i have a FIE blade foil with a french grip, i now prefer pistol grip and i am looking to simply buy a pistol grip to attach to the sword. i understand how to remove the french grip handle and i saw how you measured and cut the tang, i was just wondering what to do with the wires to ensure the sword will still work. is there a video on that or do you have any advice? :)

Thanks for the video! Just ordered an analog multimeter from Amazon so I can test my equipment while away from the club.

Next time I make one it'll be a little shorter, as the straps weren't quite long enough to fit over my shoulder. However, it worked just fine for it's purpose at the Santa Clara SYC and Louisville NAC!

Thank you so much for this from Haverstock Fencing Club in London.

Any reason you use the negrini shims instead of the german ulhmann and allstar ones?

Happy New Year Sam and thank you for great videos this year! 🎉

Great tip! Just when I thought you have shown us everything in your bag of tricks, you give us another one. I've only started home armoring for the past few months, but this one sure would have been helpful when I was putting some cant on a few blades. Here's one for the amateur armorers that i figured out this weekend after screwing up a foil rewiring because I didn’t pull the wire quite taut enough before taping it to the tang, bending and applying glue: Bend it an inch or so the other way and then tape it down on the tang. Man, once I bent the blade the correct way, that wire was sitting nice and snug in the groove.

never used an accelerator.. do they help much ? usually use acetone on a cotton bud then flex the blade pulling in the groove and super glue... seems to work well...

G, all day long...

Thanks Sam. Great memories.

Sam I met you years ago when you were directing your own corps. Great to hear your comments!

i like the idea that you have a piece of tape over the mustimeter so it is under the required resistance (is it 8ohms still?) although I just only use a digital meter these days (on the beeping continuity reading.. so i can test and not watch the meter.. although do have to look to ensure it is below 8 ohms...) ... 3 tabs is a good and interesting idea... makes good sense... for body wires i still use the JFE rather than ABC - jacket, foil and earth or jolly fault equipment as i was first shown or taught many many years ago...

She was a great coach and friend!!!!

I recognize you, You've checked my lame at a tournament before hahaha.

every time i have been told a box wasn't working and checked it out.. it was the ground wire.. or the spools... i have never seen a box itself fail.. yes have seen a [power source as the problem - bt that was becasue they fencers had bumped the box and the power plug came loose... why oh why is their first place to go the armourer??? i have pointed out to a club that was using leon paul boxes (from memory they were the 3 weapon c90FES models from the early 90's.. ) that the globes were broken and there was no covering so the broken wires from the globes were sticking up and could be a danger (broken glass.. the 12 V shock.. ) and that club had a lot of kids there .. but they took it as i was criticising their club.. not looking at it and saying - ok.. a safety issue...

viewed this again with that discussion on reddit re Epee Hex Nut Issue .. good to see your video again on this one... thanks

Thanks for this, Sam

She put on the best tournaments in the southwest

I heard this as Canting the blade. Is Cant the right term to describe this?

never tried with just a wrench.. interesting.. always used a vice (I guess my hands are not strong enough?!... well maybe) .. i'll give it a try...

So when grinding the blade what dremel part are you using and is it viable on foils too

Just found your channel. Super grateful for all the guide videos you put out. Thank you so much!

Basically any glass cleaner with ammonia will do?

Thanks for the video. I just started futzing around with my kid's epees for a tournament this weekend. Epees seem a bit more complicated than foils - which I've been working on for a bit longer. Of course, my kid tells me that her weapon failed a shim test - but at least there was a vendor at the tournament to fix it.

i just use an el cheapo digital meter over the last 30 years .. seems to work fine... passing aussie state, national and international competitions for foil, epee and sabre for me...

Floats 1977 Oakland Crusaders drumline was the best that year? Beat blue Devils by 6.5 tenths at dci prelims on drums ,which is a country mile in tick system scoring! Rip float!

When I’m tightening down a wire the blue insulation rotates around, ie I start it at the bottom but as I tighten the screw the insulated part of the wire rotates upward. How can I stop the wire from rotating? I hold it down with my fingernail but it still moves! Thanks

Thanks for this--I've been learning armory for my college club (working with miniscule budget and lots of old hand-me-down equipment... lots of stuff needs fixing and someone's gotta do it lol) and I've found the process rewarding, if incredibly frustrating at times. Mostly I've been working on weapons and cords, though I'm about to tackle some reel repairs (and maybe look at old scoring machines soon?) to get some more strips up and running. I've been curious about getting more involved in the armory world, and it's encouraging to hear getting started is about as simple as volunteering. What would you say the baseline level of experience should be? I'm confident I could pick it up, but I would like to be as little of a drag on setup and teardown as possible, so I don't want to go in completely unprepared. Would love to know your thoughts and any other details about what the process entails.

