LP - GT Point Set

[skit]

Have anybody got the experience of using Leon Paul's GT-Point (for foil)? How is it as compare with Allstar or Uhlmann?

[Alex_Paul]

[I am a Paul so I am biassed]

They are much stronger than german points as the barrel thincness is greater. The screws are generally accepted to be the best on themarket and sit flush to help protect the heads. The action is generally thought to be as good or better but they need to be cleaned a bit more regurlaly.

[/I am a Paul so I am biassed]

The new "next gen" FWF points are the same internally as older german points but with a thicker barrel that addresses the screw munching and barrel denting of the old german points. However; the thicker wall has also increaced the outer diameter of the barrel to such an extent that when you put tape on it becomes thicker than the rules allow. Check rule m11.1 and m13.1 regarding point sizes.
The problem with the point base/barrel being illegally large only manifests itself by preventing some weights at competitions from fitting over the point.

This should probably be in the Armory section BTW.

[Blakeian]

GT Tips are good but tend to get a few mystery white lights which are alleviated when the tip is disassembled and then reassembled. Its a minor point but it can be a hassle when you're at a competition. The difference with the German tip assemblies is that the barrel tapers towards the blade more, the screws are bigger and the tip itself is a single piece with no sheath of any kind on it. I believe that Leon Paul identifies this form of tip as being the best.

I currently have one blade that is wired with a Next Gen tip which I am trying out (currently I am in the process of setting it). Like Alex said they've changed the thickness of the barrel so that screws now sit flush when tightened, if you were a fan of the German points before chances are this has gotten rid of their most annoying drawback. I can't vouch for it as of yet but I am sure others on here have used them enough to offer an opinion on them.

I'd say buy one tip assembly and try it out next time you need to rewire a weapon and see how it goes. Its only a small investment and if you find it to be better than what you're using currently then its a bit of a bonus. The one thing with rewiring is that LP wires tend to require a bit more glue because of the cotton.

[Gav]

This should probably be in the Armory section BTW.

Agreed, away with it!

[darius]

There are two ways of thinking:

- If you maintain your tips, the GT tips are better. This means once every few weeks (as phantom white lights start to occur), open them up and clean them out with some alcohol and a cotton swab.

- If you just want to fire and forget, use the FWF tips until the barrel or screws are too mangled to get out. Once the weapon stops working, you'll have to rewire, which takes longer. (Note: I haven't used the wider FWF tips yet; I'm curious to see how they'll do.)

It's up to you whether you prefer prevention or cure.

darius

[remise]

Ok - I can support the Paul's here. Having to repair and deal with foils from young kids and teens, Alex's has a strong reputation for durability and ease of maintenance (but you DO have to clean them out regularly). The FWF barrels are big, and yes, they DO pose a problem with some of the weights in competition. Worse, the FWF barrels are SO big, they tend to throw your point control off.......something that most fencers don't notice until it's too late.

[flyingfencer]

Yes, I would recommend them. I've used them on all of my foils for the last year and a half. I've had blades break, and I'm re-using the same barrel's and points on new weapons.

I've not had any fail, but they do get dirty. If you fence more than twice a week, you'll need to clean them with a que tip and a little alcohol every two weeks. Also, I replace the screws about once every couple of months. The screws can get dented over time where the tip hits them, and I'll conjecture that this can cause intermittent white lights after a while.

Before any competitions I'll replace the screws and springs. Otherwise, they're the best and most reliable point system I've ever used.

[Alex_Paul]

FWIW in an LP point the screws are an integral part of the "switch" that breaks the circuit when you make a hit.

Because it is very tricky to make two materials exactly the same hardness you have to chose one to make a bit softer, in our case the screws. This means that over time the surface of the screw that contacts the inside of the point gradually wears and can cause high resistance.

Often there is no need to actually clean the point and simply replacing the screws fixes the problem. That said, if you have the screws out you may as well give the inside a quick clean as you are half way there!