Epee Practice Tips

[Corvid]

I just had a quick question about the rubber (or are they plastic?) tips that go on an Epee practice weapon.

Recently, some members at my club have been complaining about the giant ball at the tip of my weapon (I've needed to add a bit of duct tape to keep the rubber tip on, as it doesn't seem to want to stay on on its own). Obviously, especially with Epee, I'm concerned about safety in bouts more than anything else, but I've noticed that the tip on the end of Epee electric weapons is little more than a piece of metal similar to the uncovered tip of my practice Epee.

So my question is: is the rubber tip on my practice Epee really necessary? Or is there something about the electric Epee tips I don't know about that makes them safer than an uncovered tip?

[Pescados666]

You're epee is a practice epee. Their's are electric epee's. Their's have a electric point for a tip. It's different from the uncovered tip of your epee. Don't fence without the rubber tip, that hurts your opponent. If the rubber tip won't stay on, try another one.

[chinbeard]

The metal tips on the electric weapons have smooth edges. I the edges on a practice weapon are generally thinner and sharper around the perimeter. Although it might not puncture the fabric, such edges could cause unnecessary wear. The narrower tip would also distribute the impact over a smaller area, and generally, people don't like that. That being said, the main reason for the rubber tip on epees and foils (and why they're not on sabers) is so that your point will catch the fabric, making it easier to tell if you've landed an attack. If you just took the rubber off, your point would just glide off unless you've hit somebody square on.

It sounds like your problem is that the inside of your tip has worn out. Once this happens, you need another tip. You can get replacement practice tips for really cheap, or maybe if someone in your club is nice enough, they might just give you one.

[Iron Monkey]

You could use real tips on unwired blades, if you so choose. I find that electric blades with real tips have a different feel than dry blades with rubber tips, but that's just personal preference I suppose.

[Corvid]

Thank you for the info everyone. Unofortunately, I've already gone through three different practice tips and none seem to stay on too well. Guess I'll just have to get an electric weapon or make due with duct tape.

[Tomas N]

The trick with the rubber plastic tips is to microwave them before putting them on. This is especially true of the red ones, which are usually harder (and better). If you nuke it (experiment till it gets pliant) and then put it on, it will harden around the protrusions at the end of the practice epee. If it still comes off at that point, then there isn't enough at the end of your epee for the tip to hold onto.

If you ductape the tip on, it's surface area increases, therefore making your hits less hard on your opponents. It's also easier for them to see, so really they have no reason to complain.

Tomas