Blade Length
A shorter blade will be lighter and better balanced, but a longer blade will provide better reach.
Some clubs and provincial federations require shorter blades for different age groups. For club requirements, please ask your coach. For rules enforced in tournaments, you can refer to our article on Rules for Equipment.
Blades lengths are identified by a number between 0 and 5. The standard size for teenagers and adults is a size 5 blade. As a general rule of thumb, starting from the length of a standard size 5 blade, every time you go down one size, one inch is subtracted from the length of the blade. For example, a size 2 blade is approximately three inches shorter than a size 5 blade.
Installation and Maintenance
If you are unsure of how to install this blade, please refer to your coach or club armorer.
Rubber tips will eventually wear through, at which point they will need to be replaced. Replacement rubber tips can be found in the Foil Points section.
Please refer to our Maintenance of Fencing Weapons post to learn more on how to properly care for your blades and weapons.