W.6. Additions to the Parts of the Italian Fioretto and Spada

Any study of the Italian fencing weapons of the classical period shows an evolution in their design and function.  This is particularly true of the fioretto and spada prior to 1900.  This post addresses one weapon and two weapon components and their evolution. 

The Smarra

The Smarra is described as still in use as late as 1884 by Masaniello Parise, however, the context of it seems to have changed over time. Originally, it had been a heavier foil, only used in lessons against the fencing master. Its purpose had been to strengthen the arm and ultimately allow faster technique execution in the actual foil, which would feel light by comparison. The master himself wouldn't use it, to preserve his energy, having to teach several students in one session. Later, the smarra seems to have been used predominantly as a symbolic weapon in exhibitions. It was handed to the most deserving fencing master or amateur present by the organizer of the event, likely for the duration of the event and to use it in his demonstrations.

1803 Holzman's translation of Rosaroll Scorza & Grisetti, The Science of Fencing, page 278:

• "The smarra is a heavier foil than the others, with which it is the custom to perform the lesson at the chest of the maestro."

1844 Blasco Florio, La scienza della scherma esposta, page 174:

• (translated) "I talked about the foil which is the weapon with which the actions are carried out, however, to teach them to the student, this weapon itself becomes heavier with increasing the mass, and then takes the name of smarra. Since it is heavy, it forces the muscles of the arm to work harder and employ more force, and therefore, as we have from physiology, not only fortifies it, but also makes the movements of the foil quicker, because it is lighter, at the assault. The master, however, makes use of the foil, so as not to consume so much strength and to be able to endure longer in teaching many students."

1884 Masaniello Parise, Trattato teorico pratico della scherma di spada e sciabola, page 218.

• (translated)  "Until a few years ago one used to execute the lessons with a much heavier foil than that which one used in the assaut. This foil was called smarra, as it still is called today. One offered that weapon in preference to any other foil, to denote that whoever presidents over the academy represents a serious art."

The Rivettino 

The lip on the bell is called "rivettino", it curls upward for about a fifth of an inch and is mentioned as late as 1905 in Primo Tiboldi's La Scherma di Fioretto (page 4) as an optional part of the bell. It's main purpose is to give additional protection to the hand: The rivettino catches the point of the opponent's blade, on a sharp weapon often breaking it. This makes it necessary to carefully close distance until the point passed the bell before attacking. It also strengthens the bell structurally and increases the deviation of the opponent's blade in actions with blade (and bell) contact.

1803 Holzman's translation of Rosaroll Scorza & Grisetti, The Science of Fencing, page 75

• "Its use is that of stopping or deflecting the opposing blade from our body ... since without the obstacle of the lip, the enemy point easily slides on the convexity of our shell, we would be wounded either on the hand or on the arm".

1844 Blasco Florio, La scienza della scherma esposta, page 146:

• (translated) "The rivettino ... has three advantages, which are: 1. It strenghens the bell. 2. It serves to increase the diverting of the opponent's blade. 3. It catches the opponent's point, and often breaks it ..., and it makes it necessary for the opponent to carefully and slowly approach the opponent's blade until the point has passed the rivettino."

1871 Cesare Enrichetti, Trattato Elementare Teorico-Pratico Di Scherma, page 66:

• (translated): "The bell ... can incorporate a zone which is called rivettino, and this serves to catch and deviate the point of the enemy to make sure it doesn't hit the hand."

1884 Masaniello Parise, Trattato teorico pratico della scherma di spada e sciabola, page 33: 

• (translated): "The old ones used to add a zone around the bell that curved upward, half a centimeter long, called rivettino, to catch the point of the enemy to make sure when it hits the bell, it couldn't hit the hand. This system is preferred also by us."

Knucklebow

A number of spada and possibly smarra are pictured in collections or in period weapon catalogs as equipped with a knucklebow extending from the gavigliano (crossbar) to the pomolo (pommel) on one side.  See, for example, Benjamin Arms's webpage for Serafino Fratelli e Gnutti's 1904 catalog (also pictured in Holzman's translation of Rosaroll Scorza and Grisetti on page xviii).  These may be a dueling adaptation to provide addititional protection to the base of the hand opposite the thumb.  The last mention of it as a practical part of the sword that we have located appears in 1871 in Enrichetti's Trattato Elementare Teorico-Practico di Scherma, although weapons with the knucklebow were certainly available for sale as late as 1904.  

Sources:

Benjamin Arms; "Serafino Fratelli e Gnutti"; [Internet page]; at https://benjaminarms.com/research/swordmakers/serafino-fratelli-e-gnutti/; accessed 3 May 2022.

Enrichetti, Cesare; Trattato Elementare Teorico-Pratico Di Scherma; [fencing manual]; Parma, Italy; 1871; at https://hdl.handle.net/2027/gri.ark:/13960/t1wf1614v.

Florio, Blasco; La scienza della scherma esposta; [fencing manual]; Catania, Italy; 1844; at https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_wjjdFWDQT4kC.

Parise, Masaniello; Trattato teorico pratico della scherma di spada e sciabola; [fencing manual], Roma, Italy;1884; at http://www.compaquila.com/manuali/Parise.pdf.

Rosaroll Scorza, Giuseppe and Grisetti, Pietro; The Science of Fencing; translation by Christopher A. Holzman; [fencing manual]; Milan, Italy, reprint by Christopher A. Holzman, Wichita, Kansas, United States of America; 1803, reprint 2018. 

Tiboldi, Primo; La Scherma di Fioretto; [fencing manual]; Casa Editrice Sonzogno, Milan, Italy; 1905, reprinted 1928; at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r4c8PfPAF8v3PwmaryBgZHOuWp1GE1Te/view.

Copyright 2o22 by Christian Olbrich

Additions to the Parts of the Italian Fioretto and Spada by Christian Olbrich is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

W.5. Parts of the Weapon - Sabre

What is a sabre?  A sabre is a backsword, a sword with a blade with a true (front) cutting edge, and generally a smaller false (back) cutting edge, but with the majority of the back edge of the weapon blunt.  The sabre blade can range from one with significant curvature to a completely straight blade.  

