Foil (fencing)

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A foil is one of the three weapons used in the sport of fencing. It is a flexible weapon of total length 110 cm or under, rectangular in cross section, weighing under 500 g, with a blunt tip. As with

Arianna Errigo (L) competes against Carolin Golubytskyi (R) in the final of the women's foil event, 2013 World Fencing Championships

Italo Santelli (left) and Jean-Baptiste Mimiague exhibiting techniques of foil fencing at the 1900 Olympics

A foil fitted with an Italian grip. While still in use with a small number of classical fencers, all competitive sport fencers have abandoned the Italian grip in favor of variations of the pistol grip, with the French grip used rarely. The last Olympic medal won using an Italian grip was Carlo Montano's silver in 1976. The French grip is easier to learn, but the pistol grip gives a wider range of handling. As of March 2019, the Italian grip remains legal for use in modern competition.

Parts of a foil. Exploded view of a modern fencing foil, with a Visconti grip and a bayonet-style body cord plug[citation needed]

Épée

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The épée, also rendered as epee in English, is the largest and heaviest of the three weapons used in the sport of fencing. The modern épée derives from the 19th-century épée de combat, a weapon which

Foil (fencing)

…a flexible weapon of total length 110 cm (43 in) or under, rectangular in cross section, weighing under 500 g (18 oz), with a blunt tip. As with the épée, points are only scored by making contact with the tip. The foil is the most commonly used weapon in fencing. There are two types of foil used in modern…

Electric épée fencing: Diego Confalonieri (left) and Fabian Kauter in the final of the Trophée Monal

The referee checks Kristina Kuusk's weapon in the Challenge International de Saint-Maur.