Fencing FAQ

The Fencing FAQ is presented in two sections:

• General FAQ: common questions about starting fencing, training, and rules of competition

• Equipment: fencing equipment, maintenance, and troubleshooting

Equipment & Maintenance:

2.1 Clothing
2.1.1 FIE Homologated Clothing
2.1.2 Colors
2.2 Masks
2.2.1 Bibs
2.3 Shoes
2.3.1 Inserts
2.4 Gloves
2.5 Lame's
2.5.1 Repair
2.6 Armor
2.7 Grips
2.7.1 Traditional
2.7.2 Pistol
2.8 Blades
2.8.1 FIE & Maraging Blades
2.8.2 Tangs
2.8.3 Bends and Curvature
2.9 Guards
2.10 Points & Blade Wires
2.11 Body Wires
2.12 Glue
2.13 Scoring Apparatus
2.13.1 Wireless Systems

Troubleshooting:

2.14 Foil
2.15 Epee
2.16 Sabre

2.1 Clothing

Fencing clothing includes the jacket, pants, plastron (underarm protector), and socks. Some companies manufacture unitards (combined jacket and pants). Inexpensive practice gear is fashioned of synthetics or heavy cotton, but competition clothing is required to pass an 800 N puncture test.

Casual and beginner fencers can rely on cotton or synthetic jackets, but should consider using a plastron for extra protection. Track pants or baseball knickers are also thrifty alternatives to genuine fencing clothing, although they afford little protection.

Most jackets are left- or right-handed. Women's jackets are not only cut differently, but have pockets for breast protectors. Ambidextrous (back-zip) jackets are available, but generally not with homologated fabrics. Ambidextrous (double-sided) plastrons are available from some manufacturers.

Knee-high sport socks (such as for soccer/football or baseball) can be purchased from most sporting goods stores. Skin should not show between the socks and pant legs nor the cuff and glove of the weapon hand. The trailing hand and back of the head should be the only areas of exposed skin on the fencer's body.

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2.1.1 FIE Homologated Clothing

800N homologated clothing is fashioned from special fabrics such as Kevlar, Startex, or ballistic nylon. Some uniforms (especially older uniforms of Kevlar construction) offer partial 800N coverage in vital areas with lighter 350N fabrics used elsewhere. Full-coverage 800N uniforms are now the norm in homologated clothing.

The rules for FIE 'A' level competition demand homologated jacket and pants. As of April 1, 1995, an additional 800N plastron is required.

The CFF currently requires a minimum of 800/350N uniforms for all elite tournaments. No plastron is required in conjunction with FIE clothing.

800N uniforms are not required in USFA competition; a regulation plastron is compulsory with all types of uniform, however.

USFA clothing regulations can be found at http://www.usfa.org/Documents/Policy/Uniform.html

800N clothing generally provides the highest degree of quality and protection available. It is strongly recommended for serious competitors, and for anyone else concerned about their safety. Although considerably more expensive than practice gear, many fencers find it well worth the price.

Kevlar clothing should be washed with mild detergent-free soap, and no bleach. Hang dry away from sources of ultraviolet light (especially direct sunlight). Store in a dark place (a closet or your fencing bag, for example).

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2.1.2 Colors

Traditionally, fencing clothing is all white (for historical reasons that probably had to do with detection of hits), but the rules have recently been relaxed to allow "light" colors on the body. Other colors may be permitted on the limbs. The fencer's last name and country can appear on the back or the trailing leg in block blue letters; this is required in international competition. National colors can be worn on an armband on the trailing arm. Club or association badges can be stitched to the upper trailing arm.

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2.2 Masks

Although most manufacturers advertise 2- and 3-weapon masks, there are different requirements for each. Foil masks should be well-insulated to prevent touches to the head from conducting to the lame' and registering as a touch. Electric sabre masks must be conductive, on the other hand, to allow head touches. Epee masks should have bibs that cover the collar bones, while foil masks should not descend below the collar bones.