i wish i could be there to help.. i don't know how good i'd be compared to you guys as i haven't experienced such a demand (long queue) but i'd enjoy the challenge.. as i say - i like a challenge (why do people think this is something to see if i really mean and see it as a challenge .....lol) ... i remember trying to train people to help me as armourer at my last club (i spent hours in the workshop fixing things...sigh) as i was often away at work in a mine for 7 days.. but no one would help .. the club kept calling me to ask to come in and fix a bunch of weapons for a large training course the next day but i was away for a week... and it wasn't too i didn't go in for 6 months 9one has to be a little selfish on occasion i guess) that people actually stepped in and started to do things... i wish i had known this years before... i used to check each rack of weapons once a week .. but was told why check the electric sabres - they never have an issue (i just quietly laughed) .. sabres with broken handles, broken sockets, loose pommels and broken blades i often found.. i had a few notes up - any broken equipment [please leave it on the armoury table... didin't seem to work as not much on the armoury table and most of it put back for someone else to use...lol then i tried to help keep the floors clean (as it was getting bad) so i had dozens of roomba's (robot vacuums - i have videos somewhere of 10 going at once.. and most were really early models - loud but they worked fine... as it was only me there so i didn't care... and being loud if it suddenly got quiet i knew one had stopped working... well quieter...lol) cleaning while i fixed gear.. it worked well.. and the dust io would run a magnet over and find so many tips, screw and springs... kept the armoury stocked.. but they always find any wires i left attached and kept getting wound up ion the ground wires of the strips (annoying but i was there to fix those.. but the club saw that as too damaging.. even though i fixed all the friggin things... sigh..).. and i never asked to be paid - i did it for fun.. as i enjoyed fencing... and that was a way i could feel involved again...

Neat! Thanks for posting. People that have never marched in a corp. can never understand what it all means and why it's such an accomplishment. Congrats!

Hello Sir, I am from India. Would you suggest using MTO (Mineral Turpentine Oil) to clean green oxidation marks on lame? I am worried water and detergent might damage the conductivity of my jacket. Please guide.

hate when this happens... i have drilled a bit of the blade out so the allen key can get a grip on the hex nut or cut some grooves in the hex nut so i can somehow use a slot (like a flathead screwdriver) to get a grip on it ... and swear while trying to get a fix on the hex nut... has worked so far and i don't remember having to cut off a grip yet.. but i am sure will have to do it... and glad to see you give a good demonstration how to do it well..

3 hours... wow... i have had some long lines here in australia.. but 3 hours... don't know if i shoudl be jealous...lol last check i did last year (first for 20 years..) a person's epee bodywire failed.. it was likely just a loose screw in a german plug (and i had a fw tools there.. couldn't beleive they had no other tools there.. how would they fix any immediate problems with spools... or ground wires.. sigh).. there was no one in the line so i took it aside and was relieved it was only that .. easy fix...lol

They're nipped out. Lol.

I usually use a cheap digital meter (rather than a test box or a analog meter like this one) on the continuity setting (i think it is called) so it beeps and i don't need to look at the meter.. pretty much ever since the 90's...

I'm guilty of this. but I have stickers in all my weapons with clearly printed name and phone number: the two weapons i lost did not go to lost and found, nor was i ever called. sorry, to me that's pretty close to theft.

i have a few like this to repair... i wasn't looking forward to de-soldering the socket (in fact they are sitting on my bench to do exactly that for years... keep putting it off as a pain in the rear..) ... just a thought - can you cut the cable guide off and cut a new one with say a hack saw then glue the new one when it it put on so you don't need to replace the guide...? I like the idea of that splitting cable guide.. oh an di did buy that polarising light box as I seem to collect wierd fencing things...lol

Would absolutely buy a splitting cable guide for all our club reels. They all need a replacement, and having to take everything apart has me putting it off..

Thank you for this video. By far the clearest version on YT of exactly how its wrapped, even better since you show multiple sockets. Everyone else on YT when they get to this step is extremely vague on what is actually happening.

Off topic question: How do you get the rubber feet back on a Favero millennium real?

Wuu huu....especially hardly used stuff.... better still... brand new!! :D

yep.. always gear left behind.. last Australian nationals 2 FIE foils.. bodywires.. no names... i did a weapons check first time since the 90's... i couldnt believe no one checking knew how to check a lame'... i wrote a list of gear left behind and put it upon the noticeboard (not sure if they do this in other states for national events..?)) but not much gear was picked up as it was day 1 of 3 days.. foil on first day...

Looking good, Sam! Thundercats Hooo!

In 1986, I had the incredible fortune of working with Tom Float at UNLV. I played percussion that year as a Music Ed Major. SIDENOTE: Preston Howard came along to help with UNLV's visual program. He ended up staying with me at my apartment and we became good friends. In the video, he marches up at 18:46 and starts playing......The greatest French Horn solo in Drum Corps history. 📯

Thanks Sam for sharing your story. This is AWESOME! `84 was my 1st year of Drum Corps...playing French Horn with Blue Knights. I remember BD's show very well

God I miss G horns

So cool to hear your stories and experiences from your time with BD! Glad you're doing well, and glad you're still showcasing your passion for music and the arts!

My twins just completed their first season with BDB. Thank you for sharing your memory!

Great commentary, great video. Reminds me of going to see the Black Watch way back when at the sports arena.

yes it is the right thing to do...