2.9 Guards Foil guards vary mostly in diameter, being between 9.5 and 12 cm across. The largest guards (eg. Negrini) may fail the weapon guage check if they are dented or misshapen. Epee guards are almost always the maximum diameter (13.5 cm) for best protection, although they can vary considerably in shape, depth (3 - 5.5 cm), weight, and eccentricity (up to 3.5 cm off of center). "Mini epee" guards are available from some vendor recommended only for Pentathletes. Sabre guards come in left- and right-handed versions (the outside of the guard being larger).