Masks usually come in 3 or 5 sizes, depending on the manufacturer. When sizes are numbered, 5 is usually the largest. Sizes are often indicated by the position of a metal tag or rivet on the rear portion of the mesh.

Clear plastic masks are available (e.g., from Zivkovic), with a small Lexan panel in front of the eyes, and normal wire or other material elsewhere. The Lexan is supposed to be shatterproof, and can be replaced when scratched.

Masks must pass a 12 kg punch test to be certified for competition. Consider subjecting a used mask to such a test before using/purchasing it. Older masks can have smaller bibs and weaker mesh (rated to 7 kg), making them less safe. When punch testing a mask, depress the punch perpendicular to the mesh without wiggling it. Do not apply more than the required amount of pressure. Pay particular attention to parts of the mesh that have already been dented or bent, including the center crease line. Unnatural dents in the mesh can and should be pushed or hammered out.

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2.2.1 Bibs

The best masks have FIE homologated bibs to protect the throat, and are required in high-level competition. 1600N bibs are standard in FIE competition for the 1995/96 season. The CFF requires 800N bibs as a minimum in elite competition, while the USFA has no FIE bib requirement.

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2.3 Shoes

Fencing shoes are ideal, but often expensive. They characteristically have leather "skid pads" on the inside front of the shoe, and a sole that wraps back over the heel. Adidas makes low- and high-top models that are known for their quality, but can be quite expensive and hard to find in North America. Other brands include (but are not limited to) PBT (Hungarian), Estoc (French), Sport-Escrime (French), Dowin (Chinese), and Starfighter (?).

Lightweight indoor court shoes (such as for squash, badminton, racquetball, or volleyball) make excellent low-cost alternatives. Asics, Hi-Tec, Reebok, Etonic, and Adidas have all been recommended as manufacturing models that are useful for fencing.

Some fencers claim that wrestling shoes can be adapted for fencing, although they may not offer much support. Many outdoor athletic shoes and running shoes are too bulky or heavy for fencing, or provide poor lateral stability.

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2.3.1 Inserts

Hard heel cups are widely used to absorb the impact of lunges. They are integrated into some models of fencing shoe, but can be purchased separately from specialty athletic and orthopedics stores for other shoes. Softer rubber (e.g., Sorbothane) inserts are also commonly used to provide extra cushioning or prevent chronic injuries from flaring. 

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2.4 Gloves

Gloves should have leather or equivalent construction in the fingers and palm, have a long cuff to cover the sleeve opening, and have an opening for the body wire. They should not fit too snugly, or they will be more susceptible to tearing. Varying degrees of padding are available in the back of the hand and fingers, which can be useful for epee and sabre fencers.

Gloves can deteriorate rapidly under heavy use, often lasting a single season or less. Some gloves are washable; saddle soap or other leather treatment can extend the lives of other gloves somewhat.

Economical alternatives to genuine fencing gloves include precision welding gloves, motorcycle gloves, and even common workman's gloves available at any hardware store, provided the fingers and palm are unpadded and supple enough to maintain the feel of the blade. It may be prudent to hand-stitch a longer gauntlet onto the cuff, if the normal one doesn't cover the sleeve opening (the cuff should run halfway up the forearm). In all these cases, a small wire opening may have to be cut into the wrist.

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2.5 Lame's

The higher quality lame's are made of stainless steel, which is much more corrosion resistant than copper. Your lame' should come to your hip bones, and be form-fitting but not too tight. Most lame's come in right and left-handed versions, but ambidextrous (back-zip) versions are also available and sometimes have higher hips.

Careful rinsing of your lame' in lukewarm water following a tournament or rigorous practice will wash out most of the sweat and salts that will damage your lame'. Old sweat turns alkaline and can be quite damaging to the lame' fabric. The salt crystals left behind from dried sweat can also be abrasive and conducive to corrosion.

