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.

The Art of the Pommel

The pommel attaches to the threaded end of the blade and secures the guard, finger pad and grip on the foil.  It's not only a tightening device, its weight helps to balance the foil's elements for optimal blade handling.  At one time, when swords were used in real combat, it was considered perfectly acceptable to strike (pummel) your opponent with the pommel.  There is mixed evidence as to all the details of this practice so I won't debate it here but I'm sure, in a life or death situation, all was fair.

While some pommels are cast from brass and other readily meltable materials, I prefer to create mine by machining from bulk  materials.  Presented are three Classical Fencing foil styles that I've made recently.  On the front left is a conical pommel machined from a two inch slug of brass (rear right).  The other two are hex-shaped pommels made from bars of hexagonal steel and brass.  The collars at the very front are matching bushings made to fit over softer wood grips that are cord wrapped (see previous post on grips).

The tool shown at the back left is one of the lathe bits and its holder that I use to turn the pommels.  One of the pleasures of machining is making my own cutting bits from high speed steel.  The pommel in the center is made from relatively mild steel but harder steels often require the use of commercial carbide bits.

One of the more critical elements in making a pommel is maintaining the center so it can be accurately drilled and then tapped with threads.  I try to ensure that the hole perfectly aligns through the entire center of the pommel for a clean fit against the grip so drilling and tapping are done directly on the lathe.  Holding a conical shape correctly aligned in the jaws of the lathe required the creation of a matching sleeve to prevent marring the polished surface.

Machining allows for not only varied shapes but for types of finishes as well.  While the conical pommel at the bottom is highly polished, the two hex-shaped pommels above have a combination of satin and polished surfaces.

In closing, I must point out that the feel and maneuverability of a particular weapon is a very complex issue comprised of many elements and the pommel is just one.  As pointed out by Ben Bowles of Benjamin Arms, even the perfectly "balanced" weapon (by accepted standards) may prove unwieldy and ineffective in use if all the elements don't come together.  I find myself changing things quite often until I'm completely satisfied that a particular weapon is what I want to use.

Abeja Dorada

Abeja Dorada (The Golden Bee) is a commissioned guard for a Classical Fencing foil.  It is based on a design request of a client.  It is shown mounted with the client's existing blade, grip and pommel.  The guard is cut from 18 gauge stainless steel and the backing pad is two layers of yellow felt, heat-fused to a layer of leather to protect the fingers of the fencer.

This guard is a record setter in that it required 70 drill points to allow for tight turns and details.  It was cut with a hardened jeweler's blade designed to cut stainless steel.

The Art of the Grip

Other than blade preferences, perhaps nothing is more subjective for advanced fencers than the feel of a particular grip.  After all, the grip is the link between the blade and the fencer's hand.  It plays a big part in the sensations that are transferred to the fingers as the blade moves and contacts the opponents blade.  The grip plays a part in the fencer's "Sentiment-de-Fer," the sense or feeling for the blade but that is a more complex issue than I can cover here.  More critically, however, the grip affects the weapon's balance, purchase (the ability to hold onto it), weight and maneuverability.  The finest blade with the wrong grip becomes nothing more than a hatchet with a blunted point.

The ten wood grips above are made of Poplar and will be cord wrapped, like the one shown in the middle, so they are slightly undersized from the final dimensions.  They are in semi-completed status and the final shaping and wrapping will be done when the grips are ready to be fitted to blades.  Poplar is a very light, straight-grained wood that absorbs shock well.  I've also made grips with harder woods like mahogany, ash, oak, ebony, teak and maple.  Harder woods are typically heavier and are stained and sealed to show the wood grain.  Wire wrap is sometimes done to aid the purchase of the hand on the weapon but wire is rough on gloves so I only do it at a client's request.  Hardwoods transfer more shock to the hand but, in the hand of an experienced fencer, even the lightest touch of the blade is instantly felt.  

All my grips start as a blocks of wood and are center drilled, cut (based on several time-tested templates), shaped and then sanded.  They are all 6 inches long and will be later sized to the client's hand.  The final shaping will be done when the grip is fitted to the client's blade.  Although the grips above all appear the same,  each is hand made so there are slight differences in dimensions and shape that I use to fit a grip to a particular client's needs.  As I mentioned above, it's a matter of subjective feel.  

The grip in the middle is wrapped with copper-colored nylon and then wrapped on top with black nylon thread.  A small section at the end of the grip is left unwrapped to allow the recessed area of the pommel (or pommel bushing) to overlap and compress directly against the wood.  This prevents splitting.  The blocks in the middle are Mahogany (left) and Poplar (right).  At the back, behind the cords, is Zebra wood that will be part of a future grip project.

The Queen of Hearts

The Queen of Hearts is a commissioned Classical Fencing foil guard based on a design submitted by the client and is cut from 18 gauge stainless steel.  It is shown mounted on the client's blade, grip and pommel from Benjamin Arms.  The guard is backed by layers of heat-fused felt and leather to protect the fingers.

A finishing touch to the Queen of Hearts Classical Fencing foil.  The guard for this foil was the first custom-cut guard I created and its owner always wanted a single red heart mounted on the pommel but this medallion was difficult to find in a shape and size that would work.  Internet searches and messages to supplies of similar medallions were unsuccessful until one suddenly appeared before me while wandering through a local jewelry show.  Now, the Queen of Hearts is complete!