I have a foil that was recently rewired. It has a LP GT point. I worked fine for about a week and then just stopped working. If you repeatedly depressed the tip it would light up maybe once in every 5 times. It doesn't matter if you use your finger or touch someone lame.
I cleaned the tip and replaced the spring and grub screws. Worked fine on a test box but again after about three hits the same issue again.
I cleaned it again, worked again and then after about three touches same issue.
Te barrel isn't dented. I'm going to replace the tip next. Could this be caused by something wrong with the brass contact on the wire or the plastic cup it sits in?
LP seems to have an issue with corrosion buildup on the top side of the flange...the screws are in direct contact with it, and over time they get worn down...'course, without actually seeign the parts, it's hard to really diagnose properly.
I prefer Sport 7 although I've not really tried an LP tips. Not recent ones anyways.
Sport 7 just doesn't fail me. I will say you do have to buy lots of grub screws because some just dont fit. Tolerances arent what they should be. But for the most part they are fine.
I started with old German... Germans failed me so much due to grub screws and such that I just cant bring myself to try them again.
I've started using DeoxIT on my points and anywhere else corrosion is a problem. The stuff works. A lot of tip issues have completely vanished since I started using the stuff.
I have never heard of this product before. I will have to check into it, thanks for the tip! Has anyone every tried it on a dead copper lame, or on dead spots?
Just FYI, FF is about the only experienced fencer I know of that swears by French points over German or LP...
__________________
Just another lost soul saved by the (hit) First Church of EPEE!
I have never heard of this product before. I will have to check into it, thanks for the tip! Has anyone every tried it on a dead copper lame, or on dead spots?
Just FYI, FF is about the only experienced fencer I know of that swears by French points over German or LP...
I had 2 LP points. They was ok. Actually I never had any real problems with them. That was 8 years ago. I think I had a G-Pro and a Flickmaster.
MY ex-coach took it and swapped me out with the old, pre-flush screws etc. From then I finally had it with the mashed screws and I got a deal on Sport 7 from someone. From then on I've used them. I think I've had maybe 3 or 4 total in 8 years have some catastrophic failing. I probably have at least 30-40 complete sets of barrels and tips. I just kept buying 10 sets a year from Triplette until I realized that was silly... 4 years ago.
NO problems with SP7s ever..
It may be different for epee. I wouldn't know. But for foil, I like SP7. I don't have any corrosion issues or dirt issues that seem to crop up so much with LP tips. I never had that problem with them but then I clean my tips prior to every tourney. typically with rubbing alcohol and lots of q-tips.
I get so few touches that I can't afford bad armoring losing me anymore.
I took a close look at my LP GT tip today.
The problem was that the tip worked normally during tests, but under bouting conditions it would work normally for a long time and then suddenly a solid on target hit would not register maybe 3 times out of 5. Immediately after it would pass every test you might try with fingers pressing the tip.
And the touches it cost me.....well never mind.
On close examination I see that the spring was plated and some of the plating flaked off and caught in the spring coils. Obviously the flake was just long enough to short the tip out when the circuit should have been opening.
Most of my LP springs do not appear to be plated silver like this one. Nevertheless I will be taking a closer look at my springs in the future.
__________________
"a braggart, a rogue, a villaine that fights by the book of arithmatick. Why the dev'l came you betweene us?.."
...the spring was plated and some of the plating flaked off...just long enough to short the tip out...
In the interim until Ben or Barry P. replies, I experienced the same and Ben is aware. Others have posted regular cleaning recommendations. The latest springs A.K.A. 10K-Hit, do not seem to be demonstrating this propensity. YMMV.
That spring looks so short that I would think it might not actually be an LP, all of mine seem longer than that. I would guess it was a french spring, which I have seen some people put in an LP tip (not a good idea though).
I took a close look at my LP GT tip today.
The problem was that the tip worked normally during tests, but under bouting conditions it would work normally for a long time and then suddenly a solid on target hit would not register maybe 3 times out of 5. Immediately after it would pass every test you might try with fingers pressing the tip.
And the touches it cost me.....well never mind.
On close examination I see that the spring was plated and some of the plating flaked off and caught in the spring coils. Obviously the flake was just long enough to short the tip out when the circuit should have been opening.
Most of my LP springs do not appear to be plated silver like this one. Nevertheless I will be taking a closer look at my springs in the future.
The early versions of the silver plated springs had this issue. I had a set with the exact same issue and usually had to replace them once a week. Supposedly this has been resolved in later versions.
Hi Bill
I received the replacements springs, screws and point you sent. Fantastic service BTW. I'll try them shortly and let you know. I've been injured and on vacation so not fencing again until late next week.
In the interim until Ben or Barry P. replies, I experienced the same and Ben is aware...The latest springs A.K.A. 10K-Hit, do not seem to be demonstrating this propensity.
One of the latest TiN-coated, "FIE09"-stamped points' springs flaked. Older version spring in newer-version point? I notified Ben.