Unlike the foil, the description of the sabre in the classical period is made more complicated by the sabre's dual use.  The sabre is inherently a military weapon.  The common modern term "military sabre" is ridiculous - all sabres are military (with the exception of sabres issued to armed law enforcement personnel, members of the police and customs services).  The term "military sabre" cannot be found in period literature or in the known names of specific weapon patterns.  However, there is a considerable variation of sub-types issued for the use of specific categories of soldiers.  For example, a list of sabre patterns in British use during the classical period includes:

• Cavalry (the ultimate and current pattern of which is the 1908 Troopers and 1912 Officers swords)
• General and Staff Officers
• Gymnasium Swords
• Heavy Cavalry
• Household Cavalry
• Infantry Officers
• Light Cavalry
• Rifle Officers
• Yeomanry Cavalry

This list is representative.  These are often divided into different patterns for officers, non-commissioned, and enlisted men. In some cases there are service weapons and dress weapons, and there are considerable variation in pattern for specific regiments.  Although all of these are sabre pattern weapons, the British typically called them swords. 

A survey of United States sabres shows a similar variety of weapon patterns.  It is interesting to note that the last combat sabre issued by the U. S. Army was a straight bladed weapon optimised for thrusting, the Model 1913 Cavalry Sword (often associated with Lieutenant George Patton, Master of the Sword at the Mounted Service School at Fort Leavenworth).  This weapon continued as service issue until approximately 1934.  However, the current dress sabre (also used by Honor Guard officers in the United States Air Force) is the Model 1902 Officers Sword, a curved weapon, relegated to ceremonial duties, that is a compromise between light weight and efficiency.  

Typically sabres as issue weapons in many armies were designated by their model or pattern number (the year of the specification for the manufacture of the weapon), the type of unit to which the weapon was issued, and the term "sword."  For example (by inspection, all of these weapons are sabres): 

• Austria - Model 1861 Infantry Officer's Sword
• France - Model 1882 Dragoon Trooper's Sword
• France - Model 1845/1855 Infantry Officer's Sword
• Italy - Model 1871/1909 Trooper's Sword
• Poland - Model 1917 Cavalry Officer's Sword
• Prussia - Model 1889 Cavalry Trooper's Sword
• Prussia - Model 1889 Infantry Officer's Sword
• Russia - 1881 Pattern Dragoon Trooper's Sword
• Russia - Model 1909 Infantry Officer's Sword
• Saxony - Model 1874 Artilleryman's Sword
• Sweden - 1867 Pattern Cavalry Trooper's Sword
• Sweden - Model 1899 Infantry Officer's Sword
• Switzerland - Model 1867 Cavalry Trooper's Sword

It is important to note that there are sub-classes of sabres - derivative forms of the weapon.  Two come easily to mind, the dueling sabre (although many duels were fought with the participants' service weapons) and the fencing sabre with which we are all familiar.

The Structure of the Sabre - The Hilt

• Capstan Rivet - a small rivet at the end of the pommel to secure the tang of the blade as it passes through the grip.
• Pommel - the pommel is the termination of the grip and backstrap at the end of the weapon closest to the user.
• Backpiece or Backstrap - a metal strap connecting the pommel and the ferrule, adding strength to the grip.
• Guard or Knucklebow - the guard is the structure designed to protect the hand.  It may be a knucklebow, formed of a bar to protect the knuckles.  The knucklebow meets the quillons, a horizontal bar of two pieces, below and above the blade, perpendicular to the grip.  The knucklebow can be expanded into the counterguard by adding branches (additional bars).  Alternatively, the counterguard may be a metal shell guard open at the back.
• Grip - the portion of the hilt which is held in the hand to maintain control of the sabre.
• Ferrule - a metal band at the base of the grip to which the backstrap attaches.
• Langet - devices fastened to the quillons designed to seat over the throat of the scabbard to help retain the weapon in the scabbard.

The Structure of the Sabre - The Blade:

• Tang - a long piece of metal that passes through the grip to the pommel and is held in place either by a capstan rivet or by hammering the tang flat.
• Shoulder - the point at which the blade transitions from the relatively thin tang into the full width of the blade at the guard. 
• Ricasso - a short, unsharpened, rectangular area of the blade just in front of the guard.
• The Blade is divided into the Forte (the strong of the blade) and the Foible (the weak of the blade).  The point of separation between forte and foible is generally the Point of Percussion, the theoretical location on the blade at which a cut is delivered with the greatest force.
• True Edge - the true edge is the long, sharpened cutting edge extending from the ricasso to the spear point.
• False Edge - the false edge is the short, sharpened cutting edge extending back from the spear point for a short distance. 
• The blade is normally Single Fullered or Multi-Fullered (Pipe Back and Un-Fullered blades are less common).  Fullers are grooves cut into the metal of both flat sides of the blade to reduce the weight of the blade and improve speed and balance.  The description often given is that the fullers are "blood grooves" to allow the wound to bleed, facilitating retraction of the sword from an injured opponent's body in combat.  Supposedly the wound closes around the blade creating a vacuum which would otherwise trap the blade.  Unfortunately this charming idea has no relation to the reality of either how wounds act or of the origin of the fuller structure, and is completely and utterly false.
• The Spear Point - the sharp point at the end of the blade which gives the weapon it's value as a thrust weapon.  (Quill points, Hatchet points, and Clipped points are less common.)

The Fencing Sabre evolved during the classical period, but retained many of the characteristics of the Sabre.

Gerona y Ensenat (1877) provides pictures and sometimes conflicting descriptions of an unidentified sabre that is divided into two parts (note that his text appears intended for the use of issue Army sabres):

The Hilt consists of:

• The Pommel
• The Grip
• The Guard - the guard pictured in the discussion of the sabre is formed by a knucklebow and a branch (termed a quillon).  In the text Gerona y Ensenat discusses a bell guard which should be pierced or have an edge to avoid thrusts delivered randomly to the hilt.

The Blade consists of:

• Superior Spine - the blunt half of the back of the blade closest to the guard.
• Inferior Spine - the blunt third of the front of the blade closest to the guard.
• Superior Edge - the forward back cutting edge of the blade, approximately one half of the blade in length.
• Inferior Edge - the forward, front cutting edge of the blade, approximately two-thirds of the blade in length.

