Tipping#

Blunt tips become sharp when they break off. This does not happen frequently, and a well-maintained trainer without any manufacturing defects can last for years. They are not indestructible though, especially when we keep launching them at each other, so fencers must take measures to stay safe in the event of a blade break.

Tipping (that is, adding a leather or thermoplastic safety tip) is mandatory at NHF and serves two purposes:

1. It adds surface area to a tip, reducing the chance that poorly designed tip punctures our equipment, regardless of how “blunt” it may appear. A 350N jacket can repel a good safety tip better than an 800N jacket can repel an untipped sword.
2. It provides a clear visual indicator of when a tip has broken. A broken tip looks remarkably similar to an intact one, whereas the sudden absence of a coloured safety tip is immediately noticeable.

If attending tournaments, look for rulesets that require tipping. Tournaments are more likely to produce broken blades because there are more fencers, more exchanges, and people are fencing at higher intensity. Tournament organizers that do not require tipping are putting you in unnecessary danger, and you should not attend these events (to be clear, NHF will not stop you or sanction you if you decide to attend a tournament without mandatory tipping, we’re just trying to emphasize that these events are foregoing a well-established safety measure).

There are several methods of tipping but this guide will focus on three popular methods in order of effectiveness:

Thermoplastic tips#

Thermoplastic tips are made from beads that you heat up and shape over the tip of your sword, creating a hard rounded tip that glances off an opponent’s mask rather than taking it for a ride. These are currently considered the best and overall safest method for tipping a sword.

Thermoplastic tips work best with rolled or spatulated sword tips, as these shapes give the tip something to hold onto after it cools and hardens. It’s not a bad idea to wrap these in colourful hockey tape to keep the tip in place and make it a more noticeable indicator.

Here’s a 6 minute video showing the whole process.

Leather tips#

Leather tips wrapped with bright hockey tape are an easy and inexpensive way to tip a sword. You can buy a bag of scrap leather from Michaels that will last you for years, and hockey tape at Canadian Tire or Sportchek. Leather tips wear out quickly, so consider packing spare scraps and tape in your gear bag. A rounded sword tip will chew through leather particularly fast, so consider multiple layers, or better yet, a thermoplastic tip in such cases.

Some of us pack these materials in our gear bag, so if you’re coming to class with a new sword, someone can help you apply your first leather tip.

Rubber tips#

Rubber tips are common but no longer recommended. Some tournaments have even begun to ban them.

Rubber tips are fantastic for adding surface area, and can be made to last a lot longer than thermoplastic and leather tips. Unfortunately, the rubber tends to stick to masks rather than glancing off, which increases the risk of causing a concussion. Even when not banned at events, rubber tips should be avoided in favour of thermoplastic or leather tips.