Top 10 melee weapons facts

Bronze. Though bronze is generally harder than wrought iron, the Bronze Age gave way to the Iron Age. This happened because iron was easier to find and easier to process.

Épée. As the entire body is legal target, épée looks like a duel the most. In foil and sabre there are a number of stipulated rules and the target is limited.

Mounted cavalry. The halberd was quite versatile in battle, but it was especially effective against cavalry. The hook opposite the axe head was used to pull horsemen to the ground. Its versatility made the halberd a court bodyguard weapon for centuries.

Sabre. French grip optimize hitting with the point of the sword (a 'thrust'), which is the only way to score a touch with a foil or épée. In sabre this grip would be uncomfortable, as cuts are used.

Gladius hispanic. A fully equipped Roman legionary (after the reforms of Gaius Marius) was armed with a shield (scutum), one or two javelins (pilau), a sword (Gladius), often a dagger (pugio), and, perhaps in the later empire period, darts (plumbatae). Conventionally, soldiers threw javelins to disable the enemy's shields and disrupt enemy formations before engaging in close combat, for which they drew the Gladius. All Gladius types appear to have been suitable for cutting and chopping as well as thrusting.

They're all different. Every fencing weapon has a different shape of blade. Épée is triangular, foil is quadrangular and sabre is rectangular.

1.2 to 1.6 kg. A longsword is a type of European sword characterized as having a cruciform hilt with a grip for two-handed use , a straight double-edged blade of around 85 to 110 cm (33 to 43 in), and weighing approximately 1.2 to 1.6 kg .

Torso. In fencing a target on the weapon used. In foil it's torso without arms or legs, in épée it's entire body and in sabre it's entire body above the waist, except the weapon hand.

Foil with its stipulated rules (such as priority of attack) was the only weapon used at sparrings. At the same time, in real duels an épée was used, and no such rules were observed. Hence, an experienced fencer could lose his life to a relatively weak opponent.

Saber. The saber has a single-edged, curved blade similar to the other listed types of white weapons.However, there is a difference - there is an external arc of the blade in the saber sword. Meanwhile, all the others - see photo - have blades on the inside.