Rossi (1885) describes the Radaellian sabre in more detail than most authors.  The weapon is divided into three parts:

The Grip consists of:

• A wooden Handle.
• An iron Backstrap
• A Tang Button (equivalent to the capstan rivet).

The Guard consists of the:

• Guard proper - this is narrower in the area it protects than other guards.
• Two circular or approximately circular Branches, one on the inside and one on the outside of the guard.

The slightly curved Blade consists of:

• A Point - the type of point is not specified but the illustrations suggest a spear point.
• An Edge -  the true edge or front cutting edge of the blade.
• A False Edge - presumably the short false cutting edge.
• A Spine - presumably the portion of the complete false edge that is not sharpened.
• Fullers - presumably one fuller on each of the flat sides of the blade.
• A Tang - the commonly used tang discussed above. 

Hutton (1889) describes a light sabre (of his own design) as used on the continent with the following parts:

The Blade consists of:

• Edge
• False Edge - the short part of the back of the blade that is sharpened, extending or 8 to 10 inches and ending where the grooving (fullers) begin.
• Back

The Hilt consists of:

• Shell - the protection for the hand.
• Grip
• Pummel - described as a lump of steel at the end of the weapon of sufficient weight to balance the weapon.

The British Army adopted Maestro Ferdinando Masiello's sabre system in 1895.  The resulting Infantry Sword Exercise pictures a weapon with the pierced Pecoraro Guard and the following parts:

The Hilt turns an opponent's cut and protects the hand.  It is composed of the Guard and the Grip.

The Guard - is made of curved steel and covers the whole hand.

The Grip consists of:

• Handle - a wooden handle covered in sharkskin bound by wire.
• Hood - a steel backing to the handle.  Otherwise known as the Backstrap.
• Ferrule - small steel hoop that holds together the handle and the hood at their base.
• Button - steel button which screws onto the tang and secures the hilt to the blade.

The Blade is straight and consists of:

• Point
• Edge
• False Edge
• Rib - apparently the spine.
• The Grooves - apparently the fullers.
• Tang 

Van Humbeek (1905) divides the structure of the blade into two parts, the hilt and the blade.

The Hilt consists of the guard and the Grip.

The Guard is halfcircular and metal.

The Grip consists of:

• A wooden Grip
• The threaded Pommel - which screws onto the threaded end of the tang.

The Blade is constructed with a:

• Point - which is flattened on practice sabre.
• Edge
• Back Edge - extends from the point down to the end of the foible.
• Fullers - two fullers one on each flat side of the blade.
• The Back - the thickest part of the blade opposite the edge. 

Leszak (1906) describes the Hungarian sabre as consisting of the Hilt, which includes the Shell (the guard), and the Blade.

The Pecoraro Guard, described by Pecoraro and Pessina (1912) offered wide protection to both sides of the hand, with the bell of the guard sometimes multiply pierced to reduce the weight.  Terrone pictures the Pecoraro sabre as the desired sabre in his Right and Left Handed Fencing - the hand protection and the equal distribution of the guard on each side created a weapon that could easily be shifted from one hand to the other in a right and left handed bout.  The components of the Pecoraro sabre are described as: 

The Guard - a curved steel guard covering the hand.  Pecoraro and Pessina's guard as illustrated in photographs is not pierced.

The Blade is lightly curved:

• Point - the tip of the blade.
• Edge - from the point to the start of the strong part of the blade.
• Spine - the back side of the blade opposite the edge. 
• False Edge - starting at the point and ending where the fuller ends on the spine side of the blade.
• Fuller - a slight concavity in the middle of the flat of the blade.
• Heel - the larger portion of the blade without a fuller meeting the guard and the tang
• Tang - a non-hardened, rectangular, threaded part of the blade, connecting the blade to the grip.

The Grip: 

• The Grip itself - a wooden grip
• Two Ferrules - steel rings encircling and reinforcing the ends of the grip.
• The Nut - which secures the grip to the tang.

Bertrand (1925) describes key components of the weapon, but does not categorize the more specific components.  He mentions:

• The Guard - a narrow Hungarian shell with a curled lip on the back of the guard (also noted in Van Humbeck and Barbasetti).  
• The Grip - a straight wooden grip.  He specifically condemns attempts to create orthopaedic grips.
• The Blade - heavy enough blade that will not rise in the attack and stiff enough that the opponent will recognize a hit.

Castello (1933) does not provide a detailed description of the sabre but does contribute:

• Weak Part of the Blade - defined as from the point to the termination of the back cutting edge.
• Guard - the most popular pattern is the International Federation Guard which has a smooth surface offering no resistance to the passage of the opponent's blade.

Barbasetti (1937 but judging from the illustrations written much earlier) states that the weapon consists of two parts:

The  hemispherical metal Guard -  the guard is relatively narrow, with a curled lip on the back of the guard.

The Blade:

• Point - blunt for practice sabres.
• Cutting Edge - extending from the point to close to the guard.
• Reverse Cutting Edge - starting at the point and running to the end of the foible.
• Gutters or Grooves - fullers cut in the flat sides of the blade.
• The Back of the Blade - the thick part of the blade opposite the cutting edge.
• Heel - an attachment to the front of the guard in the shape of a parallelepiped (a parallelogram shaped structure).
• Tongue - a threaded extension of the blade through the grip, ending in attachment to the Pummel.

Vince (1940) contributes two details:

• Guard - the guard pictured appears to be the pattern identified as the Olympic pattern with a round top of the shell and no protruding lip to the rear of the guard.
• Blade - the blade is of either of two patterns named for their shape.  The T blade has a wide and flat spine forming a forte that resembles the capital letter T.  The Y blade is distinguished by a groove (fuller) in the spine of the blade which reduce the weight of the blade.

Sources:

Barbasetti, Luigi; The Art of the Sabre and the Epee; [fencing manual]; E. P. Dutton and Company, Inc., New York, New York, United States of America; 1937.

