Fencing.Net - Your Guide to Fencing & Fencing Equipment

Sciurus-Rex · 10-04-2005, 05:24 PM

I've actually considered trying to modify a weapon in the club's armory, for the challenge of doing it. Not for competition, or even fun practice, mind you -- merely an engineering hobby project.

Haven't seen anyone caught at a tourney for tricky gear. Have you?

mrbiggs · 10-04-2005, 05:25 PM

No.

It's really easy to do in epee, but more difficult to do in foil, especially since lamés can't ground to the bellguard anymore.

Mr Epee · 10-04-2005, 05:33 PM

Weasels do not have opposable thumbs.

It is very difficult for them to modify their environment.

D+F+P=Hadouken! · 10-04-2005, 06:04 PM

I've thought about taking a picture of inside a bell guard, with one of the clear pads, and using that picture as a bell pad to hide trick wires..... that'd be really elaborate though.

RebelFencer · 10-04-2005, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D+F+P=Hadouken!

I've thought about taking a picture of inside a bell guard, with one of the clear pads, and using that picture as a bell pad to hide trick wires..... that'd be really elaborate though.

ha, Thanks for the heads up.

KD5MDK · 10-04-2005, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D+F+P=Hadouken!

I've thought about taking a picture of inside a bell guard, with one of the clear pads, and using that picture as a bell pad to hide trick wires..... that'd be really elaborate though.

I don't think it would work, simply because a printout won't look good enough.

I've seen a foil with an accidental button, and on a grounded strip that could get a valid light.

I wonder if there's something you could spray on your lame or cuff or mask in sabre to make it non-conductive after you've passed control.

keith · 10-04-2005, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KD5MDK

I wonder if there's something you could spray on your lame or cuff or mask in sabre to make it non-conductive after you've passed control.

......any of number of things; honey or chocolate syrup spring to mind.

Trouble is once you get a thick enough coating your opponent might notice when you test pre bout.

akaiyuki · 10-04-2005, 07:50 PM

I've heard someone get caught having a button on his sabre in an actual competition... tsk tsk.

Black Jeebus · 10-04-2005, 08:02 PM

You usually dont test the shoulder.

Joe biebel · 10-04-2005, 08:06 PM

What about placing a clear piece of tape on half of your epee tip so that say when you hit on the botom of the opponents guard, it would register valid. During the testing that would surely follow, steer a non-coated part of the tip to the guard. Works every time. My favorite is also for epee. make a pressure switch in the body cord line that would line up with the end of your pistol grip inside the glove. At the appropriate moment squeeze the handle into the switch. Very hard to catch. Don't ask.

keith · 10-04-2005, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe biebel

What about placing a clear piece of tape on half of your epee tip so that say when you hit on the botom of the opponents guard, it would register valid. During the testing that would surely follow, steer a non-coated part of the tip to the guard.

forget tape - try clear nail polish.

Joe biebel · 10-04-2005, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keith

forget tape - try clear nail polish.

A piece of tape you can put on even during the match or remove it with practice. Of course if you were willing to practice the tape or nail polish would not be necessary

D+F+P=Hadouken! · 10-04-2005, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KD5MDK

I don't think it would work, simply because a printout won't look good enough.

I've seen a foil with an accidental button, and on a grounded strip that could get a valid light.

I wonder if there's something you could spray on your lame or cuff or mask in sabre to make it non-conductive after you've passed control.

Spray on glue maybe? This is getting too fun.

glowstix · 10-04-2005, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D+F+P=Hadouken!

I've thought about taking a picture of inside a bell guard, with one of the clear pads, and using that picture as a bell pad to hide trick wires..... that'd be really elaborate though.

cool idea...taking the pic is the easy part. actually making the "trick wire" connection part of the circuit is the hard part..

esskreemr · 10-04-2005, 09:29 PM

Hmmm... sounds to me like the USFA needs to start considering lifetime bans...

jm_f · 10-04-2005, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KD5MDK

I don't think it would work, simply because a printout won't look good enough.

I've seen a foil with an accidental button, and on a grounded strip that could get a valid light.

I wonder if there's something you could spray on your lame or cuff or mask in sabre to make it non-conductive after you've passed control.

Putting a coating on a lame is too hard, instead try putting a switch onto the wire that connects to your lame. So you can "disconnect" your lame at certain points in the bout. This way it appears perfectly fine when tested. Ooops, I think I've said too much, hehehe

mrbiggs · 10-04-2005, 09:51 PM

In epee...

you could make the tip of your thumb conductive. When you're about to get a touch, hit the sockets with your thumb. It won't get a touch every time, but you don't need every time.

Similar trick for foil, make a part of your glove conductive, and touch the sockets while it's being weight tested. Just make sure that you don't ground it out while the ref is pressing down on the weight.

jm_f · 10-04-2005, 10:09 PM

mrbiggs you're a sneaky devil, hehehe. Though I fail to see how this would work in foil? But in epee...

Basquet · 10-04-2005, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrbiggs

No.

It's really easy to do in epee, but more difficult to do in foil, especially since lamés can't ground to the bellguard anymore.

How sure are you that bellguards can't be grounded on the lame anymore ?I saw a demonstration of exactly this a couple of weeks ago. When the attacker's blade is simultaneously in contact with the blade AND the lame of a defender who has his bellguard in contact with his own lame, the attacker's touch fails to register more than half the time. In our area there is one fencer with an unorthodox style who uses a French grip in foil and (probably unwittingly) seems to be capitalizing on this due to his tendency to hold his grip close to the front of his chest when defending. After an attack lands squarely and hard on him, and fails to register, he ripostes successfully, leaving the attacker gasping in disbelief . Has anyone else noticed this problem? Anyone else want to try it and comment?

mrbiggs · 10-04-2005, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Basquet

How sure are you that bellguards can't be grounded on the lame anymore ?I saw a demonstration of exactly this a couple of weeks ago. When the attacker's blade is simultaneously in contact with the blade AND the lame of a defender who has his bellguard in contact with his own lame, the attacker's touch fails to register more than half the time. In our area there is one fencer with an unorthodox style who uses a French grip in foil and (probably unwittingly) seems to be capitalizing on this due to his tendency to hold his grip close to the front of his chest when defending. After an attack lands squarely and hard on him, and fails to register, he ripostes successfully, leaving the attacker gasping in disbelief . Has anyone else noticed this problem? Anyone else want to try it and comment?

It's not worth it to cheat if you have to press a button and your opponent's blade at the same time, I'd say. Especially since grounding out the lamé to the bellguard through a button is pretty difficult anyway.

jm_f, I was saying that if you ground out the sockets, it won't go off-target. Therefore, your tip can be set to 150 g, yet you can still make it pass weight.