Do you think there´s ever gonna be a new type of grip and that people will ditch either french or pistol grip?
Do you think there´s ever gonna be a new type of grip and that people will ditch either french or pistol grip?
Given the constant mutations that "pistol" grips have undergone over the past several decades how would you recognize such a change if it ever occurred (assuming it hasn't already happened)?
New grips are constantly being designed and put to use, however the general shape of what appears to be the best for most is a pistol grip. So all the improved grips would likely fall into this category. Look at zivkovic, they're constantly coming up with new grip designs that some consider to be far superior to other grips, but they're all pistol grip shaped, and are therefore deemed pistol grip.
Maybe something that bears no resemblance to the shape or contours of the hand... oh wait, that's the Italian grip.
Other than the traditional grips (French and Italian), anything new will likely be considered an ortho (pistol).
But we may see the day when the concept of market customization is applied to fencing grips. Under this scenario, a fencer could have the grip designed specifically for him/her (size, shape of hand etc.).
They are moving to that model with shoes and already do it with ortho inserts (feet), so if production costs could be brought down (i.e. cheap off-shore model) the idea may not be that far-fetched.
Rick
"Some people are born great fencers, some people achieve fencing greatness, and some people have it thrust upon them."
My pet Monkey on an IBM selectric
The term orthopaedic refers to a class of grips not a particualr grip in and of itself.
What people tend to forget is that there are many different orthopaedic grips in existence. There have been many in the past as well. As the structure of the hand hasn't changed for.. well quite some time... then it's quite unlikely that any new grip will be significantly new or different.
Perhaps the biggest changes will arrive in terms of materials (see the CF grip) or production.
Last edited by Gav; 01-20-2008 at 09:23 AM.
Admantium sword, kind of like Wolverine. It just comes directly out of the sword arm!
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One type of grip that I always thought would be interesting would be a grip that had a aluminum or hard plastic base, then a similar material to that which mouthguards are made of covering it. It could then be formed to fit one's fingers exactly (or very close).
Cross me and you'll find that under this playful boyish exterior beats the heart of a ruthless sadistic maniac. ~Blackadder
http://fencingblog.wordpress.com
"When Fascism comes to America, it will come wrapped in the flag and bearing a cross."
I should have been more detailed in my post. Actually, that's pretty much what we used to do. I don't remember all the ingredients we used and all the details of the process (it was 30 years ago), but we started with a making a mold by warming a piece of wax and holding it with fencing glove on; then making a form out of something like clay or plaster around the mold, then heating it to stiffen, and to melt out the wax, then pouring in the metal. Problem with the process was that it was expensive, required specialized materials and equipment, and wasn't very healthy (I think the mix of metals we used contained lead, though I'm not 100% sure). Russian grip came out of this as "alternative" approach that didn't require any equipment other than vise and file.
Cross me and you'll find that under this playful boyish exterior beats the heart of a ruthless sadistic maniac. ~Blackadder
http://fencingblog.wordpress.com
Have a metal plate installed onto the palm of your hand. Have a threaded female connector on that plate and just screw the blade directly into your hand! The perfect fit!
Okay, you asked for it.
I used to work for a neurosurgeon.
We made a device that put your head in the right position for procedures that took multiple treatments. Every day, your skull had to be put in the right position within a mm or so. BTW, your brain doesn't move much relative to your skull.
So.
We had an aluminum bracket that mated to an aluminum block. The bracket was attached to the table the procedure was performed on. A new patient was taken into a room, given a local anesthetic, two small X-shaped skin incisions were made.
Don't continue reading if you are squeamish
We used a hand drill. It's made by Fiskars. Drill two holes in the skull. Insert two threaded inserts. They thread left-hand into the skull quite nicely with a plain old slot screwdriver. Then take a CT scan. The two holes marked the position of the skull. The procedure was planned using the inserts as reference marks.
On treatment days, sit down, screw the block to the inserts. Lie down on the table. Screw the block to the bracket. Voila. Skull within a mm or so of where it was supposed to be, day in, day out.
Actually works pretty well.
Yep, we screwed you to the table.
We now return to our regularly scheduled thread.
...brtech, you just made my day.
How about a grip that you insert your hand into instead of wrapping your hand around it? No idea how it would be done but I've never heard of one.![]()
Fail until you succeed!
Ka-riposte back atcha Purple!
Disgruntled Employee of the Month.