The top two places were won by Hungarian fencers, who also took the gold medal in the team sabre event.

The 1900 gold medalist, Georges de la Falaise of France, returned after not competing in 1904.

[2] Belgium, Bohemia, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and South Africa each made their debut in the men's sabre.

European sabre rules at the time used a target area of the whole body, in contrast to above-the-waist target area provided for by the American rules of the time, used in the 1904 Games, and which became standard after World War I. Barrages were used as necessary to determine the advancing fencers.

Petri defeated van Tomme in the playoff for third place after having lost to the Belgian in the main pool.

Ceccherini gave up after his first four bouts, giving Tóth, van der Voodt, and Doorman wins by walkover.

The playoff match for the gold medal was won by Fuchs, with the one-touch bout decided by a parry and riposte to his fellow Hungarian's head.