"Points d'Arret"

  Update:  For those that couldn't attend the recent 2024 South Florida Open Fencing Tournament in Palm Beach, I haven't forgotten about you.  The next batch of Points d'Arret are complete and are available.  Please feel free to contact me by email at heritage2107@yahoo.com for pricing and mailing information.  They are provided in packages of 3 points and mailing is flat rate within the continental U.S.  

So nice to be back after all the COVID issues.  Apparently, the sources for Points d'Arret have dwindled to a trickle and many in the Classical Fencing world have resorted to making their own from bolts with countersunk heads for use on their epeés.  After taking some measurements of a point I had on hand, I decided to try my hand at making them using the machines in my shop.  The angles and depth of calculated cuts involved a lot of trial and error. The power of machinery versus the size and nature of the material resulted in unacceptable material strength and a lack of a consistent product.

After many adjustments and rewritten notes, I was able to achieve an acceptable and consistent product as seen above.  The points shown are of carbon steel (stainless may come later).  They are drilled internally to reduce rough crosshatching of center material during cutting of the point angles.  The points are cut with a 60 degree carbide bit similar to the one in the picture.  After refining the point angles, the internal surface is formed to give a concave surface that maintains the strength of the point while still allowing for sharpness.  It still involves time and many steps but at least I can count on the results.

So far, I've been able to make 12 sets of three and they'll be available at the 2024 Classical Fencing Open Tournament in Palm Beach but, depending on demand, I hope to be able to provide more.  My email address is on the home page of this blog.