Foil

Foil is one of the three weapons (other being sabre and épée) used in modern fencing competitions. Foils are also regarded as thrusting or point weapons sometimes, the blades of which easily bend after touching a surface to reduce the chances of injuries. The target for foil fencing includes the torso region (region of the body from the shoulder to groin) and back of the waist. The off-target areas in foil fencing are the opponent’s hands, feet, head and neck.

Types of Foils

• Non-electric foils - The non-electric foils are also known as ‘steam’ or ‘dry’. The blades of the fence are capped with plastic or a rubber piece. The non-electric foils are primarily used by beginners and for training purposes. However, some of the organizations still use non-electric foils in fencing competitions where a judge determines the scoring and decides the winner of the tournament.
• Electric foils - The electric foils have a button at the tip of the blades to gather the information when the tip touches the opponent. The Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (FIE) officialized electric swords in 1956. The electric foils are required to record electronic scoring which eventually reduces the chance of human-errors in scoring. Foil fencers wear a distinctive uniform including a lamé (electrically wired vest) to record the number of hits by the opponent.

Manufacturing of Foils

• Blade - Foils have tapered and rectangular blades with a blunt end and are manufactured with low-carbon steel or maraging steel. The blade of foil must not be longer than 90 cm and the length of the entire weapon can be a maximum of 110 cm. The maximum weight of foil can be 500 g. The edges usually have two sections: the posterior region near the grip is called forte (strong), and the region near the tip of the blade is known as the foible (weak). Area of the blade inside of the grip is regarded as tang that fastens the grip to the pommel.
• Guard - The guard is attached to the blade, grip and plug. Then the grip is attached with pommel (fastener) for stabilizing the rest of the foil. The foils can be fitted with two types of grips - the traditional grip with the external pommel or the pistol grip.
• Cords and Socket - The cords and sockets are crucial parts of the electric fence. The cord goes through the fencing gear. It has two non-interchangeable ends; one is attached to the back of the fencing strip and another with the foil. The electric foils are usually aided with a socket underneath the guard. There are two kinds of sockets (single prong or two-prong) fixed to plug-in the body cord with the fencer’s wrist.
• Tip - The foil’s tip is usually capped to make it blunt. The electric tips have a button assembly consisting of a barrel, plunger, spring and screws. The scoring apparatus illuminates a coloured light when the tip touches an object depending on the target area.

History and Evolution of Foils

The foil weapons were known to be originated in the 17^th and 18^th century. They were widely popularized due to their unique manufacturing and a flattened tip. However, foil competitions for women were started in 1924 at the Paris Olympics.

The basic structure and production of the foils haven’t changed in years. The modern foils are aided with electric sensors. The sensors immediately record any touch and help in digital scoring. Electric foils reduced the possibilities of human errors and are very precise. This development has been considered as a revolution in the world of fencing. Electronic foil has been officially accepted in 1956 at the Olympic Games.