Although foil is commonly the ‘training’ weapon for beginners owing to its lightweight and supposedly light touch, we take a different view.
Sabre can sometimes be an effective starter weapon. It has rules of right of way to emphasize proper defence, and its de-emphasis of point attacks can be a relief to a beginner who doesn’t yet have much point control. Also, in some areas it may still be possible to compete in dry (non-electric) sabre competitions, meaning that it can be the cheapest of all weapons to compete in (although electric sabre is definitely the most expensive weapon).
Épée is sometimes used as a starter weapon because the rules are simple and easy to grasp, and the equipment costs are lower, since no lamé is required.