Bertrand, Leon; Cut and Thrust: The Subtlety of the Sabre; [fencing manual]; Athletic Publications, Ltd., London, United Kingdom; 1927.

Castello, Julio Martinez; The Theory and Practice of Fencing; [fencing manual]; Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, New York, United States of America; 1937.

Gerona y Ensenat, Frederico; Fencing of the Sabre; translation by John Jakelsky; [fencing manual]; Printing Press of T. Fortanet, Madrid, Spain; translated and reprinted by John Jakelsky, Xativa, Valencia, Spain; 1877, reprinted 2019.

Hutton, Alfred; Cold Steel: The Art of Fencing with the Sabre; reprinted edition with added introduction; [fencing manual]; William Clowes & Sons, Limited, London; reprint by Dover Publications Inc., Mineola, New York, United States of America;   1889, reprint no date.

Leszak, Karoly; Sabre Fencing; editors and translators Russ Mitchell and Zalan Szalai; [fencing manual]; original publisher unknown; Happycrow Publishing, Irving, Texas, United States of America; 1906, translated edition 2020.

Pecoraro, Salvatore and Carlo Pessina; Sabre Fencing: A Theoretical-Practical Treatise; translation by Christopher A. Holzman; [fencing manual]; Christopher A. Holzman, Wichita, Kansas, United States of America; 1912 reprinted 2016.

Peterson, Harold L.; The American Sword 1775-1945; New, Revised Edition; [reference book]; Ray Riling Arms Books Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America; 1996.

Rossi, Giordano; Theoretical-Practical Manual for Sword and Sabre Fencing; translation by Sebastian Seager; [fencing manual];  Milan, Italy, translated edition by the Melbourne Fencing Society, Carnegie, Victoria, Australia; 1885, translation 2021. 

Russel, C. Allen; "Model 1913 Cavalry Trooper's Sword"; [Internet page]; at https://arms2armor.com/Swords/1913cav.htm; 2008.

Terrone, Leonardo; Right and Left Handed Fencing; [fencing manual]; Dodd, Mead and Company, New York, New York, United States of America; 1959.  Note that this volume was published by Terrone’s students as a collection of his notes well after his death.

United Kingdom, War Office [content author Masiello, Ferdinando]; Infantry Sword Exercise; [fencing Manual]; War Office, London, United Kingdom; reprinted by The Naval & Military Press Ltd., Uckfield, East Sussex, United Kingdom; 1895, reprint no date. 

van Humbeek, Leopold J. M. P.; Manual for Fencing with the Sabre; translation by Reinier van Nort; [fencing manual]; Amsterdam, Netherlands; translated and reprinted by Reinier van Noort, Hagan, Norway; 1905 reprinted 2017.

Vince, Joseph; Fencing; 2^nd Edition; [fencing manual]; A. S. Barnes & Company, New York, New York, United States of America; 1940.

Withers, Havey J. S.; British Military Swords: 1786-1912 The Regulation Patterns; [catalog]; Harvey Withers Military Publishing, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, United Kingdom; 2013.

Withers, Havey J. S.; World Swords 1400-1945; 3rd Edition;[catalog]; Harvey Withers Military Publishing, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, United Kingdom; 2021.

Wylie, Arthur; U. S. Swords; [reference book]; MCN Press, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States of America; 1980.

Copyright 2022 by Walter G. Green III

Parts of the Weapon - Sabre by Walter G. Green III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

T.7. What Is Fencing (to 1900)?

The most basic question that we can ask about fencing is "what is fencing?"  How this question is answered by the authors of fencing texts is important, not only as a definition, but also as a basic doctrinal statement about what it is that we do with the point (foil and epee) and counter-point (sabre) weapons.  Logically we should expect the question to be asked and the answer given at the start of any text in order to frame the following discussion of techniques and tactics.   However, a perusal of a number of fencing texts (either English language or translations - this sample is a convenience one) from the period up to 1900 shows that that is not the case.  Those that do include:

• Roux, F. A. W. L. (1849): "teaches us to use the sharp weapon skillfully.  This means to parry cuts and thrusts., disarm the same or through proper attacks, that is those which prevent him from attacking us while we thrust or cut to wound or subjugate, such that he may not harm us with his weapon.
• Chapman (1861): "scheme upon which the recognized method of attack and defence is founded."
• Merlo y Casademunt (1862): "that which contains the necessary rules for handling of all known cutting and thrusting weapons; this being its only and principal objective; that the individual who uses them acquires the necessary resources to offend and defend."
• De Bazancourt (1862): identifies three styles of fencing, as a gymnastic exercise, as an exact science, and for self-protection.
• Chalaupka (1875): "the study of the appropriate use of thrusting or cutting weapons used in individual combat." 
• Parise (1884): "Fencing, generally speaking, consists of tempo, velocity, and measure; that is, it is necessary to choose the correct moment for the execution of an action, uniting the choice of tempo to the proper velocity and striking at that measure which will be enough to touch the opponent."
• Schneider (1887): "the teaching of the functional use of the thrust- and cut-weapon in single combat; it gives us the means to attack our opponent with artful skill, as well as the necessary skill to reject their attack.
• Sanz (1888): "the art which teaches us to injure the adversary, avoiding that he injures us."
• Grove (see Pollock) (1890): "the art of giving without receiving"
• Rondelle (1892):  defines fencing as a "science," but does not reveal what that science is.
• La Marche (1898) does not directly pose the answer but described fencing in the terms of: "the conception, the execution, the speed and a sense of the appropriate ..." with execution being of an idea, a plan.

From these definitions or explanations is it possible to develop a common basic doctrinal statement of the intent of fencing in the early classical period?  The following list of themes is the first step:

• a science or art - (science) De Bazancourt, Rondelle - (art) Sanz, Grove
• use of white weapons (the cutting or thrusting weapons) - Roux, Merlo y Casademunt, Chalaupka, Schneider
• defense (parrying cuts or thrusts) - Roux, Chapman, Merlo y Casademunt, Schneider
• disarming - Roux
• offense (proper attacks) - Roux, Chapman, Merlo y Casademunt, Schneider
• hitting without being injured - Roux, Sanz, Grove
• a standard scheme or rules or appropriate use - Chapman, Merlo y Casademunt, Chalaupka, La Marche
• individual combat -  Chalaupka
• correct moment of execution - Parise
• teaching or study - Schneider, Roux, Chalaupka

So, if we craft a doctrinal statement incorporating these themes that describes classical fencing before 1900, we arrive at something like the following:

"Fencing is the science of the use of white weapons in individual combat incorporating offense and defense at the correct moment according to their appropriate use to hit an opponent while minimizing the chances of being hit.  Likewise, it is the teaching and study of the science." 