Occasional hand washing in lukewarm water with a mild detergent (e.g., Woolite or dish soap) and a small amount of ammonia is an excellent way of cleaning your lame' and prolonging its life. Some fencers recommend neutralizing the alkaline deposits in the lame' with lemon juice added to the bath.

Rinse your lame' after washing and hang dry on a wooden or plastic hanger. Avoid folding, crumpling, wringing, or abrading it. All of these will fatigue the metallic threads in the fabric.

Similar care should be taken with sabre cuffs and mask bibs.

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2.5.1 Repair

Lame's can go dead for several reasons, including high electric resistance due to oxidation and corrosion (usually accompanied by visible discoloration), broken metal fibers, or tears in the fabric.

High-resistance areas that are due to oxidation can often be temporarily resuscitated by moistening them with water. As the moisture soaks up salts and other deposits in the fabric, conductivity will increase enough for the lame' to pass the check. Sweat from vigorous fencing will have the same effect. Some models that do not rely on conductive fibers (e.g., from Triplette) will lose conductivity when dirty, and require regular washing.

Small dead spots can be "field-repaired" with a paper stapler or metallic paint.

Larger dead areas and tears in the fabric can only be reliably repaired by stitching new lame' fabric over the affected areas. If no patch material is available, the fabric from one dead lame' can be cut up and used to repair another (the material from the back is generally in better shape). Note that large areas can go dead due to broken fibers in a relatively small patch. Patching only the region of broken fibers can re-activate the entire dead area. Patches should be folded over at the edges, and the stitch should overlap the edge to prevent flaps that will catch points.

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2.6   

Padded jackets, plastrons, and gloves are available to take the sting out of hard hits. Most coaches will use special heavily-padded jackets or sleeves when giving lessons, but these are not intended for competitive use.

Some masks have extra coverage at the back of the head to protect against whip-over's. Elbow protectors are also commonly worn by sabreurs.

Athletic cups are important for men, and breast protectors are essential for women. The latter can take the form of individual bowls to cover each breast, or more complete full-chest protectors that cover the ribs up to the collarbone. Female groin protectors are also available from some martial arts suppliers.

Neck gorgets for additional throat protection can be found from some hockey equipment suppliers.

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2.7 Grips

For foil and epee, there are a wide variety of grips available that fall into two broad categories, traditional and pistol. Sabre grips are all fundamentally of the same design.

Most grips are fashioned of aluminum or plastic; the latter, while lighter, are also much more fragile and prone to cracking. Some metal grips are insulated with a layer of enamel (color-coded by size) or rubber paint. Such insulation will turn an epee grip into valid target, but it is important for foils to prevent grounding. Many traditional grips are surfaced with leather, rubber, or twine.

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2.7.1 Traditional

These are the French, Italian, and Spanish grips. All consist of a relatively simple handle, a large, exposed pommel, and in the case of the Italian and Spanish grips, crossbars or similar prongs for extra grip.

The French grip is the simplest of all fencing grips in construction, and the most economical. It emphasizes finger control over strength, and provides considerable flexibility, and a variety of possible hand positions. It is the most common grip used by novices, and remains popular (especially in epee) among advanced fencers.

The Italian grip is noted for its strength, but is fairly rare, partially because it requires a special tang on blades that are used with it. It is the only ambidextrous fencing grip. Italian grips are often used with a martingale (wrist strap), and contrary to rumor, they remain legal in modern competition.

The Spanish grip is a compromise between the French and Italian grips, but is illegal in modern fencing competition, due to a technicality that forbids grips with orthopedic aids from being grasped in more than one manner. There are modern variants of the Spanish grip that do not use the French pommel, and these may be legal in competition if they fix a single hand position.

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2.7.2 Pistol

These are modern, orthopedic grips, shaped vaguely like a pistol, but still grasped in the traditional way. They provide a pronounced strength advantage over the traditional grips, but tend to encourage wrist movement over finger movement. Pistol grips all have the features of a large protuberance below the tang for the aids to grasp, a curved prong above the tang that fits in the crook of the thumb, and a large prong that extends along the inside of the wrist. There are many variations in shape, size, sculpting for the fingers, extra prongs, and so on, although certain designs enjoy wide popularity. Most pistol grip designs have names (e.g., Visconti, Belgian, German, etc.) but these are not always consistent between manufacturers or regions.

