So many vendors use cheaper imported parts and try to pass them off as the original and there are so many people making differant versions of the same tips (Sport 7 and Prieur for example) that things can vary a great deal.

Anyway, I did not vote as I do not use any of the above options for foil, but just FYI I use Leon Paul GT tips, and I think they are just the cats own a$$.

pgepps · 03-06-2005, 09:12 PM

for foils, I prefer (even taking into account the wide variety of options) French-type tips. I suppose a higher-level competitor than I or anyone in my club would have good reasons for going with the Uhlmann tips, but for my purposes, the math goes like this: Foil tips are just plain *going* to get beaten to death, and you might as well have the less expensive ones that are easier to replace.

Epee tips, OTOH, I prefer Uhlmann. They don't need replaced as often, but it's much more important that they don't degrade in use. Constantly tweaking 'em is a pain.

mrbiggs · 03-06-2005, 09:51 PM

I use German tips because I'm too cheap to get anything fancier, and I hate screwing the French screws into the little holes.

LUDICROUS · 03-07-2005, 12:13 AM

German standard tip here. It's been on the foil for about 3 and a half months now, its bruised, battered and nicked, but it's still working

.

Zara_athlen · 03-08-2005, 06:54 PM

i'm testing out the leon paul ones currently. They seem pretty sweet so far.

Ryne · 03-13-2005, 01:08 PM

I use German only. They break easily, but they're better in my opinion.

***Craig*** · 03-14-2005, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryne

I use German only. They break easily, but they're better in my opinion.

In what way do you feel that they are better if they break easily?

kalivor · 03-14-2005, 01:53 PM

I've been using Uhlmann tips for years, but I test-drove a Negrini screwless tip on Saturday and liked it.

Going to keep on using it a bit, and see how well the performance measures up. I didn't seem to be missing any hits I would normally get with the German tips, though.

And hey! The first time this season I got through a tournament without mashing a screw!

Epee Scherma · 03-14-2005, 02:07 PM

A tip is a tip if you ask me. I don't see the point in buying an expensive screwless one, provided you aren't slamming your weapon on the ground. I can have great luck with any tip, which is why I stay cheap and stick to a french tip. The only way you really can have problems is if you don't check your screws and spring(s) frequently. Does anyone else feel this way about tips?

wpotere · 03-15-2005, 05:36 AM

I'm extremely biased when it comes to equipment as I have visited the Uhlmann factory and met most of the fine folks there. Living in Germany has proved hazardous on my bank account with Uhlmann, but hey, it is tax free!

Anyway, I have used both French and German tips and prefer the German tips as I have yet to break one. I have already broken two French tips. With that, does anyone one think that fencing style might have something to do with what equipment is better for you. Many amours argue with me about German tips and the screws getting smashed and I have yet to have that problem. I think that has to do with fencing style thus causing the individual to look at other options.

So when you ask me what is better, my response is going to be...

"What works for you"?

SJCFU#2 · 03-15-2005, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wpotere

Many amours argue with me about German tips and the screws getting smashed and I have yet to have that problem. I think that has to do with fencing style thus causing the individual to look at other options.

The infrequency with which your tip screws get mashed may be a reflection of your fencing style (along with that of your opponent), however those armorers you have talked with have probably seen a lot more problems involving mashed German screws than French screws. German screws are exposed so they are more vulnerable. Many people would argue that this is one of the few areas where the French tips, with their recessed screw heads, tend to be superior.

Personally I favor German tips for my personal weapons, which are generally better cared for, and French tips for club weapons that students regularly beat to death.

DHCJr · 03-15-2005, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wpotere

"What works for you"?

Very rarely will you see me make a comment on these polls for what brand is best and that is because I and those I learned from agree with you. Each brand has it's advantages and disadvantages.

One suggestion on the proper taping of German tips. It takes 3 pieces of tape, the long one to go up just below the screws, one approximately 1/8" to give extra padding to the screw and the one for the barrel.

There will be some who will just wrap an extra long piece. One it can jam thin hole weights making your weapon fail and it does not give extra protection specifically to the screws.

flyingfencer · 03-15-2005, 01:32 PM

Hmm... I was just looking at some French tips and wires from Fencing Post. Does anyone know what kind of French tips they use?

Thanks,

Purple Fencer · 03-15-2005, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyingfencer

Hmm... I was just looking at some French tips and wires from Fencing Post. Does anyone know what kind of French tips they use?

Thanks,

Those are Sport 7 tips...same ones I sell I think American Fencers sells Prieur, and they're not quite compatible.

darius · 03-15-2005, 02:20 PM

After fencing with them for a while, I believe the Leon Paul tips are superior to the Uhlmann.

The barrel is thicker than the Uhlmann, so even though it dents about the same amount, it does not interfere with the movement of the tip.

The V2-A Uhlmann barrels fixed that problem. However, the screws are still exposed. The LP tips have countersunk screws, which means that you don't have to be so diligent about taping.

I had several problems with previous incarnations, but they have been addressed.

darius

flyingfencer · 03-15-2005, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Purple Fencer

Those are Sport 7 tips...same ones I sell I think American Fencers sells Prieur, and they're not quite compatible.

Thanks, That's what I'm using, and I thought that's what they were based on the pictures.

I've had fairly good luck with them; but with a couple of my blades after a several months of hard use, I've had the barrels seem to get deformed. The tips get hard to depress. I've changed out the tips and springs, but it doesn't resolve the issue--thus I've narrowed the problem to the barrels. Generally, I've been putting in new barrels and rewiring.

Thanks for the information.

Purple Fencer · 03-15-2005, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyingfencer

Thanks, That's what I'm using, and I thought that's what they were based on the pictures.

I've had fairly good luck with them; but with a couple of my blades after a several months of hard use, I've had the barrels seem to get deformed. The tips get hard to depress. I've changed out the tips and springs, but it doesn't resolve the issue--thus I've narrowed the problem to the barrels. Generally, I've been putting in new barrels and rewiring.

Thanks for the information.

That's what's good about Uhlmann barrels....you can get a mandrel and reamer for them...not so fo rthe Sport 7 frenchies (maybe I should look into making some....)

Decadence · 03-15-2005, 04:55 PM

Are the german barrels from the fencing post uhlmann?Are all german barrels uhlmann?

Neil · 03-15-2005, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig

In what way do you feel that they are better if they break easily?

The only problem the Leon Paul tips have is a tendency to give intermittent off target lights. I think this is because dirt breaks the connection between the grub screws and the tip (twisting the tip always fixes this problem temporarily). You can minimise this by cleaning out the tip with a cotton bud every few weeks, but it still happens. Unfortunately this one problem can be pretty annoying, especially if it causes random off target lights that stop the bout.

If it wasn't for this problem, IMO the Leon Paul tips would be as good as or better than the German tips in every way. If Leon Paul tips used a collar to contact the grub screws, similar to the German tips, I wouldn't use anything else. As it is, I use German tips.