Sources:

Chalaupka, Franz; A Guide for teaching Saber-Fencing; translation by Richard Barberie; [fencing manual]; Karl Prochaska, Vienna, Austria-Hungary; 1875; translation reprinted by Richard Barberie as Fanz Chalaupka's Sabre Fencing; no place; 2021.

Chapman, George; Foil Practice, with a Review of the Art of Fencing;" [fencing Manual]; W. Clowes and Sons, London, United Kingdom; 1861.

De Bazancourt, Cesar; Secrets of the Sword; [fencing manual]; translation by C. F. Clay; Laureate Press, Bangor, Maine, United States of America; first published in French in 1862, translated 1900, Laureate Press publication 1998.

La Marche, Claude; The Dueling Sword; translation by Brian House; [fencing manual]; Ernest Flammarion; Paris, France; reprinted by Paladin Press, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America; 1898 reprinted 2009.

Merelo y Casedemunt, Jose; Manual of Fencing: Compilation of the Most Principal Techniques that Constitute the True Fencing of the Spanish Saber and of the Foil; translation by John Jakelsky; [fencing manual]; Typography Establishment of R. Labajos, Madrid, Spain; translated and reprinted by John Jakelsky, Xativa, Valencia, Spain; 1878, reprinted 2019.

Parise, Masaniello; Treatise on the Fencing of the Sword and Sabre; in The Roman-Neapolitan School of Fencing: The Collected Works of Masaniello Parise, Maestro di Scherma; translation by Christopher A. Holzman; [collected works]; Christopher A. Holzman, Wichita, Kansas, United States of America; 1884 reprinted as a collected work 2015.

Pollock, Walter H., F. C. Grove, and Camille Prevost; Fencing; 2^nd edition; in the Badminton Library of Sports and Pastimes; [fencing manual]; Longman’s, Green, and Company, London, United Kingdom; 1890.

Rondelle, Louis; Foil and Sabre: A Grammar of Fencing in Detailed Lessons for Professor and Pupil; [fencing manual]; Estes and Lauriat, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America; 1892.

Roux, Friedrich August Wilhelm Ludwig; Die Kreussler'sche Stossfechtschule for Use by Academies and Military Schools Based on a Mathematical Basis; translation by Christopher Treichel; [fencing manual]; Druck and Verlag von Friedrich Mauke, Jena, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Germany; translated and reprinted by Christopher Treichel; 1849, reprinted 2016. 

Sanz, Adelardo [translation by John Jakelsky]; Saber Fencing and Considerations About the Duel; [fencing manual]; first published in Spanish by Imprenta de Fortanet, Madrid, Spain; 1886; translated edition published by John Jakelsky, Xativa, Valencia, Spain; 2020.

Schneider, Friedrich; Friedrich Schneider's Infantry Saber; translation by Jeremy Steflik; [fencing manual]; Nydegger and Baimgart, Berne, Switzerland; reprint by Jeremy Steflik, East Haddam, Connecticut, United States of America; 1887, reprint 2018.

Copyright 2022 by Walter G. Green III

What Is Fencing (to 1900)? by Walter G. Green III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

W.4. Parts of the Weapon - Foil

Foils, sabres, and epees are built up of parts.  When you purchase a complete weapon, you have weapon that was assembled by either the manufacturer or the vendor from a set of parts.  If you are the sort of person who likes to know what they are fencing with, it makes sense to know what these parts are and what they do.  There are four distinct patterns of foils (not including the wide range of orthopaedic grips) in use in the classical period: Italian, French, Spanish, and German.

In general discussions of the structure of the foil are based on two systems - the blade consisting of the parts of the blade and the Hilt consisting of everything from the guard or bell back to the pommel.

The Blade

The blade in all four Schools covered here is generally similar, with three exceptions.  The blade can be characterized as having the following parts:

• Length - determining length is difficult because of varying measurements of lengths as we enter the classical period.   For example, Italian blades in Naples and Sicily were measured in palmi - 4 palmi (approximately 38 inches in Naples and Sicily and either 3.6 palmi (34.8 inches) or 3.5 palmi (33 inches) in the rest of Italy.  Examples of German thrust fencing blades have a length of 34.5 inches (starting from 28.25 inches in a 1760 specimen).  We do not have specific data from Spanish School weapons, but photographs suggest that they were in the 34 t0 35 inch range.  French School weapons were as long as 34 inches in 1875; in 1889 they were specified as 33 to 34 inches in length, and 1892 they were not to exceed 35 inches.
• Button - a covering of leather tied in place with cord, in more modern times rubber, or, for the fencer on a budget, athletic tape.  The purpose of the button was to protect the opponent and their uniform from being cut by the edges of the nail head.
• Point - underneath the button, the actual rebated point resembling the head of a nail or some other shape. 
• A number of divisions or grades appropriate to the doctrine of the fencing School (see blog post W.1. How Many Sections to the Foil Blade? ... June 2019 ... and W.2. Additions to the Number of Sections to the Blade ... December 2021).
• Two flats and 2 edges - generally only discussed in Italian fencing.  The flats are the width of the blade, evident when the blade is laid on a table with the wide part of the blade upward.  The two edges are named based on the nearest arch - the edge next to the arch on the true edge of the sword is the inside edge.  The edge next to the arch on the false edge of the sword is the outside edge 
• Balance - the center of gravity of the weapon as a point on the blade ranging from immediately forward of the bell of four fingers from the bell (see W.3. Balance Point of the Blade ...  December 2021).
• Shoulder - the junction of the blade and the tang that rests either on the guard or on a rosette. Found in French foil blades.
• Ricasso - found only in the Italian foil, a flat and somewhat widened section of the blade between the guard and the crossbar. 
• Neck - the square portion of tang starting at the shoulder and ending at the round portion of the tang. Typically, it fits securely in the bell and forward portion of the grip to ensure a secure fit and to prevent the blade twisting in the grip. 
• Tang - the extension of the blade to the pommel.  Various methods were used to secure the tang in the pommel including hammering the end of the tang flat over the end of the opening in the pommel, systems of slotted screws that moved in a channel in the pommel and into which the tang was screwed, to eventually directly screwing the pommel onto the tang.  The tang is alternatively referred to as the Tongue in one source of French origin.