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2.8 Blades

There are a large number of variables to consider when shopping for blades, including stiffness, length, durability, flex point, weight, balance, corrosion resistance, and (of course) price.

Stiff blades provide better point control, but less "flickability". A flex point less than 1/3 of the length from the tip indicates a strong middle, but may also indicate a whippy or less durable foible. A lower flex point may make the blade feel spongy, slow, or tip-heavy, but may also indicate a stronger foible that is more durable and less easily dominated. Some brands of blades (e.g., Allstar) are sold in different flexibility grades. Blades that feel heavy in the tip often provide better point control, while those that are light in the tip often make for faster parries.

Blades generally come in 5 sizes, 5 being the longest (90 cm for foil and epee, not including tang) and by far the most common. Shorter blades are somewhat lighter and quicker of action, and can be useful for children, fencers who prefer the lighter balance, or those who often provoke infighting in which a long blade can be disadvantageous.

Cheap blades (including some Eastern European and Chinese brands) are typically not very durable or of poor temper, being inclined to snap, bend, and rust easily. Fencers who are gentle with their blades and clean, sand, or oil them regularly may nevertheless find them to be a good value.

Blades typically break at the flex point in the foible. Less commonly the tips will break off, or the tang will snap at the base of the blade (this latter failure mode is fairly common in sabre). Other serious modes of failure include sharp bends in the middle of the blade and S-bends in the foible, both of which are difficult to remove and will rapidly lead to fatiguing and eventual breaking of the blade.

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2.8.1 FIE & Maraging Blades

FIE-certified blades have the FIE logo stamped at the base of the blade, along with the code letters for the forge that produced the blade (be warned: some disreputable forges have been known to falsify these marks). They are mandatory at official FIE and other high-level competitions.

Maraging steel foil blades have a reputation for lasting considerably longer than regular steel blades, and are supposed to break more cleanly. They are made of a special alloy steel (incorporating iron, nickel, and titanium) that is only 5% as likely to develop the micro cracks that lead to eventual breakage. Many fencers find them a superior value, in spite of their high price. As they vary in character in the same way as regular blades, similar caution should be exercised when purchasing them.

Maraging epee blades are also available, although there are alternative steels that have also received FIE certification. Leon Paul produces a non-maraging FIE epee blade worth mentioning; it is stamped from a sheet of steel, rather than forged whole. These blades are lightweight and flexible; some older ones passed the wire through a hole to the underside of the blade.

Maraging sabre blades do not seem to be so well received, and are not required for FIE competition.

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2.8.2 Tangs

The length and thread of the tang may be an issue; some blades are threaded for French or pistol grips only, and some blades with French grip tangs require an extra fitting for the thread. Italian grips may require a special tang, since part of it is exposed in the hilt. Metric 6x1 threading is standard, but not universal (esp. in the USA, where a 12x24 thread may be encountered); dies to re-thread the tang can be found at most hardware stores. If the tang must be cut to fit the grip, be very careful to leave enough thread to screw on the pommel nut. Tangs often have to be filed down to fit in tight grips.

Tangs are attached by an exterior pommel on traditional grips, or by a pommel nut in pistol grips. Pommel nuts are typically fitted for a 6mm Allen wrench or hex key, 8mm socket wrench, or a standard screwdriver.

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2.8.3 Bends and Curvature

Many foil and epee fencers prefer a bend at the join of the tang and blade, so that the blade points slightly inside when held in sixte. Such a bend is best applied with a strong vise to avoid bowing the tang. Some fencers prefer to put this bend into the forte of the blade instead. Be gentle; blades will snap if handled with too much force.

A gentle curve in the middle and foible of the blade is also common, and helps to square the point against oblique surfaces. Such a bend must be smooth and gradual. Sharp kinks are prohibited. Foible bends are best worked into the blade using the sole of one's shoe and the floor.

