Insulating sabre guards

[annacattiva]

I've got a number of sabres that somebody stuck sockets onto, but without doing anything to insulate the inside of the guards. I was talking to some people at my club and someone mentioned that you can spray paint them, but they themselves had never done it, and didn't know exactly what was necessary. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what kind of paint works best, what's the best way to go about this, or whether I should just forget about paint and insulate them some other way?

Thanks!

[DHCJr]

If you check M24, it has the word 'or'. They do make full size pads or you can make your own. Most any metal paint would do. Krylon is a suggestion.

[Inquartata]

I use the spray version of Plasti-Dip myself. Synthetic rubber spray, essentially. It comes in red or black.

[retardedspleen]

regular spray paint is fine. all it has to do is make it so you wont compleat a connection of your lame, to your guard.


Only 1 of my guards has a pad on it, none of the others, i like them without a pad(cheaper). all but 2(i think) of my sabres have any type of gaurd insulation (besides the small peice that goes on the bottom end of the guard) one has the pad, and no paint, and the other has no pad, and no paint.


You dont really need insulation that much do you? it may be a rule, but im not so sure you'd ever be "caught" or if somebody official saw, he prolly wouldnt care. if you give up a touche because of your own equipment problems, you know how to fix it. its your own fault and he wont reverse the call.


Chris Triplett

[annacattiva]

I was insulating club sabres that were going to go with younger fencers to tournaments. I'm pretty sure that I can keep my guard away from my wrist most of the time, and just deal with it if I lose the occasional touch (I don't think I ever have lost any though) but I wanted to get all the equipment nice and regulation so I didn't have to worry about 11-year-olds on strip not understanding why they were losing touches or what to do about it.

[Inquartata]

Yes, the insulation is largely a relic of the days when the lame of the manchette went all the way to the back of the knuckles. At this point it's rather like the body cord thing---for sabre it doesn't matter if the wires are "crossed", as they will still work fine that way, but armourers will still fail them if they are so wired...