Epee Tip Interchangability Issue

[jjefferies]

If this has already been covered in a previous thread kindly point me to that thread.
In my experience epee tips have been essentially interchangeable. Ok, so the german ones were maybe tighter tolerances and harder material, the french plated theirs which tended to wear off etc. But you could switch between them. I've had a pair of new tips (standard screw variety) in my parts box bought at last summer's nationals. This week I was refurbishing a blade and found that the old base had split (perhaps it had been screwed in too tight but it had a crack at the base). So I tried one of the two brand new spares bases. Mounted the base, wired the whole thing up and the old tip plunger did not fit. Started checking and none of my Uhlmann or even my old Prieur plungers would fit. Checked the one tip that was in the parts box and found it would fit either of the two new bases. So I used it. The difference is that the base and tip are just a .001 mm smaller than the standard tips. Very vaguely I remember the name "Sports 7" as a brand name. But I would be hard pressed to say this was the manufacturer. But usually I stick with Uhlmann's but may have picked these up as a sort of I'll try them thing. But it means that I now have two different sized tips in my collection of weapons which could be a problem. Fortunately the blade is one that I use for daily bouting and not tournament play so any problems will be recoverable. But has there been any issue with different sizes in the standard epee screw type tips?

[Purple Fencer]

If it was a Sport 7 tip, that may be the problem in and of itself...sometimes their own tips do not fit in their own barrels!!

The major manufacturers ARE compatble, as you said, but sometimes you run into sloppy manufacturing.

[DHCJr]

Uhlmann's were actually the ones that had problem flaking.

The one caveat is Leon Paul. This could be a Leon Paul tip. Usually they are compatable with the barrels. Screws are another matter. Leon Paul screws are a favorite among Armorers as they will work in tips that are slightly stripped out, but if you use them you can't go back to German or French.

[remise]

Do the Uhlmann's still have that problem? If so, what part flakes? The spring? Or the tip itself?

[yeoldearmourer]

It was the tip itself that flake off and the problem I belive it been fix.

[DHCJr]

As Tim said, it has been fixed. That was a few years ago. It was also some of the barrels.

The history behind it was Uhlmann sub-contracted the making of the parts and they came back out of spec. Uhlmann rejected them and asked that they be replaced. Instead of making new ones, they just plated the out-of-spec ones. Uhlmann is not using them as a sub-contrator.