For foil and epee, the total curvature of the blade is measured at the widest separation between the blade and an imaginary line drawn between the the join of the forte and tang and the join of the foible and barrel. The blade can be laid across a flat surface such as a table top to measure the arch. Epees must not rise more than 1 cm above the surface, while foils are allowed 2 cm. If the objective is to angle the point to hit oblique surfaces better, this is a significant amount of curvature. If the objective is to "hook" the blade around blocking parries or body parts, however, these limits are fairly restrictive.

Remember that the wire groove on epee and foil blades goes on the top (thumb side) of the blade, and the outside of the blade curvature.

Sabre curvature is handled differently, it being the deflection of the point from the line of the forte. 4 cm is all that is tolerated.

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2.9 Guards

Foil guards vary mostly in diameter, being between 9.5 and 12 cm across. The largest guards (e.g., Negrini) may fail the weapon gauge check if they are dented or misshapen.

Epee guards are almost always the maximum diameter (13.5 cm) for best protection, although they can vary considerably in shape, depth (3 - 5.5 cm), weight, and eccentricity (up to 3.5 cm off of center). "Mini epee" guards are available from some vendors, but they are recommended only for children or possibly Pentathletes.

Sabre guards come in left- and right-handed versions (the outside of the guard being larger). Competition guards include attachments for the capteur sensor. Sabre fencers may wish to insulate the outer edges of their guards to prevent it from shorting to their cuff.

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2.10 Points & Blade Wires

Many fencers have experienced trouble mixing their points, barrels, and wires. They are best used in matched sets.

Points are regularly tested in competition. Both foil and epee points must pass a weight test, by lifting a mass (500g for foil; 750g for epee) after the point is depressed. (Technically, epees only have to lift the mass 0.5 mm, whereas foils must lift it to the top of the point travel.) In addition, epees must pass two shim tests, the first to make sure that there is at least 1.5 mm of travel in the tip, and the second to make sure that the point doesn't light until the last 0.5 mm.

If the weight test fails, the main spring can be replaced or made heavier by lightly stretching it. If the fencer thinks his point is too heavy, the spring can be replaced, compressed, or softened by heating one end in a flame.

If the epee 0.5 mm shim test fails, the secondary contact spring is too long. It should be adjusted or compressed. If the 1.5 mm shim test fails, your point may be improperly set up, or may be mismatched with the barrel.

Most points are held together by a pair of screws on the side of the barrel, and adjusting the springs requires disassembly. Some (Italian and Russian) epee points are screwless and are adjusted using a small wrench.

FIE epee points use a solid contact in place of the secondary spring. Lighting distance can be increased by carefully filing the contact.

Epee points work by closing the circuit between the two blade wires when they are depressed. Dirty or faulty points will normally cause the weapon to fail to register touches. Foil points work in the opposite manner, by opening a closed circuit between the blade wire and blade. Dirty or faulty points will usually cause the weapon to produce spurious off-target lights. See Troubleshooting (sections 2.13, 2.14), below.

Blade wires are typically insulated with cotton to facilitate gluing and cleaning. Nevertheless, inexpensive wires can be made at home using plastic-coated wire-wrap wire from an electronics store. Use the cup from an old wire, and attach the new wire by heating the solder connection with a soldering iron.

Blade tips are threaded metric 3.5 x 0.60 for foils and 4.0 x 0.70 for epees. Rethreading with a die is difficult, but possible with adequate preparation. Pre-filing the tip into a long, blunt cone (5.5 mm long with the top 1.5 mm narrower than the inside diameter of the die) will assist in guiding the die through the initial turns; the extra metal left behind can later be removed with a file. The leading edge of the wire groove should be rounded and the groove filled with epoxy putty or similar hard compound to prevent the die from jamming on the groove edge. The putty must be removed afterwards, of course. No more than 4 mm of threading is needed to affix the barrel.