The French Hilt 

The French hilt was distinguished by a wide number of variants, including: lunette or figure 8 guards, lens shaped guards, circular bells of various diameters, and rectangular guards.  However, in general, the French hilt is the simplest of the hilts described in this post.

• Rosette - a metal rosette or circle in front of the guard and at the base of the shoulder that serves either a decorative purpose or provides structural support. 
• Bell - the bell is a domed guard of various heights that is pierced for the ricasso of the blade, protects the hand, and performs a role in closing the line and parrying.
• Thumb pad - a thumb pad of felt, leather, or similar material is located on the blade inside the bell to cushion blows to the hand.
• Martingale - loop of leather or cord fastened between the thumb pad and the grip with the purpose of preventing a dropped or disarmed weapon from injuring the Jury or spectators or other fencers.  One source indicated that the martingale helped in the execution of the coupe.  Although the rules of fencing required a martingale a late as 1968 for non-electric weapons, it's use was by no means universal. 
• Grip - typically a wooden grip wrapped in cord. The grip was often supplied as a straight grip aligned with an unbent tang - a most uncomfortable lack of cant to the weapon which reduces the ability to effectively employ finger play.  The tang should be bent so that grip can be held effectively in the hand. 
• Pommel - the pommel secures the blade and is tightened to secure the hilt and the blade together.  Pommels on French weapons could be found in a variety of decorative designs.

The Italian Fioretto Hilt 

The Italian fioretto had a structurally more complicated form of guard and grip than the French foil and the German thrust rappier.  It also was distinguished by a wide number of variants, including: different size guards, arches, rectangular arches, and crossbars, the cross bar at an angle to make it easier to hold, and grips straight or shaped to conform to the hand.  

The basic common elements of structure:

• Bell (coccia) - the bell is a domed guard of various heights that is pierced for the ricasso of the blade, protects the hand, and performs a role in closing the line and parrying.
• Lip (rivettino) - older Italian guards can be found with a lip, a narrow rim that faces forward on the guard with the intent of catching the point of the opponent's blade.
• Arches (archetti) - two circular arches, oriented on the same axis as the cross bar, join the bell and the crossbar.  The height of the arches is determined by the length of the ricasso.   
• Crossbar (gavigliano) - the cross bar includes connections to the arches and a channel in its center to meet the bottom of the ricasso, pass the tang through the crossbar, and to seat the forward end of the grip.
• Note that the bell, arches, and crossbar form an integrated whole with the arches and crossbar either constructed as a unit or welded together.  The bell may be rivetted to the termination of the arches.
• Thumb pad (cuscinetto)- a thumb pad of felt, leather, or similar material is located on the ricasso inside the bell to cushion blows to the hand.
• Grip (manico) - the grip is straight and noticeably shorter than that of the French grip. 
• Knuckle Bow - the knuckle-bow is a metal bow starting at the crossbar moving generally outward from the crossbar, parallel to the grip, and ending curving in the to pommel.  It provides additional protection to the hand and fingers.  When the hand is in Italian hand position 1 it is upward, position 2 to the inside, position 3 downward, and position 4 to the outside.  This distinguishes an older pattern weapon, although its use continues well into the classical period.
• Pommel (pomo) - a cone shaped pommel secures the blade and is tightened to secure the hilt (guardia) and the blade (lama) together.
• Binding - the Italian foil can be bound to the hand and wrist with a handkerchief, cord, or leather strap.  This is an individual choice to increase power and maintain control, and not all Italian fencers used such a binding.  However, when it was used it became an essential adjunct to the weapon.

The Italian hilt is held with the thumb on the ricasso, the index finger below the ricasso so that these two fingers provide the control for movement of the blade.  The middle finger slides around and behind the crossbar so that its upper digits rest at the inside intersection of the crossbar and ricasso.  The remaining two fingers, with the middle finger, provide for a strong grip of the grip.

The German Kreusslerian Thrust Fencing School

The typical thrust rappier (foil) has a distinctive guard which at first glance would appear to be Italian.  However:

• The bell is circular, but shallower, allowing approximately a thumb's width of distance between the guard and the crossbar at the center, or flat.  
• There are no arches, just a crossbar.  In most cases the crossbar is secured to the bell. 
• The blade typically does not have a ricasso.   
• The handle is straight and often shorter than the French grip, typically with a round pommel.  

When in the hand, the thumb is on the top of the grip, and the index finger is aligned along and hooking over the crossbar, a very different hand position than found in Italian technique.  

At the end of the 1800s, the German association of Fencing Masters is reported to have declared that the French grip was incompatible with German thrust fencing.

The Spanish School Foil

Maestro Adelardo Sanz's original design for the foil for the Spanish School survives in its patent application.  

• The original foil guard featured a four lobed guard with each lobe extending backward for some distance (top, bottom, inside, outside).  The guard eventually became similar to the standard guard used in French Foil, possibly as a manufacturing and cost decision.
• The grip is straight, extending from the inside surface of the guard back to the pommel.
• The grip is held in position by a circular opening in the cross guard.
• The crossbar is bent with two 90 degree turns and is oriented from the top lobe to the bottom lobe, with the top of the crossbar following a semi-circle to the outside so that the thumb can remain on the top side of the handle.
• The two resulting divisions of the space behind the guard are larger (to accommodate the thumb) on the top, and smaller on the bottom.
• The pommel is a standard foil pommel.

