A foil is one of the three weapons used in the sport of fencing. It is a flexible sword 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.
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👉 Foil (fencing) in the context of Fencing
Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting. It consists of three primary disciplines: foil, épée, and sabre (also spelled saber), each with its own blade and set of rules. Most competitive fencers specialise in one of these disciplines. The modern sport gained prominence near the end of the 19th century, evolving from historical European swordsmanship. The Italian school altered the historical European martial art of classical fencing, and the French school later refined that system. Scoring points in a fencing competition is done by making contact with the opponent with one's sword.
The 1904 Olympic Games featured a fourth discipline of fencing known as singlestick, but it was dropped after that year and is not a part of modern fencing. Competitive fencing was one of the first sports to be featured in the Olympics and, along with athletics, cycling, swimming, and gymnastics, has been featured in every modern Olympics.
In this Dossier
Foil (fencing) in the context of Thomas Bach
Thomas Bach (born 29 December 1953) is a German lawyer, former foil fencer, and Olympic gold medalist. He served as the ninth president of the International Olympic Committee from 2013 to 2025. He was the first ever Olympic champion to be elected to that position. Since 2025, he has served as Honorary President of the International Olympic Committee. Bach is also a former German individual foil champion as well as a team world champion, and former member of the German Olympic Sports Confederation's executive board.
Foil (fencing) in the context of Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife
The Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife is a double-edged fighting knife resembling a dagger or poignard with a brass or wooden foil grip. It was developed by William Ewart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes in Shanghai based on ideas that the two men had while serving on the Shanghai Municipal Police in China before World War II.
The F-S fighting knife was made famous during World War II when issued to British Commandos, the Airborne Forces, the Special Air Service (SAS) and many other units, especially for the Normandy landings in June 1944. With its acutely tapered, sharply pointed blade, the F-S fighting knife is frequently described as a stiletto, a weapon optimised for thrusting, although the F-S knife can be used to inflict slash cuts upon an opponent when its cutting edges are sharpened according to specification. The Wilkinson Sword Company made the knife with minor pommel and grip design variations.
Foil (fencing) in the context of Épée
The épée (/ˈɛpeɪ, ˈeɪ-/, French: [epe]; lit. 'sword'), 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 itself derives from the French small sword.
As a thrusting weapon, the épée is similar to a foil (contrasted with a sabre, which is designed for slashing). It has a stiffer blade than a foil. It is triangular in cross-section with a V-shaped groove called a fuller. The épée also has a larger bell guard designed to protect the user’s arm. In addition to the larger "bell" guard and blade, the épée weighs more than the foil and sabre which contributes to its reputation of being the slowest form of fencing. The techniques of use differ, as there are no rules regarding priority and a lack of right of way. Thus, immediate counterattacks are a common feature of épée fencing. The entire body is a valid target area.
Foil (fencing) in the context of Sabre (fencing)
The sabre (US English: saber, both pronounced /ˈseɪbər/) is one of the three disciplines of modern fencing alongside foil & epee. The sabre weapon is for thrusting and cutting with both the cutting edge and the back of the blade (unlike the other modern fencing weapons, the épée and foil, where a touch is scored only using the point of the blade).
The informal term sabre fencer refers to sabre fencers of both genders.