"Alacrán Negro" (The Black Scorpion)

The incorporation of two new elements for a Classical Fencing foil.  Shown with the Fabulous Machine that makes winding multiple cords and wires simultaneously possible, the Poplar wood grip core is covered with a combination of cord, black glove leather and double silver-plated wire.  My attempt to create a fully spiraled leather wrap was abandoned because the spacing between underlying cords was too wide for hand comfort, was extremely laborious and the result wasn't aesthetically pleasing.  I also found that durability might be an issue unless the leather and underlying cord were heavily glued down to prevent shifting if the leather stretched over time.  The leather is soft calfskin and is skived at the edges for smooth transition at the overlap.  The blade is a #5 SG Premium blade refined to a thrust force of 2 lbs 9 oz at nominal bend.  It's very light and intended for a skilled, advanced fencer.

The guard is a steel Figure 8 from Benjamin Arms and is backed with thick black leather.

The wire wrap is actually two, 20 gauge, silver-plated wires twisted in opposite directions to achieve a braid effect.  The ferrule at the end of the grip and the pommel are both stainless steel.  The ferrule is countersunk to cover the end of the grip and prevent mushrooming.  It is also center-drilled to maintain alignment with the pommel.  The full-faceted hex pommel isn't cast but is cut on a vertical mill.

Once again, I'm pleased to be able to credit Joel Mason, Director of Jacob's Armoury for his generous sharing of his knowledge and skills in grip windings.  Wishing him great health and happiness!