The configuration of this grip and guard results in a normal hand position of thumb up (Italian 3rd hand position).  There are a number of variants during the lifetime of this guard and grip with the different configurations of the handle and the crossbar being fitted to the handle.  

The Parts and the School

This variety of parts shows the variety of approaches of the different Schools of fencing to the components of the weapon.  Just like in any other elements of a School, when you start building your own weapons from parts, it is important to keep the final product authentic to the practice of your School. It is physically possible to build an Italian foil with no arches or crossbar, but why would you want to?  The end product would not handle the way that either the French or Italian Schools would consider appropriate for a foil.

Sources:

Amberger, J. Christoph; "Old School: Four Kreußlerian Foils; [Internet article]; at https://fencingclassics.wordpress.com/2016/05/09/old-school-four-kreuslerian-foils/; 9 May 2016.

Amberger, J. Christoph; "Rappier, Stossfectel, Florett: A German foil, latter half of the 19th century"; [magazine article]; Fencer's Quarterly Magazine, Volume 8 Number 1/2/3, Summer/Fall/Winter 2003; page 68.

Bacarreza, Leonardo; Some Biographical Notes about Adelardo Sanz from Spanish Newspapers; [monograph]; Classical Academy of Arms, Glen Allen, Virginia, United States of America; 2016.

Barbasetti, Luigi; The Art of the Foil; [fencing manual]; E. P. Dutton and Company, Inc., New York, New York, United States of America; 1932.

Castello Fencing Equipment Company; Catalog; [fencing equipment catalog]; New York, New York, United States of America; 1936.

Castille Armory; "Build Your Own Smarra: 18th-19th Century Smarra"; [Internet product advertisement]; at castilearmory.com/product/build-your-own-smarra; accessed 2 December 2021.

Collmore Dunn, H. A.; Fencing; [fencing manual]; George Bell and Sons, London, United Kingdom; 1889.

Monstery, Thomas Hoyer; Self-Defense for Gentlemen and Ladies; edited by Ben Miller; [combatives manual]; Blue Snake Books, Berkeley, California, United States of America; 2015.

Parise, Masaniello; Treatise on the Fencing of the Sword and Sabre; in The Roman-Neapolitan School of Fencing: The Collected Works of Masaniello Parise, Maestro di Scherma; translation by Christopher A. Holzman; [collected works]; Christopher A. Holzman, Wichita, Kansas, United States of America; 1884 reprinted as a collected work 2015.

Rossi, Giordano; Theoretical-Practical Manual for Sword and Sabre Fencing; translation by Sebastian Seager; [fencing manual];  Milan, Italy, translated edition by the Melbourne Fencing Society, Carnegie, Victoria, Australia; 1885, translation 2021.

Roux, Johann Wilhelm; Manual for the Art of Fencing According to Mathematical and Physical Principles; translation by Tobias Zimmerman; [fencing manual]; Academic Bookstore’s Publishing, Jena, Gotha, Germany; 1808.

Roux, Friedrich August Wilhelm Ludwig; Die Kreussler'sche Stossfechtschule for Use by Academies and Military Schools Based on a Mathematical Basis; translation by Christopher Treichel; [fencing manual]; Druck and Verlag von Friedrich Mauke, Jena, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Germany; translated and reprinted by Christopher Treichel; 1849, reprinted 2016. 

Sanz, Adelardo; patent application for the first pattern of the Spanish foil; [patent application]; Negociado de Industria y Registro, Industrial y Commercial, Madrid, Spain, no date.

Scorza, Giuseppe Rosaroll, and Pietro Grisetti; The Science of Fencing; translation by Christopher Holzman; [fencing manual]; Milano, Italy; 1803; reprinted by Christopher Holzman, Wichita, Kansas, United States of America; 2018.

Copyright 2022 by Walter G. Green III

Parts of the Weapon - Foil by Walter G. Green III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

W.3. Balance Point of the Blade

A properly balanced weapon offers significant advantages to the fencer who uses it.  Blade movement is faster and more responsive to the hand, with improved control and accuracy.  The place on the blade at which the weight of the inner, middle, and outer sections of the blade will equal the weight of the pommel, tang, grip, and guard is determined by the simple test of balancing the blade on a fulcrum, typically the index finger.  This is the balance point or the center of gravity.  The blade becomes more and more point heavy as the balance point moves toward the tip.  A similar but opposite weight shift occurs as the balance point moves toward the guard.  In the first case more work is required to move the blade and to control its trajectory.  In the second case, as weight moves to the guard, the lighter blade may become very difficult to control.

One might expect that balance would be considered a critical issue for the fencer.  It is relatively easy to alter the balance of the blade by changing the pommel and/or the grip.  However, less than half the fencing manuals sampled for this post addressed the balance point on the blade for foil and sabre.  Only the Italian sources for the spada provide a center of gravity that applies to the epee.  The following are the sources that addressed the balance point:    

1884:  Maestro Masaniello Parise specifies that the balance point of the spada should be 4 fingers from the guard in his treatise that became the standard for the Military Fencing Masters School at Rome.  The same center of gravity applies to the sabre.

1885: Giordano Rossi, a practitioner of the Radaellian School, specifies that the spada should balance in the double strong of the blade, approximately 4 fingers from the guard.  Similarly, he advocates that the sabre blade should balance at the same point, in the double strong 4 fingers from the guard.

1886:  Maestro Adelardo Sanz specifies that the balance point in sabre should be approximately 3 fingers from the guard.

1891:  Alfred Hutton, a prolific advocate for military training with the sword, describes the ideal balance point of the foil as being on the blade just above the guard.

1892:  Maitre Louis Rondelle suggests that a foil is correctly balance when the balance point is approximately 1 inch from the guard.

1904: Maestro Generoso Pavese, a graduate of the Military Fencing Masters School of Rome, places the foil balance point at 2.5 inches (4 fingers) from the guard.  The same measurement is used for sabre.

1905:  Professor Leopold Van Humbeek, a Belgian trained fencing master, taught an Italian based style of sabre fencing in the Netherlands.  He specified that the balance point on the blade should be a few centimeters from the guard.

