Epee Socket, just a bit tight on my hand

[peterlista]

I am competing in my first tournament on Sunday and so I finally purchased my electric equipment (epee, of course). After taking the epee apart, changing the cant and all that fun stuff, I put it back together and tried it out.

It seems that the socket is a little tight against my hand (french grip) -- not limiting my finger motions, but defiantly tight. Is it just my big hands, or the cant on my blade, or me just not being used to having the socket on my weapon?

Thanks,
Peter Lista

[foibles]

You can bend the socket away from your hand if you wish.

[K O'N]

I am competing in my first tournament on Sunday and so I finally purchased my electric equipment (epee, of course). After taking the epee apart, changing the cant and all that fun stuff, I put it back together and tried it out.

It seems that the socket is a little tight against my hand (french grip) -- not limiting my finger motions, but defiantly tight. Is it just my big hands, or the cant on my blade, or me just not being used to having the socket on my weapon?

Thanks,
Peter Lista

Depending on how much cant you use, how eccentric the bell is, how big your hand is and how you hold the epee, you may start to run out of room by your knuckles. You are allowed to move the socket around so it's in the big part of the bell, by the back of your hand. Or post, that fixes the whole thing and has other advantages too, eh?

K O'N

[peterlista]

Depending on how much cant you use, how eccentric the bell is, how big your hand is and how you hold the epee, you may start to run out of room by your knuckles. You are allowed to move the socket around so it's in the big part of the bell, by the back of your hand. Or post, that fixes the whole thing and has other advantages too, eh?

K O'N

It might just be a combination of all of these, it wouldn't be a surprise. As for moving the socket, that's not a horrible idea, I may have to try that out.

And yes, I could start pommeling... at some point.

[SJCFU#2]

Just be sure that when you're finished moving it the socket doesn't extend beyond the edge of the bell guard (more likely to be a problem with foil than with epee).

[TBean]

Move the socket. On some of my french grip epees if my thumb is at 12:00, my socket is positioned at almost 6:00. That changes the balance of the weapon as well. I tend not to expose the bottom of my hand so that is an okay socket placement for me.

[JacoKierkegaard]

I either bend mine outward or rotate it to a better position.

And as stated before, posting will make the whole issue moot. Given that I've heard before that the extra reach is the only real advantage gained by choosing a French grip, you should probably be looking into that anyway, so...

[KidLazy]

Move the socket. On some of my french grip epees if my thumb is at 12:00, my socket is positioned at almost 6:00. That changes the balance of the weapon as well. I tend not to expose the bottom of my hand so that is an okay socket placement for me.

This is because you post, he will need to move it up a bit if he doesn't (toward back of the hand).
Flat it out first, then bend just below the socket to fit.

[piste off]

It might just be a combination of all of these, it wouldn't be a surprise. As for moving the socket, that's not a horrible idea, I may have to try that out.

And yes, I could start pommeling... at some point.

Move the socket to the outside of the hand, as opposed to the inside. This is roughly 2 o'clock as opposed to the 8-9 common position.

Most people with large hands do it this way, as do Tagliarol and a number of other top epeeists (who use PGs... those that use french almost all pommel and therefore it does not matter).

BTW - your fencing style should dictate if pommeling is the right way to go.

R-

[damianip]

I pommel and I have the socket on the outside. The wire is out of the way and less likely to be hit.

When it is on the outside, it is wrapped over the outside of my hand and not "floating out in the air.

Paolo