Problem with new Leon Paul Epee Point

[spinner]

I have a new wired Leon Paul non FIE epee from Absolute. My daughter and I both use these blades, so I've probably bought about a dozen of them from Absolute. I can't seem to get the tip of this new one properly adjusted. I suspect that the cap (if that's the right term) hasn't been set sufficiently far into the barrel. I've tried different tips, and have done various adjustments to the contact spring, but the weapon fails the shim test unless I screw the contact spring into the tip excessively far which causes other problems. I checked how far the cap is set into the barrel with an LP point setting tool, and it looks to me like the cap should be quite a bit deeper. Should the point setting tool be able to be inserted all the way to its shoulder?

Is this a common problem with prewired blades? I'm not sure if Absolute wires them, or if Absolute gets them prewired from Leopn Paul.

I haven't tried cutting the contact a spring. Is this recommended with LP springs?. I'm assuming my only option is to rewire the blade.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[Mike O]

I had that problem with a BF Blue blade that I ordered from Absolute a couple years ago. I just took a small screwdriver (I don't have the setting tool that you mention) and pushed the contact down into the barrel until it was well seated.

That being said, a few months later when I had to tighten the barrel, it broke one of the wires - I think because seating the point put a bend in the wire.

I'm glad I don't buy wired blades from Absolute any more.

[DangerMouse]

I've had pretty good luck with pre-wired blades from absolute. As with any retailer, if you wire hundreds of blades it's inevitable a few will have issues. However, I'm pretty sure they get their blades wired by LP which is why they come with an LP tip while all the others come with french or german tips.

[erooMynohtnA]

If it's an LP tip with an LP blade, chances are good that LP wired it, and they're one of the few vendors who do a good job.

Absolute does a terrible job wiring blades. I have seen poor wiring job after poor wiring job from them.

[Craig]

Typically a wired LP epee blade with LP epee point is going to be factory wired.

Craig

[LeonPaulUSA]

If anyone has trouble adjusting the contact spring (or with the contact spring staying in place) on an LP epee point, I can email you a data sheet that illustrates how to adjust the contact spring once it locks in to place.

With respect to the OP, it sounds like the spring just isn't locking in to place. Please email me at sales@leonpaulusa.com and I'll solve your problem.

Thanks,

Bill

[spinner]

Thanks, Bill. I just sent you an email. I appreciate how responsive you guys are.

Regards,

Blake

[Mike O]

Thanks, Bill. I just sent you an email. I appreciate how responsive you guys are.

Regards,

Blake

Can I just say that LP USA rocks?! Really cool of Bill to step in to help out here, when the blade was purchased from Absolute.

[K O'N]

Can I just say that LP USA rocks?! Really cool of Bill to step in to help out here, when the blade was purchased from Absolute.

Ditto. We had a problem with some epee blades, and they sorted us right out. Great stuff, worth the money.

K O'N

[geofmclean]

Especially considering that Bill is still at the NAC. I once had a similar situation with another vendor. I had to wait until someone got back to the office and settled in before they could check out my problem.

[fencerchica]

I checked how far the cap is set into the barrel with an LP point setting tool, and it looks to me like the cap should be quite a bit deeper. Should the point setting tool be able to be inserted all the way to its shoulder?

My experience has been that when the contact cup is properly seated, the LP point setter is not capable of being inserted all the way to the shoulder. Offhand from memory I would say that it looks as though it "should" still go in about another 5 millimeters or so. This is a little visually confusing but is actually perfectly correct IMHO.

[spinner]

Interesting. I'll have to compare how far the point setter can be inserted on this problem child epee to another one that I know is fine. I wonder if how far the cap can be set has anything to do with how far the barrel is screwed onto the blade?

[Purple Fencer]

Interesting. I'll have to compare how far the point setter can be inserted on this problem child epee to another one that I know is fine. I wonder if how far the cap can be set has anything to do with how far the barrel is screwed onto the blade?

It might be the problem if the tip of the blade projects up into the barrel. Is the bottom of the barrel wide enough to allow that?

That's one thing I like about the German foil tips...the hole's big enough for the wire, but the tip of the blade cannot project into the barrel.