Fencing Tools Needed for Foil & Epee Weapons

Largely due to strident equipment standards and mandated inspections at all official tournaments, fencing is a very safe sport. While few people experience a serious injury in a tournament, it's quite common for a fencer to be penalized or disqualified for a completely unintentional weapon malfunction. The best cure is prevention, so it is essential to expect the worst and bring plenty of tools when packing your equipment.

  1. Tools for Weapon Testing Before a Bout

    • Although there are significant differences between the different scoring systems, foil and epee fencing use the same basic mechanism of detecting a scored point. When a point is made, the pressure against the opponent's body depresses the tip of the weapon point, which alters an electrical circuit. In epee this closes the circuit and in foil it opens the circuit. Regulations specify that this should happen only if a certain amount of pressure has been exerted on the point. So, before every bout there is a "tip test" employing a weight. Foil weights are 500 grams while epee weights are 750 grams.

      Another test before every epee and foil bout is the shim test, which ensures that the movable element of tip is gapped properly from the opening of the tip barrel. A prepared fencer should own the right weights and shims for his weapon to avoid unnecessary surprises at a tournament.

    Tools for Electrical Scoring Upkeep

    • An electric multimeter should be used to measure the resistance of the weapon in its open and closed circuit configurations. It is advisable to do this before a tournament and after any type of adjustment or repair has been done on the weapon. Additionally, body cords should have their resistance measured periodically and should register no higher than 0.5 Ohms. If electrical resistance is not in the normal range, the two most likely causes are corroded contacts or a broken wire. Corroded contacts often can be detected visually by the presence of rust, which can be rubbed with emery cloth or very fine sandpaper. In the case of slight contact oxidation, an alternative is to spray the affected areas with electrical contact solution, which is sold at auto parts stores and some electronics stores. Furthermore, foils are required to have the end of the blade partially covered in electrical tape.

    Tools for Weapon Disassembly

    • Keep a metric Allen wrench set handy to adjust or disassemble any pistol grip you might encounter.

      Whether a weapon needs a minor adjustment or a complete overhaul, it is important to know how to disassemble a weapon entirely and to have the proper tools to do so. While most French-style epees and foils are held together by the pommel acting as a retaining nut, the body cord plug usually requires a Phillips screwdriver for removal. Weapons with a pistol grip usually are secured into form with a lock nut that must be loosened with an Allen wrench. Finally, most electric points are held together with very small slot screws that are installed and removed with a variety of jeweler's screwdrivers.

    Tools for Wire Replacement

    • If a wire is broken it will need to be replaced entirely. Unfortunately, this requires that the blade be removed completely from the weapon and most methods require that glue or epoxy set overnight. To replace a wire, you should observe any instructions provided by the manufacturer of the blade and the wire. Usually this job will require a vice (the small portable ones work well), an appropriate glue or epoxy and a means, such as a file or coarse sandpaper, to remove any old glue. In some cases a rotary tool or polishing drill should be used to remove excessive glue remnants. While the blade is being rewired, you may wish to preempt future repairs by replacing the tip spring and cleaning the contacts while the tip already is removed.