The terminology used here is that commonly encountered in the stage-combat and theatrical-weapons communities. Historical classifications are often broader, and manufacturers may use some blade names differently. This may seem confusing at times. That’s because it is.
Foil, Olympic sabre, and épée blades all originated in sport fencing and are available in forms intended either for practice or for electrical competition. For stage use, always choose the practice variety.
Competition foil and épée blades have grooves running along the blade to carry the wires connected to the electrical point-scoring apparatus. Those wires and point assemblies are unnecessary for stage use and increase the cost of the blade. Olympic sabre uses a different scoring system: the blade itself forms part of the electrical circuit and therefore requires no wire running along it.
Because sport-fencing blades taper to very narrow points, they must be fitted with some form of safety tip. Competition foil and épée blades use electrical point assemblies, while practice blades ordinarily use simpler buttons or rubber tips. When these blades are adapted for stage combat, steel buttons may be attached to the tips.
Foil
The lightest full-length blade made, the foil starts with a square cross-section of only ¼ inch and then tapers down to a springy and flexible flat band of steel. The blade proper is about 35 inches long.
It is used in the Olympic sport of foil fencing, in which only thrusts can score. The blade is highly flexible so that it will bend when the point strikes the opponent. It should be nearly straight, although a slight, uniform curve is permitted.
The foil developed as a practice and sporting weapon related to smallsword fencing. It was not designed for the repeated cutting motions and blade contact required in stage combat. Extremely “whippy,” it should never be used for that purpose. Even a pulled cut can bend around a block and smack the defending actor directly in the face.
Olympic Sabre
Also approximately 35 inches long, the Olympic sabre is a narrow, flexible band of steel. If studied closely, it has a very slight V-shaped cross-section, giving it both a leading and a back edge. The bottom of the V forms the leading edge.
Although Olympic sabre fencing uses cutting attacks, the blade is designed only to make light, rapid contact with the opponent. It is not intended for the broader cutting motions and repeated blade contact required in stage combat. Like the foil, it is extremely whippy and inappropriate for stage use.
Épée
The épée is the lightest and most popular blade commonly used for stage combat. A prominent, flattened V-shaped cross-section and a deep groove running down its 35-inch length provide excellent stiffness while keeping it as light as possible.
Unlike the Olympic sabre described above, the bottom of the V is the spine. Either arm of the V can therefore serve as the leading edge, allowing the épée to function as a double-edged blade for stage-combat purposes.
When the blade is mounted on the hilt, the general practice is to have the spine pointing outward when the sword is worn. In other words, when holding the sword with the palm facing up—or supine—you should be looking down into the groove. The blade can certainly be mounted the other way, but doing so changes the feel of the sword.
I personally prefer an épée blade to have a very slight, even curve toward the spine. If an accidental thrust lands against a partner’s body, I want the blade to bend rather than try to continue forward. This curve should be gentle and consistent along the length of the blade.
Any other curvature is cause for concern. A bend along one of the edges means that the strikes are coming in much too hard. A curve along the flat indicates that the actors are attacking or defending with the flat of the blade instead of the edge. Both are signs of bad technique and call for an examination of the fight as well as the blade.
An S-shaped curve is more serious. It means that the blade has lost its temper. The blade should be replaced, not bent back into shape and returned to use.
Using the épée for stage combat allows for all the lightning-fast movements of competitive fencing while still providing just enough strength for most controlled cuts and blocks. Épée blades are highly flexible and springy and can flex through an arc of more than 90 degrees. They are still relatively fragile, however. In a large production with, let us say, twenty fighters, it would not be unusual for one or two blades to break during the rehearsal and performance period.
Demi-Épée
Not normally available from fencing-supply companies, the 28-inch demi-épée is just the right length for a historically accurate smallsword blade. And shortening the épée also removes its narrowest and most brittle portion. Once cut down, the blade seems to last forever.
At Weapons of Choice, we provided these blades not only for smallsword replicas but also for other light swords when the distance between combatants might become a problem. In theatre-in-the-round or 100-seat houses, for example, having two actors face off with full-length blades sometimes means that one of them ends up in the wings—or in an audience member’s lap.
Double-Wide Épée
Also known as the Musketeer blade, the double-wide épée has approximately twice the steel of a standard épée and a much deeper, dome-shaped groove. The idea was that it would be considerably stronger than the common épée.
In my experience, however, the foible is even more brittle, and these blades have failed about twice as often as their thinner cousins. Despite the additional steel in the blade, the double-wide épée is still fitted with only a ¼-inch tang. The extra weight places considerable stress on that little tang, and the blade often breaks off at the hilt.
The double-wide épée is no longer widely manufactured and can therefore be difficult to find, although some still pine for its slightly better visibility from the house. It can still be found in many prop cabinets, and European cutlers produce one version or another from time to time, usually at about three times the cost of a standard épée.
Schläger
The Schläger is the lightest of the blades that permit cutting motions. It starts at the same width as the épée but maintains that width throughout its 34-inch length. It has no groove and has a lens-shaped cross-section.
