Light Foil for My Son

[DangerMouse]

Thank you for the info on the blade length. I promise to be a good student, I enjoy learning new crafts and working with my hands. One question is why I would buy a non-wired blade if I can buy it wired for an additional $15? I assume you would only re-wire a used blade and try to buy them new already wired.

Mostly because none of the vendors do a very good job wiring. Most blades I have bought wired blade needed to be rewired within a couple months. By comparison, when I wire my own I rarely need to rewire them unless there is a problem with the barrel.

[farallongroup]

I recomend this blade with this point. Excellent weight to durability ratio in my experience. And unless your son is tall and strong for his age I would recommend #2, which most probably will help him fence better, compared to a size 5.

I'm going to get a blade on order today, I know you recommended a #2 and I noticed they have a #4. He is small in height and fences against kids that are all much taller than him. I think the coaches thought is not to up up too much in reach, but I know he has trouble on his parry with experienced taller fencers. The foil looks heavy on him, so do I go right for the #2 or try a #4?

[damianip]

Once you become adept at wiring, I believe you will avoid pre-wired blades.

Paolo

[Mergs]

A German wire. Although you have to scrape and beat them first (they like it). French wires will work, but only after you threaten them with invasion and deportation to 'work centers', and then only for 34 hours a week with multiple smoke and wine (and whine) breaks, every hour.

Kidding aside, it is a good idea not to mix types of parts. If you are using a german tip, then use german springs and wires. The scraping bit is valid too as they cover the wire with varnish (don't ask why!) which needs to be removed so they'll work.

[fencerchica]

I'm a little idiosyncratic... I use FWF brand German epee points, keeping consistent with all the parts being FWF German EXCEPT for the wire. I find German epee wires to be excessively delicate and much prefer Leon Paul epee wires. I've never had any problems with mixing LP wires (and contact cups) with otherwise German epee components. I feel the same way about foil wires, preferring LP wires over any of the other brands, but I also used LP points on my foils, so there was no mixing required.

[SJCFU#2]

I feel the same way about foil wires, preferring LP wires over any of the other brands, but I also used LP points on my foils, so there was no mixing required.

Which is probably good - foil wires tend to be much less accommodating than epee wires when it comes to mixing and matching parts from different brands.

And while I also prefer German points I still prefer to use non-German wires with their epee tips (I simply don't like that raised "volcano" rim around the contacts on German epee wires - the FIE epee tips for which they were designed are long gone).

[shlepzig]

I want to second the use of the #2 blade. LP has some lightish blades in various sizes.

Aside from the tip, there is also the tape to consider. A sloppy taping job can change the behavior of the blade considerably. Adding new tape without completely removing old tape can also add up. Most experienced foilists know how to do a tidy tape job and don't think much of it.

[farallongroup]

Will this LP wire work with any German point?

http://www.leonpaul.com/acatalog/Com...oint_Wire.html

[SJCFU#2]

Will this LP wire work with any German point?

http://www.leonpaul.com/acatalog/Com...oint_Wire.html

Yes.

The threading at the end of the blade is a standard size so any brand of foil point should work with any brand of foil blade (assuming the threads are properly cut). It's parts of the foil point itself that you don't want to mix.

[farallongroup]

How is the wire attached to the brass cup that goes inside the barrel? Soldered?

[Joe biebel]

I am a "petite" adult fencer that uses a variety of blade lengths. The practice #5 blades your son is probably using, are much less massive than an electric blade. They are smaller in cross section and have a much lighter tip. My students come in all shapes, sizes and ages. If I have youth fencers that need to compete with shorter blades, I still have them train and take lessons with full-sized heavier blades. The only problem in using a short blade IMO is that you will not develop the hand finger strength as quickly, or if you have the strength it can atrophy using "featherweight" blades.

Most of the kids I have that have "graduated" into full-sized blades will use a lighter (smaller) blade for critical matches. the hand speed is worth it the minor loss of reach.

[CDRMark]

This is an excellent, informative thread, but I am amazed no one has yet made reference to the term
"light foil".......

Cheers
Mark

[Nick]

I am amazed no one has yet made reference to the term
"light foil".......

Light Saber for My Son

[SJCFU#2]

How is the wire attached to the brass cup that goes inside the barrel? Soldered?

With German (and French) the wire is soldered to the brass contact, which sits inside a plastic cup that goes inside the barrel as shown here (I'm not sure but I think that Leon Paul may crimp the brass contact on to the end of the wire (similar to how most epee wires are assembled).

I also suggest asking someone who has done it before to help walk you through that first rewiring.

[farallongroup]

I appreciate all the help and am sure I'll have more questions.

[SJCFU#2]

Yes.

The threading at the end of the blade is a standard size so any brand of foil point should work with any brand of foil blade (assuming the threads are properly cut). It's parts of the foil point itself that you don't want to mix.

I may need to correct myself here - when I initially responded I though you were asking if it was possible to fit a German point onto a Leon Paul blade - hence the comment about threading. However foil wires tend to be much less accommodating due to differences in the size of the barrel amongst different types of foil points.

The Leon Paul foil barrel has a smaller inside diameter than the German barrel so the plastic cup that sits down inside the barrel has to be smaller. This means that while a Leon Paul wire may fit into a German barrel a German wire will not fit inside a Leon Paul barrel. It also means that the Leon Paul wire may not necessarily center itself inside the German barrel, and that the spring for the German tip may not necessarily fit inside of the plastic cup at the end of the Leon Paul wire (something which it has to do in order to sit atop the brass contact inside of the plastic cup.

As Mergs said back in post #24, when working with a German foil tip you are best off sticking with a German wire, although not necessarily from one of the established German manufacturers (Allstar, Uhlmann or FWF) - in fact many people consider Gary Spruell's "Twister Fencing" wire (available from Sword Masters) to be one of the best foil wires ever made.