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2.11 Body Wires

The primary question with foil and sabre body wires is bayonet (e.g., Paul brand) vs. two-prong (e.g., Uhlmann brand). They are equally functional; the primary difference is in cost and maintenance. Two-prong is a simpler design, and usually less expensive, but also has a reputation for being less reliable (depending on the brand). Naturally choice of body wire also determines the choice of weapon socket (or vice versa). One of the primary considerations in deciding which format to go with should be the prevalent format in your club or region. Going with the local favorite will make it easier to borrow weapons or wires when yours fail.

Epee body wires are all of the same basic 3-prong design. Some (French) designs have metal sheaths on the prongs that can accumulate grime underneath them over the years. If not cleaned, the dirt can break the circuit at inopportune times.

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2.12 Glue

Recycled blades must be cleaned before they are re-wired. Solvents such as acetone can help, but 10 minutes with a utility knife (foil) or wire brush (epee) to remove all traces of glue residue from the wire groove also works. New blades sometimes require a small amount of cleaning as well, to remove grease and grit from the machining process.

Popular wiring glues include Duco cement, 5-minute epoxy, and cyanoacrylate glues (e.g., super-glue). Some fencers have reported success using rubber cement and silicone. Cleaning and gluing techniques will vary depending on your choice. Thin, quick-drying glues such as cyanoacrylates are best put down over top of the wire as the wire is held in the groove. If you use a thicker glue such as epoxy, you can carefully prepare one surface first. For foil wires, coat the wire in glue, and then gently pull it tight and lay it into the groove. For epees you can alternatively lay a bed of glue down before setting the wire in the groove, then make a second run of glue over the wire to seal it in place. Top glue the blade, and let it dry while the blade is held in a flexed position with the point in the air.

An acetone bath for cleaning blades can be constructed from a length of copper tubing, sealed at one end. Fill with acetone, drop in your blades, and let soak overnight.

A blade-bowing tool for holding blades flexed while the glue dries can be constructed from a length of cord or chain attached to some small cups (film canisters work well). Place the cups over either end of the blade, and the tension of the cord will hold the blade bent for as long as you need it. Alternatively, stand the blade up with the point bent under the rim of a counter or table.

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2.13 Scoring Apparatus

The scoring apparatus consists of the reels, floor wires, and indicator box, and optionally a timer and scoring tower(s). In sabre, the capteur sensors can also be considered part of the scoring apparatus, since they are provided by the tournament organizers.

Modern foil scoring boxes should display only a colored light or a white light for each fencer. Older boxes (or ones with older firmware) may display both if an off-target touch is immediately followed by an on-target touch.

It is possible to defeat the foil scoring circuit by grounding your own weapon to your lame' (your opponent's touches will fail to register, but yours will register). This is illegal, and scoring boxes must be equipped with a grounding light to detect when fencers do this. Some newer boxes have an anti-fraud feature to eliminate this hazard and allow touches to be scored in spite of grounding. Boxes without such an anti-fraud circuit are useful for detecting dead spots on lame's (ground the lame', and then poke the opponent in various locations; white lights indicate a dead spot).

Many sabre scoring boxes come with a variety of special options or programs for variations on the standard rules; for example, fencing without sensors, or with modified whipover timeouts.

Reels are typically portable, spring-wound devices (either "turtles" or "snails"), although some salles have permanent overhead installations involving pulleys and bungee cords. The overhead variety is normally more reliable, since it has fewer mechanics and no electrical brushes.

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2.13.1 Wireless Systems

Wireless scoring systems are currently prohibited, largely due to the difficulties in distinguishing between real and forged signals. Various modern electronics technologies hold the promise of circumventing these problems, and some wireless designs are currently in development. The FIE is expected to rule on the use of these wireless scoring systems in the near future.

Simple "buzz boxes", compact battery-powered devices that signal touches with a light or buzzer, are available from various sources, but have very limited functionality. As a rule, they cannot distinguish between targets (on/off, bell hits, etc.), or distinguish the timing of hits, and do not work with sabre at all.

