what would your ultimate fencing weapon be?

[Epee Scherma]

My perfect epee will have a lazer sight... Is there anything illegal about that? I want a red dot on my intended target so I can have precise accuracy.

[Zilverzmurfen]

Originally Posted by the reluctant fencer

yeah...titanium-aluminium..ther may be a layer 1 atom thick oftitanium to keep it from oxidizing...it is just a regular aluminium bellguard...with no riveted parts

Possibly. I do not claim to be a metalurgist, and I have not cut them in half to find out.

Regardless of which they're ace; no dents and light enough for me, at least.

[the reluctant fencer]

I have used them...they are those 1 piece ones right? I have used them but they seem basically the same as a regular bellguard. I just thought it was a harder alloy of aluminium. I think the regular bellguards are the standard 3003-h14 alloy of aluminium. That alloy is usen in a lot of different stuff. Race car interiors are made of it. I am building a dash for my car out of 3003-H14 aluminium.
I do know a lot about different metals...mostly aluminium and steel.

[howtobrew]

For Epee? two meter broom stick.

Could be the titanium-aluminum alloy bell guards are Ti-6-4 alloy. It's pretty common. Thing to keep in mind is material availability, unless a material and form are off-the-shelf, it will probably be cost-prohibitive for low volume parts. A titanium-clad piece of aluminum would probably be expensive unless it is the remnant from a large aircraft order or something.

(metallurgist) ;-)

[RITFencing]

Originally Posted by General Sweetpants

My staff of loooooove!

Just watch out for attacks on the blade.

[acaba]

Originally Posted by the reluctant fencer

A bellguard that has the weapon hole repositioned a little higher so that I have a little better coverage on my hand.

I have a friend who has such an extreme sideways cant on his epee that he puts his bellguard on at 90 degrees from normal, so the fat part of the bell is covering his fingers, not his knuckles. Had George K look at it and, despite his general confusion as to why, he couldn't find any rule against it.

So, why don't you just ream out the hole in the bell guard and spin the bell until it covers you hand like you want? You may get some strange looks from others, but if it works for you, go for it.

Aaron

[shlepzig]

Originally Posted by the reluctant fencer

I would like a screwless tip but haven't used any that have withstood any flicks after more than 5-10 bouts of hard use.

Have you tried any screwless tips other than the Zip-Tip. I have used both the Estoc and the Shermasport tips and found them both exceptionally durable. The Estoc is a bit more finnicky, but has the smoothest action of any tip I have used. The Shermasport tip is a rock, maintaining shim through bout after bout after bout and getting smoother and smoother as the barrel wears in.

Originally Posted by the reluctant fencer

yeah...titanium-aluminium..ther may be a layer 1 atom thick of titanium to keep it from oxidizing...it is just a regular aluminium bellguard...with no riveted parts

The Vniti guard I use isn't a regular aluminum guard with no riveted parts. This thing is a tank (A lightweight tank). There is a big difference here, and one well worth the price. I have 4 that have been in hard service for over a year and not a dent on them. In comparison, my regualr aluminum guards usually look like junk after a month or two. I can't say how much titanium or anything else might be in there, but the result is tough.

Just my 2 cents on some of the the ultimate weapon choices out there.

Shlep

[the reluctant fencer]

I've never used a zip tip...just the ones that are french made and the top half is removable. Uses the same springs and wire as a german...it is really smooth (teflon) but the weakness is the nylon nut holding the shaft in. I have pulled so many tips apart from flicking and the point catching on the bellguard and ripping out.
my 1 piece bellguards have something stamped on them and it begins with a "B"...can't tell what the rest of it says. They do dent mut not as easily as those cheap aluminium ones...I think it is just a higher alloy of aluminium with titanium thermo sprayed on...I mean the scrap value of a piece of titanium as heavy as a bellguard is WAYYYYY more than the cheap price that they are selling it for...
Most bellguards are made of 3003-h14 aluminium I believe. The "Titanium" bellguard is probably just 5000 series aluminium.

*edit* the screwless tips I have are chrome plated tips... :-( chrome comes off easily and then the steel rusts... Don't get me wrong...they are VERY smooth because of the teflon BUT they have the little nylon nut...rips out all the time.

[Epee Scherma]

The final parts to my ultimate weapon are arriving this weekend. I must bump this thread all the way back up to share it with you folks.
BF FIE White (2002 year of manufacture) blade, with the seller PBT stamp on the side too.
LP PTFE tip (lubed with radioshack precision oil).
Absolute double insulated wire
PBT guard
LP standard socket
PBT type "A" Hungarian style handle (uninsulated, and filed it myself).
Outside hex nut and lockwasher of course...
My own personal sweet hotness bell pad.

[telkanuru]

BF Blue (bach 210 or similar)
LP PTFE Tip
PBT Wire
PBT Metal core french grip & epee pommel
Whatever socket is cheapest
Vniti one-piece bell guard
Felt pad
A bit of tape for the grip

[Joe biebel]

Mr. Chen, white, #4, FIE blade.
Leon Paul, GT stainless steel foil point.
Large Itallian Viscounti pistol grip, rubber coated.
Vniti, 11.5cm guard
socket, 2-prong, welded in, of my design.
Pad, clear, or translucent.