Slippery Grip

[jspierre]

I've got a grip I love but it's too slippery. When I take a strong 6, my control fingers slip off sometimes. The fingers of my glove are also worn smooth.

I noticed that some of the Ulhman grips seem sand-blasted. Anybody have any ideas how to achieve this same level of resistance?

[Gav]

Wrap some tap around it? How about some of that fabric Elastoplast that some on a reel. It's really sticky (so it shouldn't just fall off) and cos it's fabris it will give good grip.

Tapes probably easier - you've probably got loads lying around.

[Mr. Foilist]

Just go to an athletic store and hockey tape. You can also use Johnson and Johnson's cotton medical tape. Just make sure that the tape isn't made of slick nylon it won't do anything.

[Prometheus]

Tape can get ratty really quickly. I have found it also tends to leave some adhesive residue on my glove. I have found that a little roughening with some fine grain sandpaper does wonders.

[damianip]

It might be the glove. My Uhlmann glove gets slick pretty quickly. I've stopped using it for épée.

My Prieur leather épée glove actually gets "grippier" as my hand sweats.

The new Uhlmann and Allstar gloves now come in a "grippy" version.

Paolo

[D'Artagnan1673]

First question, what style of grip are you using? Is it pistol or french?

Paolo, I've found the same problem with my Uhlmann glove. It is way too slippery to use in epee. When I put tennis racket tape on my french grips that amplifies the problem. I have a santelli leather glove that also grips fantastic wet or dry. By the way, have you ever used the Santelli leather? Which is more durable? I live in a very humid area with no air in my salle'. My current glove is 1 month old and already showing severe signs of wear in the fingers. I've considered the Prieur but couldn't get much of a recommendation out of AmFence.

[veeco]

Just a reminder that it's forbidden in the rules to put any kind of tape on a pistol grip.

[Stryder]

I'd like to see that rule, Veeco. Do you know what page or rule number it is under?

[It]

[quote]Originally posted by veeco:
<strong>Just a reminder that it's forbidden in the rules to put any kind of tape on a pistol grip.</strong><hr></blockquote>


Uh........No

[AndrewH]

Veeco's right. The idea is that you can't put anything over your grip that could conceal switches, buttons, etc that might ACCIDENTLY of course been able to set off your light. Oh my, how did THAT get there? I must have bought it like that.....

[jspierre]

Has anyone used one of the new tacky gloves? Do they make a difference?

[damianip]

[quote]Originally posted by D'Artagnan1673:
<strong>First question, what style of grip are you using? Is it pistol or french?

Paolo, I've found the same problem with my Uhlmann glove. It is way too slippery to use in epee. When I put tennis racket tape on my french grips that amplifies the problem. I have a santelli leather glove that also grips fantastic wet or dry. By the way, have you ever used the Santelli leather? Which is more durable? I live in a very humid area with no air in my salle'. My current glove is 1 month old and already showing severe signs of wear in the fingers. I've considered the Prieur but couldn't get much of a recommendation out of AmFence.</strong><hr></blockquote>

I haven't used the Santelli glove. My other leather glove is a Triplette glove (G-7671) which is cheap, very comfortable and grippy but too bulky for épée.

The durability of the glove should improve if you air it thoroughly after each use. Don't leave it in your bag overnight.

The Prieur glove is pricey, it doesn't have a velcro closure (it has a slit), and the elastic cuff is not to everone's liking.

That said, I really like mine. The glove holds up well except near the wrist where I get abrasion due to the knurling on Negrini pommels. Once it wears through I sew a leather patch on it (this one hasn't worn through yet).

As a next glove I may go with the Estoc epee glove which has nice leather also but has a bit more finger padding (the Prieur is minimal) and a normal closure. We'll see; I'm rather particular about my glove and don't like to change it.

Paolo

[ 05-08-2002: Message edited by: damianip ]</p>

[neevel]

[quote]Originally posted by AndrewH:
<strong>Veeco's right. The idea is that you can't put anything over your grip that could conceal switches, buttons, etc that might ACCIDENTLY of course been able to set off your light. Oh my, how did THAT get there? I must have bought it like that.....</strong><hr></blockquote>

Veeco's right for epee (funny that, him being an epee guy), but not for foil. You can put tape on foil grips.

