[foil] taping the blade

[Mar98]

yeah - why do we tape the blade? that is a question, which comes to my mind always at the wrong moments, so i never asked somebody before. but why tape and why only 15cm?

i have no idea ..

mar98

[SJCFU#2]

The tip tape is there as insulation. It keeps the lame from shorting the tip to the barrel, therby preventing the scoring machine from registering a touch.

Rule m.13 requires the barrel and foil blade be insulated for a length of 15 cm from the barrel. 15 cm is generally long enough to ensure that the lame will not form a short between the tip and the blade (at least not when hitting on target that would register as a valid touch). I have heard of people using more than 15 cm of tape, sometimes as a quick patch to hold down a wire that was popping loose, but it adversely affects the weight and balance of the weapon. I believe there was also some discussion of changing rule m.13 to make 15 cm a maximum, rather than a minimum.

[Prometheus]

So, it follows that...

If the entire length of the blade was insulated, an opponent would register "off target" if they hit your weapon with their point. Fifteen cm is a compromise that allows the forte of the blade to ground out if hit, and prevents the first 15 cm from grounding on your opponents lame.

[DHCJr]

SJCFU#2, the 15cm is a maximum right now, not a minimum and has always been a maximum at least since 1956. This is one of the "Trick" questions in the Armorer's test. If you look at the rule you quoted it says 15cm an absolute. Does that mean we get out a micrometer to make sure it is exact. I don't think so. All the rules are to protect your opponent, not you. That includes the safety. We don't want a fencer to go home, knowing they killed someone.

Since it can't be an exact, let us see if it is a muximum or minimum. If there is no tape on the blade, who does it hurt? The fencer who is using the blade. If the blade was tape furthur than 15cm, who does it hurt? It hurts the opponent. They hit the tape and then the lame, off-target. That is also the reason for M.5.4 last sentence.

If a fencer is stupid enough to bring up a Foil without any tape or so ragged that it does not insulate at all, any good Armorer would pass it, but we would suggest that they fix it before they use it.

[telkanuru]

On a tangent, has anyone found any good tape to use for the above purpose? I didn't see any on the sites I looked at, and using electrical tape on my team's weapons really isn't cutting it. It degrades to fast. I tried athletic tape, but it wasn't adhesive enough.

[frenzl]

pretty much anywhere you can buy fencing gear there'll be some fencing tape. it may take a while to find it on some sites usualy it's under miscelaious or something.

[DHCJr]

There is also a good alternate, that is less expensive and that is gaffers tape.

Both Electrical tape and Athletic tape will cause you problems. The glue tends to migrate, especially in a hot car.

[telkanuru]

Originally posted by DHCJr
There is also a good alternate, that is less expensive and that is gaffers tape.

Both Electrical tape and Athletic tape will cause you problems. The glue tends to migrate, especially in a hot car.

I've noticed. Thanks for the tip.

[danp]

If you go to a tennis shop or most sporting goods stores, they sell a product called "Babolat", which is identical to the stuff that all of my foils have come with from the merchants. It's used to protect the head of tennis racquets against chips or scratches from hitting the ground. Works great, and a roll will last a LONG time.

Good luck!
-Dan

Originally posted by telkanuru
On a tangent, has anyone found any good tape to use for the above purpose? I didn't see any on the sites I looked at, and using electrical tape on my team's weapons really isn't cutting it. It degrades to fast. I tried athletic tape, but it wasn't adhesive enough.

[Bob Farrow]

Originally posted by danp
If you go to a tennis shop or most sporting goods stores, they sell a product called "Babolat", which is identical to the stuff that all of my foils have come with from the merchants. It's used to protect the head of tennis racquets against chips or scratches from hitting the ground. Works great, and a roll will last a LONG time.

Good luck!
-Dan

Any "head tape" should suffice. I use Gamma Head Tape. Less than $3.00 per roll and no shipping costs really beats "tip tape".

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/desc...AMMA-GHTR.html

[Prometheus]

Originally posted by DHCJr
There is also a good alternate, that is less expensive and that is gaffers tape.

Both Electrical tape and Athletic tape will cause you problems. The glue tends to migrate, especially in a hot car.

I have found that a art supply stores can be a resonably cheap source of 1" wide gaffers tape in a wild variety of colors.

[frenzl]

about how much does the gaffer tape cost

[neevel]

Originally posted by frenzl
about how much does the gaffer tape cost

Camera tape (which is what the 1" width gaffer tape is called) typically costs $5-7 for a roll the size of the large tip-tape rolls that vendors charge $20 for.

-Dave

[Purple Fencer]

Originally posted by neevel
Camera tape (which is what the 1" width gaffer tape is called) typically costs $5-7 for a roll the size of the large tip-tape rolls that vendors charge $20 for.

-Dave

I sell a 180 foot roll for $10...they lastr ME a long time, even with all the armory work I do!

[Mar98]

and i have another question:
is multicoloured taping allowed? i now have white tape, blue, orange, etc and some cool ideas ..

mar98

[Purple Fencer]

I've sold white, green, blue, red, and yellow tape...and my own foils have purple. I have also seen multi-colored displays (typically school colors) with nobody complaining...if the tape on someone's foil is distracting you, you're not doing your own job!

[Artisan]

To get Gaffers tape:

http://www.rosebrand.com/A_Com/showp...ectGroup_ID=11


great stuff! Beats the crap outta duct tape.

[DHCJr]

For the US Team, it is SOP to have the tip Red, then White and the blade Blue. Dan started that when he first started with the US Team and that has been 40 years. No one ever complained.

[Purple Fencer]

Originally posted by DHCJr
For the US Team, it is SOP to have the tip Red, then White and the blade Blue. Dan started that when he first started with the US Team and that has been 40 years. No one ever complained.

Not if they wanted an American armorer to fix their gear!

just kidding!!!