136 - Four foils, sport fencing weapons with quadrangular blade, Italian and pistol grip, 20th c.

Four foils, sport fencing weapons with quadrangular blade, Italian and pistol grip, 20th c. Metal, wood. Four foils for sport fencing, each with bell guard and quadrangular blade. 1) Foil, light grooved wooden grip with dark pommel and metal ring, short crossguard, bell guard with grey-beige inner padding. 2) Foil, black orthopaedic grip, also known as pistol grip, shiny silver bell guard with red inner padding and connection socket with two screws, bright blade with red-wrapped tip. 3) Foil, black knurled grip with crossguard with ball finials and two finger loops, Italian grip, dark grey bell guard. 4) Foil, straight grip with cord and wire binding and conical metal pommel, French grip, silver-grey bell guard with beige inner padding and disc riveted on the outside. One blade tip flattened, used condition commensurate with age. L. 110 cm, blade length 86 cm. The foil has a thin blade of rectangular cross-section and a small bell guard of 9.5 to 12 cm diameter. The foil differs from the sport épée, also called fencing épée, which developed from the duelling weapon, in its blade and bell guard: the épée has a triangular blade modelled on the duelling épée and a bell guard of 13.5 cm diameter. On fencing weapons with electrical scoring, a spring-mounted point sits in a point barrel. The French grip is straight or slightly curved and has a heavier pommel at its end; the Italian grip has a crossguard behind the bell guard and two rings for the fingers. It is regarded as the forerunner of the orthopaedic grip, which is documented from the beginning of the 20th century and is today used almost exclusively in foil fencing.