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2.14 Foil Troubleshooting

Weapon fails weight test

1. The spring is too soft. Get a new spring or stretch the old one.

2. Friction between the barrel and point is overwhelming the spring. Clean the inside of the barrel, or replace the entire tip if the barrel or point is bent/warped.

Hitting the strip produces a light

1. The strip is not grounded, or is dirty/corroded.

2. The exterior of the foil point is dirty/corroded.

Valid touch produces a white light

1. Opponent's lame' is not connected.

2. Opponent's body wire is broken. Diagnose by testing at the lame' clip and at the reel wire connection.

3. Opponent's lame' has a dead spot. With some boxes, dead spots can be diagnosed by grounding the fencer's weapon to his suspect lame', and then probing the lame' with the other fencer's weapon. This does not work with boxes that have an anti-fraud feature.

4. Your foil body wire polarity is reversed. Disassemble and reverse the connections.

5. The exterior of your foil point is dirty/corroded.

6. Foil circuit is breaking just before the touch (see below).

Foil produces white lights when the tip is not depressed.

1. The tip is jammed shut. Spin the point or slap on the floor to free it.

2. Grit in the tip is breaking the circuit. Spin the point or slap on the floor to dislodge the grit.

3. The barrel is loose. Tighten carefully with pliers.

4. The foil wire is broken. If the lights are intermittent, try flexing the blade to trigger the white lights; success means the blade wire is probably broken. If the lights are triggered by shaking the blade, the point or clip may be to blame.

5. The circuit is breaking at the clip. Check that the body cord is held securely by the clip.

6. The body wire is broken. Diagnose by shorting the two connections on the weapon end of the body wire. If the lights continue, the body wire or reel is at fault. Short the two close prongs at the other end of the body wire; if the lights stop, the body wire is to blame. If not see (7).

7. The scoring apparatus is broken. The connections, reel wire, reel contacts, floor wire, or scoring box may be at fault. Short the same wires as in (6) at the various points of connection to successively eliminate each.

8. The guard is loose. Tighten the pommel or pommel nut.

Foil produces colored lights when the tip is not depressed but is in contact with the opponent's lame'.

1. The circuit is broken; see previous problem.

2. The circuit is breaking when the blade flexes as it contacts the lame' or when the point is jarred. Could be caused by grit in the tip, a broken wire whose ends normally remain in contact, or a separated wire and cup.

There is no light when a touch is made.

1. You are not hitting properly.

2. Friction between the barrel and point is preventing the point from depressing. Slap on the floor to loosen it; otherwise clean or replace the tip.

3. Spring is too heavy. Compress it or heat one end with a match.

4. Opponent is grounding his weapon to his lame'. Tell him to stop; it's illegal.

5. You are grounding your own foil to your opponent's lame'. Improve the insulation on your foible (15 cm is required).

6. The foil wire is shorting to the weapon. Check the integrity of the insulation along the wire and beneath the cushion. Also make sure no wire ends at the clip are touching the rest of the weapon.

7. The scoring box is on the wrong weapon setting.

8. There is a short in your body wire. If there are no lights when the weapon is unplugged, but there are lights when the body wire is unplugged from the reel, the body wire is at fault.

9. There is a short in the scoring apparatus. If there are no lights when the fencer unplugs from the reel, this is the problem. It can be isolated by successively unplugging connections to the box.

Wrong lights go off when a touch is made

1. The scoring box is on the wrong weapon setting.

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2.15 Epee Troubleshooting

Weapon fails weight test

1. The main spring is too soft. Get a new spring or stretch the old one.

2. Friction between the barrel and point is overwhelming the spring. Clean the inside of the barrel, or replace the entire tip if the barrel or point is bent/warped.

