The gear, and how the box actually decides who hit first. Épée is the most instrumented of the three weapons, and understanding the electronics changes how you fence, because half the tactical game is built on the exact numbers the equipment is checking for.
(y-) The Weapon
The épée is the heaviest and stiffest of the three fencing weapons, and the whole design follows from one fact: the entire body is target, and there is no right of way, so the point has to be reliable and the guard has to protect the hand.
| Part | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total weight | Up to 770 grams (competition max), heavier than foil. The mass helps opposition and point control. |
| Blade | Maraging steel, triangular cross-section with a deep V (fuller) for stiffness. Max 90 cm. |
| Guard | Large bell guard, up to 13.5 cm diameter, offset to shield the hand and wrist, the épéeist’s front target. |
| Point | Spring-loaded electric tip that has to be depressed to score. |
| Grip | Pistol (orthopedic) or French. Pistol dominates modern competition for point control. |
The large offset guard is not decoration. Because the wrist is the closest and highest-percentage target (see (y-) Tactics), the guard exists to make hitting your hand hard.
(y-) How a Touch Is Scored
Épée is a complete electrical circuit. When the point is pressed against a conductive surface for long enough with enough force, it registers.
- Tip pressure: 750 grams. The point must depress under at least 750 g of force to fire, much stiffer than foil’s 500 g. This is why light grazes and weak flicks do not score in épée. You have to actually plant the point.
- Depression time. The point has to stay depressed for a set minimum (a few milliseconds) so accidental brushes do not register.
- Whole body is live. Unlike foil, there is no separate lame. Any landing on the opponent (or their weapon-side equipment) closes the circuit and lights the box, because the whole body is valid target.
The 40-Millisecond Window
The scoring machine has a lockout of about 40 ms. If both fencers land within that window, both lights go on and both score a touch, a double. This single number defines épée strategy. It is why patience beats aggression: whoever commits first without a clear tempo advantage risks trading a touch instead of winning one. The math of the double is baked into the closing-seconds tactics.
(y-) The Kit
| Item | Purpose / Requirement |
|---|---|
| Mask | Steel mesh, must withstand a 1600-newton punch test. Épée masks have a conductive bib. |
| Jacket & plastron | Underarm protector (plastron) rated to 800 N, jacket to 350 N (FIE) for tears/resistance. |
| Body cord | Runs from the weapon socket, up the sleeve, to the reel and scoring box. |
| Glove | Reinforced on the weapon hand, half-jacket cuff to stop a blade running up the sleeve. |
| Breeches & socks | Knee breeches plus long socks. In épée the whole leg and foot are target, so full cover. |
Everything the FIE certifies carries a homologation stamp. At World Cup and Worlds level, the gear is checked before every bout.
(y-) Wireless Scoring
Top-level events increasingly run wireless scoring: a transmitter on the fencer replaces the floor reel and body cord back to the machine. It keeps the strip clean, removes the tangle of two retractable reels, and makes the broadcast look modern. The physics of the touch (750 g, 40 ms lockout) do not change; only the signal path does. Club and most national fencing still runs on the classic wired reel because it is cheaper and unbreakable.
(y-) Why the Numbers Matter to How You Fence
- 750 g means commit. You cannot flick your way to a touch. Plant the point with opposition, which is why épée blade work is stiffer and more deliberate than foil.
- 40 ms means wait. The lockout is the entire reason patience scores. Attack into a clear tempo gap or risk the double.
- Whole body means angles. The toe, the wrist, the mask top are all live. The gear covers everything, so your point has to hunt the exposed inch.
These three numbers, 770 g of weapon, 750 g of tip pressure, 40 ms of lockout, explain almost everything about why the sport looks the way it does. See it in action across the (y-) 2026 Season.
Sources
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