| This is what the barrel on a foil looks like. The upper one is for a French tip, the lower is for a German tip. As you can see, there is a slight difference in diameter, making the tips incompatable. The barrel is directly attached to the blade and contains the tip, spring, cup and screws. The barrel is covered with tape when assembled, to prevent the weapon from grounding out on the opponent's lame, which causes the point not to be registered. | |