Weapon fails shim tests

1. The contact spring is too long. Adjust or compress it.

2. Point and barrel are mismatched. Replace.

Hitting the strip produces a light

1. The strip is not grounded, or is dirty/corroded.

2. The tip is dirty/corroded.

A touch to the guard produces a light

1. The guard is dirty/corroded.

2. The exterior of the tip is dirty/corroded.

3. The body wire (in particular the ground) is faulty (test against the ground pin of the body cord; if the lights continue, the body wire or reel is at fault).

4. The contact between the clip and weapon is faulty or corroded.

5. The guard is loose.

6. The ground pin socket is loose in the weapon clip.

Epee produces lights when the tip is not depressed

1. The tip is jammed shut. Slap on the floor to free it.

2. Grit in the tip is shorting the circuit. Slap on the floor to dislodge the grit, or disassemble and clean the point.

3. The blade wires are shorting to each other. Check the insulation, especially inside the guard.

4. The scoring box is on the wrong weapon setting.

There is no light when a touch is made

1. You are not hitting properly.

2. Friction between the barrel and point is preventing the point from depressing. Slap on the floor to loosen it; otherwise clean or replace the tip.

3. Main spring is too heavy. Compress it or heat one end with a match.

4. Contact spring is too short. Adjust or stretch it.

5. The barrel is loose.

6. Point contacts are dirty/corroded.

7. The epee wire is broken. Re-wire the blade.

8. The epee wire is shorting to the weapon.

9. Something has come unplugged between you and the box.

10. The wires are improperly fastened to the weapon clip.

11. The body wire is broken.

12. The reel or floor wire is broken.

13. The scoring box is on the wrong weapon setting.

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2.16 Sabre Troubleshooting

Box displays white lights

1. The sensor is malfunctioning or jammed.

2. The wire in the sabre is broken, or not fastened securely.

3. The mounting bracket for the sensor is loose.

4. The body wire is loose in the socket.

5. The body wire is broken. Switch to foil setting, and diagnose as for foil.

6. The scoring apparatus is broken. Switch to foil setting and diagnose as for foil.

There is no light when a touch is made

1. You are not hitting hard enough.

2. The opponent's lame' has dead spots.

3. The opponent's lame' or mask is not connected.

4. The sensor is malfunctioning.

5. The clip is not properly wired to the weapon.

6. The opponent's body wire is broken.

7. There is a break in the scoring apparatus on the opponent's side. This may be in the reel, floor cable, or scoring box.

8. There is a short in the body wire. Switch to foil setting and diagnose as for foil.

9. There is a short in the scoring apparatus. Switch to foil setting and diagnose as for foil.

Box indicates a touch following weapon contact or a parry

1. You aren't parrying well enough.

2. The weapon is shorting to the lame'. Insulate the edges of the guard and the pommel, or hold the weapon in such a way as to prevent the contact.

Wrong lights go off when a touch is made.

1. The scoring box is on the wrong weapon setting.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

Author: Morgan Burke (morgan@sitka.triumf.ca)
Contributors: special thanks to Suman Palit, Guy Smith, Greg Dilworth, Kevin Taylor, Eric Anderson, Blaine Price, Steve Hick, Kim Moser, David Glasser, Bryan Mansfield, Donald Lane, Ann McBain, Hagen Lieffertz, Mark C. Orton, Mike Buckley, Dirk Goldar, Scott Holmes, Arild Dyrseth, David Airey, Renee Mcmeeken, Marc Walch, Eric Speicher, Anton Oskamp, Bernard Hunt, Francis Cordero, Kent Krumvieda, David Van Houten, John Crawford, Kim Taylor, Brendan Robertson, Ivo Volf, Kevin Wechtaluk, Frank Messemer, Benerson Little, Mark Crocker, Eileen Tan, Mark Tebault, Tim Schofield, Peter Gustafsson, Kevin Haidl, Peter Crawford, Camille Fabian, Matt Davis, Fernando Diaz, Anders Haavie, Cdiger Schierz, Todd Ellner, George Kolombatovich, Padraig Coogan

(C) 1993-97 Morgan Burke Permission is granted to copy and distribute all or part of this document for non-profit purposes.