Items for Sale

Conversion Pieces

Photo by Marco Carrera

These pieces are designed to adapt a French blade to an Italianesque weapon. While nothing can replace using a true ricasso, our false ricasso is an excellent substitute.

The standard size is designed to fit people whose glove size is a small or medium. The large size is designed for people whose glove size is a large or extra large. Both the standard and large size conversion pieces meet FIE length requirements stated in “material rules” (m.4). Both fit guards meeting material rule m.9. The standard size conversion piece must have a guard at least 10 cm in diameter and the large size conversion piece must have guard at least 12 cm in diameter. With the appropriate guards the weapons also meet the AHF requirements that “On the Italian foil the guard (coccia) must be round, and the cross bar may project no more than two centimeters beyond the circumference of the guard.”

Both sizes come in either a polished steel finish, or a flat black, Parkerized finish that prevents corrosion. The picture on the left shows a Parkerized grip

Our conversion pieces can be incorporated with electric weapons provided the blade’s tang extends into the pommel. If you wish, we will be happy to build an electric weapon for you. Contact us for details and prices.

Parkerized Conversion Pieces

Large Size Standard Size

Natural Steel Parkerized

Both grips are standard size conversion pieces.

Pommels

Photo by Marco Carrera

Our pommels are made out of steel and brass. The standard size pommel is two inches in length and has a mass of approximately 80 grams. Please contact us for details. If you would like to customize your foil with a pommel of specific length then let us know and we can build it for you. Note the pommels are designed to fit our handles and may not be suitable for use on French grips.

Wood Grips

Photo by Marco Carrera

The wood grips are designed to specifically fit our pommels and conversion pieces. The picture shows a black walnut grip with a polished oil finish. The grips are made of black walnut and come in two profiles convex and straight. The convex profile is shown in the picture to the left. Its diameter is greater in the middle than at either end. The straight profile has a uniform diameter from end to end. When ordering a foil or conversion kit, please specify which profile you would like.

Conversion Sets

Photo by Marco Carrera

If you already have a French blade and guard then the conversion set is an excellent way to obtain an Italian weapon. The picture at the left shows the parts of the conversion set semi assembled. The picture shows how the wood grip inserts into the conversion piece and the pommel so that they interlock together creating a very secure and stable unit. The wood grip is only partially inserted into the other two parts so that it is easier to see how the set fits together. The gap between the parts disappears when the pommel is tightened. Each conversion set is assembled before being shipped to assure the parts do fit.

Assembly is easy. Cut the finger pad out so it can fit over the false ricasso of the conversion piece. Check to see if the conversion piece fits over the blade if it does not fit, then file down the corners of the tang of the blade until the conversion piece fits smoothly and snuggly over the blade Remove the conversion piece and add the following pieces in this order to the blade: guard, finger pad, conversion piece, wood grip, and pommel.

Tighten the pommel until the entire foil is secure. Be careful that you do not over tighten the pommel and crush the wood grip. Now the foil is ready for use.

Ambidextrous French Grips (no picture yet)

This grip was made from pictures from a fencing book and left and right handed fencing. We have reproduced it and found it to be quite easy to use. The design allows for easy point control using the fingers only. We have found that it handles best when given a downward cant. They can also be used to replace a standard French style grip. The pieces are made of hard maple to resist splitting and the thread wrapping is adhered to the wood to keep it from moving.