1912:  Maestro Salvatore Pecoraro and Maestro Carlo Pessina suggest that two factors are key in the balance of the sabre: maximum ability to manage the blade which is achieved by the center of gravity being closest to the hand, and power in the blow which is achieved by the center of gravity being as far away from the hand as possible.  As a result they cite the range of balance points in various texts as being from four fingers from the guard to right against the guard.   They suggest 2 fingers from the guard as a reasonable compromise. 

1920: Maitre Ricardo Manrique, trained in the French School in Cuba, describes the foil balance point as approximately 1 inch from the guard.

1934: Maitre Felix Grave, a Master of the Academy of Arms and the Academy of the Epee of Paris, specifies that the balance point of the foil should be 15 millimeters from the guard. 

1936:  Maestro Luigi Barbasetti sets the balance point for the sabre as 5 centimeters (approximately 2 inches) from the guard.

1941:  The Breckenridges, father and son French School students of Maitre Francois Darrieulat, define the foil balance point as immediately in front of the guard so that with a #5 blade the weapon is slightly point heavy.

1948: Maitre d'Armes Clovis Deladrier, a Belgian trained master, uses different criteria for the balance of the foil.  In a normal guard position, the foil is properly balanced if the tip of the foil slowly lowers when all of the fingers except the index finger (which serves as a pivot point) are detached from the grip.  For epee, his primary focus about balance is on the impact of the off-center bell mounting on stability, not the relationship of the blade to balance.  For sabre, the test is similar to that of foil - when the last three fingers are released the tip will drop slowly.

As Maestri Pecoraro and Pessina remarked in 1912, the range of balance points runs from a maximum of 4 fingers to immediately in front of the guard.  Allowing for the fact that a "finger" is a measurement that will vary with the anatomy of the fencer, we are using Pavese's equivalent of 2.5 inches for 4 fingers, we can develop the data below.  We do not know whether the finger measurement is with or without a glove, but we assume it is without.  Note that it is important to use the inch or centimeter equivalents as increases in hand size over the years could push the balance point out into the point heavy range.

Range:  approximately 2.5 inches, approximately 6.35 centimeters - 4 fingers (Pavese's inch equivalent) to immediately close to the guard (we use a 0 centimeter value for this). 

Distribution (including both foil and sabre as the two are routinely describe as identical in the sample sources):

• 4 fingers (approximately 2.5 inches, approximately 6.35 centimeters) - 6
• 3 fingers (approximately 2 inches, approximately 5 centimeters) - 2
• 2 fingers (approximately 1.25 inches, approximately 3.2 centimeters) - 1
• 1 inch (approximately 2.5 centimeters) - 2
• a few centimeters from the guard (an imprecise measurement, our assumption is that this is less than 1 inch or less than 2.5 centimeters - for calculations we assume that value as being 2 centimeters) - 1
• 15 milimeters (1.5 centimeters) - 1
• on the blade just above the guard (0 centimeters) - 2

Mean (average): approximately 3.99 centimeters or 1.57 inches or 2.5 fingers.

Mode (most frequently occurring value): 4 fingers from the guard (approximately 2.5 inches, approximately 6.35 centimeters).  This value may be skewed by the size and distribution of the sample in terms of French or Italian sources.

Sources:

Barbasetti, Luigi; The Art of the Sabre and the Epee; [fencing manual]; E. P. Dutton and Company, Inc., New York, New York, United States of America; 1937.

Breckenridge, Scott D. and Breckenridge, Scott D., Jr.; Sword Play: Based on the French School of the Foil; [fencing manual]; A. S. Barnes and Company, New York, New York, United States of America; 1941.

Deladrier, Clovis; Modern Fencing; [fencing manual]; United States Naval Institute, Annapolis, Maryland, United States of America; 1948.

Grave, Felix; Fencing Comprehensive; [fencing manual]; Hutchinson and Company, London, United Kingdom; 1934.

Hutton, Alfred; The Swordsman: A Manual of Fence for the Foil, Sabre, and Bayonet; [fencing manual]; H. Grevel & Company, London, United Kingdom; reprint by The Naval and Military Press, Uckfield, East Sussex, United Kingdom; 1891, reprint no date.

Manrique, Ricardo Enrique; Fencing Foil Class Work Illustrated; [fencing manual]; American Sports Publishing Company, New York, New York, United States of America, 1920.

Parise, Masaniello; Treatise on the Fencing of the Sword and Sabre; in The Roman-Neapolitan School of Fencing: The Collected Works of Masaniello Parise, Maestro di Scherma; translation by Christopher A. Holzman; [collected works]; Christopher A. Holzman, Wichita, Kansas, United States of America; 1884 reprinted as a collected work 2015.

Pavese, Generoso; Foil and Sabre Fencing (Scherma di Spada e Sciabola); [fencing manual]; Press of King Brothers, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America; 1905.

Pecoraro, Salvatore and Carlo Pessina; Sabre Fencing: A Theoretical-Practical Treatise; translation by Christopher A. Holzman; [fencing manual]; Christopher A. Holzman, Wichita, Kansas, United States of America; 1912 reprinted 2016.

Rondelle, Louis; Foil and Sabre: A Grammar of Fencing in Detailed Lessons for Professor and Pupil; [fencing manual]; Estes and Lauriat, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America; 1892.

Rossi, Giordano; Theoretical-Practical Manual for Sword and Sabre Fencing; translation by Sebastian Seager; [fencing manual];  Milan, Italy, translated edition by the Melbourne Fencing Society, Carnegie, Victoria, Australia; 1885, translation 2021. 

Sanz, Adelardo [translation by John Jakelsky]; Saber Fencing and Considerations About the Duel; [fencing manual]; first published in Spanish by Imprenta de Fortanet, Madrid, Spain; 1886; translated edition published by John Jakelsky, Xativa, Valencia, Spain; 2020.

van Humbeek, Leopold J. M. P.; Manual for Fencing with the Sabre; translation by Reinier van Nort; [fencing manual]; Amsterdam, Netherlands; translated and reprinted by Reinier van Noort, Hagan, Norway; 1905 reprinted 2017.

Copyright 2021 by Walter G. Green III

Balance Point of the Blade by Walter G. Green III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.