What are the foil, épée, and sabre?
Various French foils used for fencing. Italian foil. Foil: The foil was originally the practice weapon for the smallsword (in French, a court or town sword: épée de cour or épée de ville). Used only for thrusting, it is the weapon with which the basics of fencing are first learned, as well as more sophisticated theory and technique. This theory and related techniques can then be transferred to other weapons. The two types of foil are the French and the Italian. The French foil consists of a thin blade with a quadrangular cross section, which terminates at the point with a flattened nail head. The hilt of the weapon is constructed with a light guard which can be of a figure-eight, round, rectangular, or oval shape, and a slender, slightly curved or straight grip. It is assembled with a pommel at the end to regulate its balance. The Italian foil has a similar type of blade; however, in the manner of its direct ancestor, the rapier, it includes a ricasso that extends through the guard. Th
