# Fencing - why are they tied to a wire? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 16, 2004, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fencing-why-are-they-tied-to-a-wire/260030 "2004-08-16T01:57:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2004, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fencing-why-are-they-tied-to-a-wire/260030/21 "2004-08-16T16:31:32Z")
I seem to recall that sabre was the last of the weapons to become “electrified.” Maybe 20 years ago? The helmet is wired as well - it’s a special helmet made of the same lame material as the vest. I don’t know about the blades before they became electric, but I was turned off by the fact that even if you parried what would have been a blow from a real weapon, the tip of the blade would whip over and still touch you for a point. Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![SnakeSpirit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snakespirit/32/7271_2.png) [@SnakeSpirit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakeSpirit)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2004, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fencing-why-are-they-tied-to-a-wire/260030/22 "2004-08-16T19:09:08Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > What did they do before electronic scoring? Was it just what the judge saw, or did they use some sort of marking material? We were honourable back in those days, and called our own touches (touché!) and acknowledged touches. Judges were there just in case… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fencing-why-are-they-tied-to-a-wire/260030.md?page=1)