page_title: Épée
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Épée / Description
caption_attribution_description: English: The referee checks the weapon of Kristina Kuusk from Estonia. Match against Italy for the 7th place in the team event of the Challenge international de Saint-Maur 2013, a women's épée World Cup tournament. Français&#160;: L'arbitre vérifie l'arme de Kristina Kuusk (Estonie). Match contre l'Italie pour la 7e place dans la compétition par équipes du Challenge international de Saint-Maur 2013, un tournoi de la Coupe du monde épée dames.
context_page_description: The épée 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 but has a stiffer blade, which is triangular in cross-section with a V-shaped groove called a fuller. It also has a larger bell guard and weighs more. The technique is somewhat different, as there are no rules regarding priority and right of way. In addition, the entire body is a valid target area.
context_section_description: A modern épée for use by adult fencers (size 5) has a blade that measures 90 cm from the guard to the tip. The total weight of the weapon ready for use is less than 770 g, with most competition weapons being much lighter, weighing 300 to 450 g. Épées for use by children under 13 are shorter and lighter (size 2), making it easier for them to use.
  The blade of an épée is triangular in section, whereas that of a foil is rectangular, and neither blade has a cutting edge. Wires may run down a groove in épée blades fitted for electric scoring, with a depressible button capping the point. In competitive fencing, the width of any of the three sides of an épée's blade is limited to 24 mm.
  The guard has numerous forms, but all are boiled down to a spherical shield, the section of which fits in a 10–13.5 cm cylinder. This is frequently called a bell guard.  As the hand is a valid target in competitive fencing, the guard is much larger and more protective than that of a foil, having a depth of 3–5.5 cm and a diameter of up to 13.5 cm.
  As with foils, the grip of an épée can be exchanged for another if it has a screw-on pommel. Grip options primarily include either the French grip and the pistol grip.
  In competitions, a valid touch is scored if a fencer's weapon touches the opponent with enough force to depress the tip; by rule, this is a minimum force of 750 grams-force (7.4 N). The tip is wired to a connector in the guard, then to an electronic scoring device or "box". The guard, blade, and handle of the épée are all grounded to the scoring box to prevent hits to the weapon from registering as touches.
  In the groove formed by the V-shaped blade, there are two thin wires leading from the far end of the blade to a connector in the guard. These wires are held in place with a strong glue. The amount of glue is kept to a minimum as in the unlikely (but possible) case that a fencer manages a touch in that glue, the touch would be registered on the electrical equipment, as the glue is not conductive (the blade is grounded). In the event of tip to tip hits, a point should not be awarded. A "body cord" with a three-pronged plug at each end is placed underneath the fencer's clothing and attached to the connector in the guard, then to a wire leading to the scoring box. The scoring box signals with lights (one for each fencer) and a tone each time the tip is depressed.
  The tip of an electric épée, or the button, comprises several parts: the mushroom-shaped, movable pointe d'arrêt at the end; its housing or "barrel" which is threaded onto the blade; a contact spring; and a return spring. The tips are generally held in place by two small grub screws, which thread into the sides of the tip through elongated openings on either side of the barrel. The screws hold the tip within the barrel but are allowed to travel freely in the openings. While this is the most common system, screwless variations do exist. The return spring must allow the tip to support a force of 750 gf (7.4 N) without registering a touch. Finally, an épée tip must allow a shim of 1.5 mm to be inserted between the pointe d'arrêt and the barrel, and when a 0.5 mm shim is inserted and the tip depressed, it should not register a touch. The contact spring is threaded in or out of the tip to adjust for this distance. These specifications are tested at the start of each bout during competitions. During competitions, fencers are required to have a minimum of two weapons and two body wires in case of failure or breakage.
  Bouts with the different fencing weapons have a different tempo; like the foil, the tempo for an épée bout is rather slow with sudden bursts of speed.
caption: The referee checks Kristina Kuusk's weapon in the Challenge International de Saint-Maur
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