The Three Types of Fencing Swords

The foil, the epee and the sabre fencing swords have been around for many centuries. Both the foil and the epee are descended from 16th century rapiers whereas sabre fighting originated from fighting on horseback in the 17th century.

The Foil
Foil fencing swords are the most popular with both beginners and advanced fencers. These fencing swords are called foils because they were traditionally made from rolled steel foil. They are lightweight and are a thrusting weapon. The blade is squarish and tends to be no more than 90 centimetres in length. When duelling with foil fencing swords, hits are scored only on the torso. Since it is a thrusting weapon, the hits must be made with the tip. Only one person may get a hit at a time. This is called the right of way.

The Epee
Epee fencing swords are also thrusting weapons, but they are heavier than foils. The blade on epee fencing swords isn't as flexible as the one on foils. The blade is more v-shaped than square. Hits can be scored anywhere on the body, but the tip must be used. Hits made with the side of the blade do not count. Of the three fencing swords, only the epee allows both fencers to score a hit at the same time.

 The Sabre
The third kind of fencing sword is the sabre. This is a light sword that can be used for both thrusting and cutting. While it is mainly used for slashing, both the side of the blade and the tip can score a hit. When duelling with sabre fencing swords, a hit is scored on the upper body above the waist. This includes the head and the arms, but not the hands. The right of way is used with sabre fencing.