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- This article is about the sword. For the founder of public deaf education, see Charles-Michel de l'Épée.
An épée is a modern version of the duelling sword used in sport fencing. It is similar to a foil, but has a stiffer V-shaped blade, has a larger bell guard, and is heavier. The blade is a concave triangle in cross-section. Épée is French for "sword".
Background
While modern sport fencing has three weapons (foil, épée and sabre), each a separate event, épée is the only one in which the entire body is considered a valid target area. In most higher level competitions a grounded metal piste is also used to prevent floor hits from registering as touches. Unlike sabre and foil, in épée there are no right-of-way rules regarding attacking; that is, touches are awarded solely on the basis of which fencer makes a touch according to the electronic scoring machines. Also, in épée double-touches are allowed, although the touches must be within 40 milliseconds of one another.The Weapon
The bellguard of the épée is grounded to the scoring box to prevent hits to it from registering as touches. Only hits made with the tip of the weapon register as touches on the scoring box. The modern épée typically has a blade which measures 90 centimetres, and weighs up to 770 grams, although sometimes weighing as little as 350 grams.
The tip of an épée is generally held together by two small screws, called tip screws, which go into grooves on either side of the barrel, however there are screwless variations on this system. The tip must support a weight of 750 grams without registering a touch. Finally an épée tip must allow a shim of 1.5 mm to be inserted, and when a 0.5 mm shim is inserted and the tip depressed, it should not register a touch. These are tested at the start of each bout and whenever a weapon is replaced during a bout.
History
The épée evolved from civilian weapons such as the rapier in the late 15th century and the true dueling weapons of the 18th & early 19th centuries before becoming known as a sport fencing weapon (19th century).The last official sabre duel in Europe was held in Budapest (Hungary) in Europe's oldest fencing-school.
See also
External links
Kord | Degen espada | Degen Spada (sport) | Szpada | Kalpa | Шпага | 重劍
"Épée (fencing)"