FAQ: How Long is a Fencing Sword?
The maximum length for a foil or epee is 110 centimeters (about 43.3 inches). The maximum length for a saber is 105 centimeters (about 41.33 inches).
The longer answer
In the sport of fencing there are standards for each weapon - foil, epee, and saber - to make a level playing field for the athletes. Since we are trying to hit the target with our fencing sword, a longer blade can give an advantage over an athlete with a shorter blade. Because of this, there are maximum lengths for both the blade and the overall foil, epee, and saber. The maximum blade length is the length of the blade measured from the bell guard to the tip of the weapon. There are different rules for each of the weapons, though foil and epee share the maximum lengths for the total fencing sword as well as the blade.When reviewing the rules about length, keep the following in mind. The overall length takes into account the bell guard and grip, and the measurement is taken from the end of the tip to the end of the pommel or grip, whichever is longer.
- The blade is measured from the bell-guard to the tip.
- There are also maximum sizes for the bellguards, as those provide protection from hits as well.
- The overall lengths are set forth in the official international rules in metric lengths:
| Weapon | Maximum blade | Maximum overall |
|---|---|---|
| Foil | 90 cm | 110 cm |
| Epee | 90 cm | 110 cm |
| Saber | 88 cm | 105 cm |
These figures are set out in the FIE Material Rules: m.7 and m.8 for foil, m.15 and m.16 for epee, m.21 and m.23 for saber, with m.3 covering how each measurement is taken. That article also gives the bell guard and grip dimensions, with diagrams. The current rulebooks are published at fie.org, and USA Fencing publishes its own rules at usafencing.org.
So what is a size 5 fencing blade?
A size 5 blade is the standard, maximum length, fencing blade. Fencing equipment suppliers designate shorter blades as size “2” or “0” to reference their shorter length. The only age group in USA Fencing that is not allowed to use a full sized fencing blade is the Y10 age group.
Fencing blades used to be widely available in sizes from “0” to “5” with a size “5” blade being the maximum legal length. A “size 5” blade will be the maximum length allowed: 90 cm for foil and epee, 88 cm for saber. This measures to approx 35.4 inches in foil and epee and 34.6 inches in saber. Today, the main lengths that are commercially available are the size “5” and size “2”. Some fencing clubs provide size “0” blades for their youth classes.
Youth events
For USA Fencing Youth competitions there is a shorter maximum blade size in Youth-10 (Under 10) events: 32.5 inches. Parents and fencers are advised that blades marketed as “#0” or “#2” are believed to meet this requirement — but blades marketed as #0 or #2 that measure longer than 32.5 inches are not permitted.
There are no special blade-length rules for Youth-12 and Youth-14 events. Those blades must simply comply with the weapon-specific maximums above (m.3, m.8, m.16, m.23).
USA Fencing publishes the current youth figures in its Athlete Handbook, and youth equipment rules are revised more often than the FIE weapon dimensions in the table above — check the current handbook at usafencing.org before entering a competition.
Typically, this means that for Y10 events you’ll have “Size 2” blades as those are the marketing designation for the blades that are allowed for fencing in the Y10 events. There is no overall governing body for marking blade sizes onto the blades, so keep in mind the guidance from the USA Fencing officials that it is the actual blade length, not the marked length, that applies.