January 28, 2012 - Foil Forte

The pommel and forte section of a collection of foils used in the sport of fencing sit on the sidelines as a class continues with foils lucky enough to be selected.  The blades are referenced in thirds from the pommel to the tip as the forte, the medium  and the foible.  A metal foil, not shown, blunts the tip of the tempered steel blade.

The foil was a training weapon used for thrusting and was similar to the small sword carried by gentlemen in the 18th century.  The sport of fencing originated form this time period. In fencing scoring is by successfully touching the tip of the foil to an opponent's torso.  However, scoring is governed by right of way rules or priority that require that one individual make an attack before the other can be considered as having the right of way to initiate an attack.  One must hit, but hit with priority.