Developed for the German academic-fencing tradition known as Mensur, it can withstand stout cuts and blocks. The tang is also at least twice as thick as that of the épée, greatly increasing its survivability.
Finesse wrist movements and exact point work are still possible, but the slight addition of weight at the foible means that all movements must be performed more slowly than with the épée. At the time of this writing, lens-shaped Schläger blades are no longer being produced.
There is a longer version of the same blade, but stay away from it. At 39 inches long but the same width, it has a horrible tendency to wave and wobble during fighting.
Diamond Schläger
The diamond Schläger is constructed like the standard Schläger but has a lozenge-shaped cross-section. This shape reduces the amount of steel in the blade while retaining sufficient strength, making the sword much more responsive in the hand—although still nowhere near as fast as the épée.
Some sword makers choose to weld a steel button onto the tip. Provided that the tip is already properly rounded, this is unnecessary for stage combat.
Single-Hand
Now we are getting into blades of true broadsword weight. This blade is meant for use in a single-handed sword, but we sometimes mounted them on two-handed handles for fighters who may not have time to build up the shoulder strength necessary for injury-free, two-handed broadsword fights.
It is approximately 33 inches long.
Hand-and-a-Half
Sometimes called the bastard sword, the 35-inch hand-and-a-half is the blade most commonly used for two-handed fights. Although it is only two inches longer than the single-hand blade described above, its extra width makes it approximately 50 percent heavier.
Double-Hand
This is a great deal of blade, and very few fighters can both control the sword and avoid pulling a tendon. It is 38 inches long and almost twice the weight of the hand-and-a-half.
Zweihänder
This is tremendous fun to see onstage, but either leave it for the weightlifters in the cast or use it in a deliberately slow comic fight. The exposed blade is 45 inches long. Although it is actually lighter than the double-hand, its extra length makes it very difficult to control.
Shortsword
Short swords were common among many Bronze- and Iron-Age cultures, although their forms and dimensions varied considerably. Recreated in steel for stage combat, this type of blade is very light and responsive.
Stage-combat shortsword blades are made by a variety of companies. Most are about an inch wide and between 18 and 24 inches long.
Leaf Blade
Matching the distinctive appearance of this shortsword variation in a fight-worthy blade was difficult. At Weapons of Choice, we built them to be as light as standard shortsword blades, although they measured between two and three inches wide. Making the blade that light also made it brittle, however, so our leaf blades tended to crack more often than standard blades.
Sabre
This was an excellent and nearly indestructible recreation of a cavalry-sabre blade. It was also used in Asian-style two-handed swords.
When mounted on a cavalry-sabre hilt, however, it carried its weight very far forward. It was quite similar to the single-hand broadsword blade, even having the same 33-inch length, but the military sabre hilt provided little of the counterbalance needed for easy control. The short tang and lack of a true pommel made the sword easy to swing but very difficult to stop.
When the same blade was built into a two-handed weapon, the longer handle provided greater leverage, while the heavy pommel helped counterbalance the blade. The result was a fine weapon. These blades are no longer available commercially, although they may still be found in theatre prop cabinets.
Cutlass
The cutlass was simply a shortened version of the sabre blade and, as with all shortened blades, made a very user-friendly sword. It balanced well in the hand with almost any hilt. Like the full-length sabre blade, it is no longer commercially available, although examples may still be found in theatre prop cabinets.
Scimitar
“Scimitar” is not the historical name of one particular blade, but a Western catch-all for several varieties of curved sword. Most had blades we would broadly identify as sabre blades. A very few widened appreciably toward the point, but Western imagination greatly exaggerated that feature, giving them much broader cutting heads than they generally possessed. Because of audience expectations, these fantasy blades are now used for many “Middle Eastern” swords.
Luckily, several Chinese firms make durable, lightweight blades usable for stage combat. Stay away, however, from ultralight wushu-style weapons. Any blade that wobbles when you shake it is inappropriate for stage combat.
Machete
The machete has a blade of very thin steel but considerable strength—which should not come as a surprise, considering what the tool is supposed to do in the field. The greatest concerns for stage combat are excessive wobbliness, the thinness of the blade, and the tendency of the metal to flake along the edge after repeated contact.
The first step in preparing a machete for stage combat is to grind away the sharp edge and point, leaving both smoothly rounded. Even then, however, the blade remains extremely thin. A thin edge concentrates the force of an impact and has a greater chance of breaking the skin, even when completely dull.
The metal is also comparatively brittle under repeated blade-to-blade contact. Small flakes can break away along the edge, leaving newly sharp or irregular areas. The blade must therefore be inspected carefully before every rehearsal and performance and repeatedly during extended use, with particular attention given to the edge.
Stage combat is possible with a suitable machete, but the movements and contact must be modified to accommodate the realities of the weapon. It should never be treated as though it were a fight-grade sword. Any burrs or rough areas must be removed before further use; a cracked blade, insecure handle, or blade showing repeated flaking should be retired.