Sabre (fencing)

The sabre is one of the three weapons of modern fencing, and is alternatively spelled saber in American English. The sabre differs from the other modern fencing weapons, the épée and foil, in that it is possible to score with the edge of the blade; for this reason, sabreur movements and attacks are very fast. For the other two weapons, valid touches are only scored using the point of the blade. Like the foil, but unlike the épée, sabre uses the convention of right-of-way to determine who acquires the touch.

The term sabreur refers to a male fencer who fences with a sabre. Sabreuse is the female equivalent.

The cross-section of the sabre blade is l - or V-shaped, unlike the quadrangular shape of the foil, but not as stiff as the épée. Adult (size 5) blades are 88 cm (35 inches) in length. At the end of the blade, the point is folded over itself to form a "button", although no actual button exists. The bell guard of the sword is curved around the handle, giving the fencer hand protection. On electrical sabres, a socket for the body wire is found underneath the bell guard. A fastener known as a pommel is attached to the end of the sword to keep the bell guard and handle on. The handle of a sabre is standardly a straight sabre grip, as other grips are incompatible with the bell guard. Pistol grips are incompatible with the sabre. The entire weapon is generally 105 cm (41 inches) long; the maximum weight is 500g, but most competition swords are closer to 400g. It is shorter than the foil or épée, and lighter than the épée, making it easier to move swiftly and incisively. The sabre's blade is sometimes likened to a matchstick insofar as it is easy to snap but relatively cheap to replace.

Like other weapons used in fencing, the modern sabre uses an electrical connection to register touches. The sabreuse wears a lamé, a conductive vest, to complete the circuit and register a touch to a valid target.

Sabre was the last weapon in fencing to make the transition over to using electrical equipment. This occurred in 1988, 32 years after foil and 52 years after the épée. In 2004, immediately following the Athens Summer Olympics, the timing for recording a touch was shortened from its previous setting, dramatically altering the sport and method in which a touch is scored.

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