The French Foil

I don't commonly create complete fencing foils because of the time involved in working even the better raw blades sold today into what I would want to use in competition.  Lately, however, a number of fellow fencers have inquired about purchasing complete weapons so I thought I would develop a more classical French foil that would meet their needs and still meet the standards that I would want in my own fencing weapons.

Pictured above is a commissioned custom foil using a French grip.  The blade is an SG premium blade but has been worked to the dimensions of a 1960's French Prieur blade that I have in my collection.  Because blades are tempered, heating is an issue when a blade is abrasively reduced.  I work my blades in batches of six to twelve, minimizing heating and allowing plenty of cooling time before a blade is worked again.

The guard I've selected is a jewel all by itself.  Cast in brass, it's in the style of the German Figure 8 and was obtained from Andrew Chin of Salle Saint-George in Seattle.  The guard is backed with thick leather cowhide.

The grip is traditional French foil design.  It is hand made of Poplar and the width, depth and length are set to the buyer's preference.  It is wrapped with single, hardened black cord.  I have found this cord to be extremely durable and provides an excellent purchase in competition use.

The end of the grip is covered with a countersunk brass ferrule to protect the wood as the pommel is tightened.  The ferrule is sized to match the pommel.

The pommel, also in brass, is inspired by and based on the research of Benjamin Bowles of Benjamin Arms.  I created mine in brass to match the guard.  Ben Bowles has a new catalog of weapons that accurately follow the designs and preferences of past fencing masters and he has been very generous in sharing his research with me.

The custom touch on the end of the pommel was a request by the buyer.  It's the first time I've ever used a boring bar in the making of a pommel.  On a metal lathe, the cut can be made so accurately that the Fleur-De-Lis emblem is actually tightly "press fit" into the bored opening.  Industrial emblem adhesive was used to prevent unseating under hard use.

"La Québécoise" (The Lady From Quebec)

The Fleur-De-Lis, a stylized lily (in French, fleur means "flower" and lis means "lily), has long been used on many European coats of arms but is particularly associated with French heraldry and the French monarchy.  The symbol was also carried to the New World by European settlers, again particularly the French, and is still seen today in areas of strong French colonial settlement.  In Canada,  the fleur-de-lis remains a symbol of cultural identity for many French-speaking people.  One of these areas is Quebec, which features it prominently on its flag.

This Classical Fencing foil guard was commissioned by a client who proudly retains that cultural identity and chose the design and name.  Often seen in white, the fleur-de-lis is displayed in blue on the flag of Quebec so the client chose to include both colors.  The guard is cut in stainless steel, with stainless steel rosette, and is backed with two layers of felt, heat-fused to leather.  As with others on this page, it is a one-of-a-kind item and will not be reproduced.

The client also chose to add a custom grip and pommel to complete his weapon.  The grip is made of dense Purple Heart wood and follows a design similar to one created by Benjamin Bowles of Benjamin Arms .  It features a slightly wider area at the rear to allow better control with the ring and little finger.  The grip is finished in wax-free shellac to reduce wear, prevent darkening and protect the wood against moisture.  The pommel is machined from solid brass and features a recessed collar that slides over the wood grip to prevent mushrooming or splitting when the pommel is tightened.

"Trinity"

Tradition says that Saint Patrick, the primary patron saint of Ireland, used the the shamrock to illustrate the Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity when Christianizing Ireland in the 5th Century.  According to many sources, three was a significant number in pagan Ireland and the Irish had many triple deities. While the shamrock itself doesn't appear to have been sacred to the Celts, the symbolism and the relationship of the shamrock to the earth may have helped Saint Patrick in his evangelistic efforts.  The shamrock went on to become the national symbol of Ireland and is featured on many illustrations, emblems and artifacts.

This is a commissioned foil guard based on a design selected by the client.  Even though cut on stainless steel, I considered that the size and open design might not be sufficiently strong to be use in competition.  As I've mentioned before, my creations are not designed as decorative items and are intended for actual use in classical fencing bouts.  As it turned out, all sections are amazing strong.  It is sure to be clearly visible in the 2016 Palm Beach Classical Fencing Open Tournament.