You could try roughing the grip you have up with coarse sandpaper. Filing a cross-hatch pattern under the thumb (like on Negrini grips) might also help.

For foil, instead of tape, a more permanent solution is to coat the grip with Plasti-Dip or the like. The dipping cans are usually too narrow to fit a whole pistol grip into, so you either have to transfer it to a wider container, or else buy the spray-can version.

-Dave

[Inquartata]

Or get some Shoe Goo, the stuff you use to repair athletic shoe soles. Comes in a tube. Wet your fingers in water and you can mold the stuff into exactly the shape and thickness you want, and it's more durable than the spray-on PlastiDip. It's not as rough and grippy as sharkskin or anything, but once it dries it's not that slick. Insulative, too.

[D'Artagnan1673]

Oh trust me, I let that glove air out every time I use it. To add to our club's wonderful air system, I naturally sweat more than most people. (I am sure that this post is going to get locked now that I've gone to talking about my sweat.)

Estoc eh? Hm... we have an Estoc vendor in Lafayette, just 3 hours away. I guess one day I could make a field trip over there and check out their epee glove.

Go to Wal Mart and look for the Wilson Air Cushion tennis wrap. That wrap is the most superior and will give an unbeatable feel on a french grip w/ leather glove. However, with an Ulhmann glove is not a good idea. The textures just don't mix. I have generally used Prieur rubber grips on my epees. My new epee, an Ulhmann FIE Ultra, had a very thin grip that gave my hand a lot of pain holding. I put two layers of the wrap to "fatten" it up to the size of my Prieur grips. I considered switching the grips but to my dismay, the Prieur is slighlty longer meaning that the pommel probably won't screw on. Why can't everything be 100% universal? I still think that the best feeling French grip is the Allstar rubber. Its much better than the Uhlmann plastic or whatever it is. Next would be a tie between Prieur rubber and TCA Leather. I've never tried any other besides the TCA plastic. In one word, awful. The TCA plastic is the worst grip ever designed, period.

[Inquartata]

[quote]Originally posted by D'Artagnan1673:
<strong>To add to our club's wonderful air system, I naturally sweat more than most people. (I am sure that this post is going to get locked now that I've gone to talking about my sweat.)

</strong><hr></blockquote>


LOL, that does seem to be the pattern, doesn't it?

[D'Artagnan1673]

[damianip]

[quote]Originally posted by D'Artagnan1673:
<strong>
Estoc eh? Hm... we have an Estoc vendor in Lafayette, just 3 hours away. I guess one day I could make a field trip over there and check out their epee glove.
</strong><hr></blockquote>

That would be Swordmasters? There's another Estoc dealer in the US?

[quote]<strong>
&lt;snip!&gt;

I still think that the best feeling French grip is the Allstar rubber. Its much better than the Uhlmann plastic or whatever it is. Next would be a tie between Prieur rubber and TCA Leather. I've never tried any other besides the TCA plastic. In one word, awful. The TCA plastic is the worst grip ever designed, period.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Try the Schermasport grips from Negrini. I love 'em. Beats all other French grips.


Paolo

[ 05-09-2002: Message edited by: damianip ]</p>

[D'Artagnan1673]

IS that the "moulded French Grip in rubber covered aluminum" That is under the SCHERMASPORT page?

I remember Blade selling a $50.00 Negrini French grip that was supposted to be the best in the world. I emailed them about it and was told that they no longer carry them.

[suregrip]

My son fences foil with a french grip and uses medical tape...the kind for ostomies. It is very strong on the sticky side, and extremely rough on the outside. The sticky-stuff or "glue" does not run or come off because it was designed for ostomies. He wraps certain key fingers with it, slides his hand in his glove, and viola!

I don't know if the tape has anything to do with it or not, but I've had certain other fencers say that he has an iron wrist. Maybe it's just from practice, but I figured you may want to try it.