Saber Fencing Swords

The Best Sabre Fencing Swords for Olympic-style Competition

Sabre fencing is a quick and aggressive style of fencing. In most forms of fencing, you can only hit with the tip or point of the weapon. You can hit with the tip/point or any other part of the blade with a saber. You are always advised to try to hit with the tip or point to keep as much space between you and your opponent.

Getting the right sabre and fencing blade size is so important. Due to the equipment requirements for the competition set forth by the FIE, discussing your needs with your coach is the best way to identify the right weapon for training and competition. We offer all high-quality practice and competition sabres.

To understand the importance of the sabre, let's examine the history of the sabre, its key features, how to care for the sabre, and some tips to maximize your success as a fencer.

What is the history of Sabre Fencing Swords?

Sabre fencing has a great history of military swordsmanship. Sabres used to be heavy weapons until, in the 19th century, an Italian master provided a more lightweight sabre for the sport that could keep up with the fast and accurate play of the foil. Sabre fencers learn how to react well and use aggressive movements that they practice.

Key Features of Our Sabre Fencing Swords

What makes this sport style so unique is that you can score with either side of the blade hitting the target area of the upper half of the body. Depending on your age, you will use different sizes, from a #2 to #5. Some of the characteristics of a good sabre include balance and flexibility. All competition-grade blades should be the same length and weight, max of 500 grams and 41.3 in long.

We offer foam and plastic starter swords. Our plastic fencing sabre is made from high-quality plastic, intended for young or aspiring fencers who want to learn the fundamentals of saber fencing.

The Electric Competition Grade Sabre is customized for the right or left hand in sizes 2 and 5. It is designed for tournaments as well as practice using an electronic scoring system to register hits. The 2 Blade is used for those under 12 years old. It is 3" shorter than the 5 Blade, generally used for everyone above 12 years old.

Parts of a Sabre

The sabre is made of four main parts, the blade, guard, grip, and pommel. Within that, the sword further breaks down to the pommel, grip or hand, bell guard, forte, middle, foible, and tip/point. The forte, or the blade's base, is your weapon's strongest part. The bell guard helps to protect you and your hand from any injury. And the pommel will keep the entire weapon together.

When you train in fencing and learn how to use your saber sword, you must remember that as a sport, this work requires skill, practice, and strategy. As you work on your combination of footwork, hand work, and methods of the two, you must have a good handle on seven different positions. It would be best if you learned how to be in en garde, advance, retreat, lunge, riposte, and feint. Here is a little about how these each work:

• En Garde: Your feet will be shoulder width apart, one slightly in front of the other, with your knees bent and your weapon arm extended.
• Advance: You will use your front foot to step forward, keeping your back foot steady.
• Retreat: When you need to move backward, you will use your back foot to step away. You should never turn your back on your opponent.
• Lunge: Use your front foot to step forward, extending your arm, aiming for the opponent's torso.
• Parry: When your opponent moves in for an attack, use your blade to block them.
• Riposte: After a parry, attempt to launch a counter-attack.
• Feint: A false attack to lower your opponent's defense.

One key thing to try when using your sabre fencing sword is to breathe well and think carefully and clearly about the attack. Have a plan that is specific to your opponent. You must play with aggression in this form. Be sure to focus on the higher part of the blade, keeping your arm close to you to have longer attacks. When you are on the retreat, you can have your arms further away from you.

When you are holding the weapon, grasp the handle directly midway to maximize the extent of your arm during the attack, whether above your head or straight forward. Ensuring that you have the proper hold on your weapon will help you in any competition or practice.

Care and Maintenance of Your Sabre Fencing Sword

Your sabre is one of the most important assets as a fencer, and taking good care of it will extend its life and keep you and other fencers safe. When using your sabre, thoroughly check it each week and provide proper cleaning, storage, and repairs! You would not want to engage with corroded or rusted blades, which can break more easily and lead to injuries.

Generally, you will only need to use a soft cloth to wipe any dirt or moisture off the sword daily. If you are cleaning your competition blade (made of low-carbon steel), perform the following steps —

• Wipe the sword first (strip it down); clean the blade and tang it with a rust removal block.
• Apply a small amount of oil (like WD-40 or olive oil) to the blade and use a microfiber cloth to shine it.
• Use a secondary cloth to remove any of the excesses.
• Inspect the weapon for any sign of wear and tear. Ensure the guard has no rust, filing away any burrs on the edge.
• Check the grip for any flakes of rubber.
• Reassemble the weapon.

Store the equipment away from moisture, especially keeping the blade safe. When you come home from class, dry everything out. Be sure to clean out your sword storage bag occasionally and ensure nothing in there can scratch or damage the blade. Be sure to avoid hanging the sword on a hook because if done for an extended time, it can damage the weapon.

Sabre Fencing Swords From Morehouse

Having the proper sabre fencing swords is essential to having a great start, midpoint, and finish to your fencing journey. We love providing the highest quality sabre fencing equipment to ensure you can play safely and practice well. At Morehouse Fencing Gear, we provide practice and competitive sabre fencing swords that can help you reach your goals, and we strive to equip all emerging and competitive fencers to compete at their best. Be sure to discuss the weapon requirements you need with your coaching staff to compete in fencing.