When Harvard's varsity fencers meet N.Y.U. in New York Saturday, they will be going against swordsmen who have been fencing since they were ten years old.

Traditionally ranked with Columbia as one of the top two teams in the country, N.Y.U. reaps the fruit of New York's extensive fencing establishment. With high school leagues and weekly Amateur Fencers League of America tournaments, New York trains most of the nation's best fencers.

Few people on the Harvard varsity know how to use a weapon before they come to college. Coach Edo Marion has to build his team mostly out of the batch of freshmen who show up at the fencing room of the IAB each year with a desire to learn how to fence.

Nevertheless, Harvard lost to N.Y.U. by only one point last year. Leading 13-11 going into the final three epee bouts. Harvard lost all three to drop the match 14-13.

This year N.Y.U., weak in epee, will face a well-balanced Harvrd squad with an improved epee team. Steve Shea, last year's freshman captain, will bring three years of New York fencing experience to Saturday's encounter. Another sophomore, Harry Jergesen, has been improving steadily in the intrasquad practice tournament, according to Marion.

With Howle Harmatz, NCAA second place winner last year, and sophomore Mike Gaylor, highly rated in national fencing circles, the N.Y.U. foil fencers have probably the best foil contingent in the country. The Crimson has junior Tom Musliner, all-Ivy last year, and captain Rick Kolombatovich, who was out most of last year with an ankle injury. If they have a good day and if sophomore Chuck Lowell can temper his speed with blade control, Harvard has a chance, Marion said.

The Crimson sabremen have lost an All-American, last year's team captain John Kolb. But Marion believes the sabro fencers are stronger as a team this year with three seasoned fencers, seniors Al Makaitis and Paul Profeta and junior Bob Damus.

In a match with a Harvard graduate student team on Monday, the varsity lost 15-12. The graduate team included former Harvard and Princeton captains and a Columbia All-American.

In the third round of the George H. Breed varsity intrasquad tournament yesterday. Damus moved into a first place tie with Makaitis in sabre. Kolombatovich leads in epee and Mushner in foil.

The tournament is named after George H. Breed '99, a three-time Olympic fencer whose will endowed Harvard fencing with $50,000 in 1957.

In the N.Y.U. meet, three fencers in each weapon -- foil, epee, and sabre -- will fence three bouts each. Twenty-seven bouts comprise a varsity meet. In each bout, the first man to win five touches in the victor.