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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2009 19:32:39 GMT
For settling disputes with small wounds, or for stabbing the living-bejeezus out of people. Rapiers are made to stab through people as efficiently as possible. This kind of sword is amazing at thrusting.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2009 13:48:52 GMT
That's right Lunaman, the rapier was very deadly stabbing weapon. The edges were often sharp too. It would not make a deep, cleaving cut, but its cut was still respectable enough that nobody would ignore it. The other person must block, which means that they must move their sword, thus creating some opening.
Wiwingti, the rapier was a civilian weapon used in places were people normally did not wear armor. In that situation, the lighter rapier was enough. For everyday carry in a city, people will go as light as they can go. On a battlefield where people would at least wear leather or mail, a more percussive sword was needed. When shields are used, cuts become effective at getting around them.
Another thing to consider is that with a cut in order to hit with the sweat-spot of the blade (2 to 6 inches from the tip) you have to get closer. The rapier's sweat spot is at the very end of the tip as it thrusts. That give it a range advantage over a cutting sword of the same length, however the rapier is also longer which gives an even greater advantage.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2009 14:15:36 GMT
Down the track I would love to learn rapier and own a nice set, the florentine rapier from windlass looks the goods with matching dagger, peened and all steel hilt but of course would be a nightmare getting the dagger into oz. Yeah, daggers are illegal to import into Australia, but to save money you could order the rapier internationally and get a dagger locally... With regard to the hanwei rapiers, I have read that they are quite brittle and the tips can snap off... from the SFI boards iirc.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2009 20:41:22 GMT
With regard to the hanwei rapiers, I have read that they are quite brittle and the tips can snap off... from the SFI boards iirc. I have seen a lot of hanwei rapier in used through out the SCA. I have only seen one snap... but for that matter I have also seen an Arms and Armor longsword tip snap off too... and that's a $500 blunt. Just to keep things in perspective. The only issue really is warranty, other then that any blade can break. You might think it is a matter of just hardness or softness but I have seen both hard and soft blades break. There are also rapiers in use that have seen 20 years of action (hard and soft ones) that are still in one piece. There is just no way to tell. One sure characteristic to watch out for is a rapier that develops and "S" curve. If it does you have to get that out because that will break. Practice rapiers should only want to bend in one direction. "C" curves are fine and may even prolong the life of the blade, because the bend will always be to the same side.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2009 6:50:25 GMT
Woah, I'd certainly freak if I saw a S curve... what the hell is going on with the steel there!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2009 7:37:28 GMT
The only way you get a good rapier is to have it custom made. Also I think we are forgetting the sword rapier which was a battlefield weapon and also used by town guards because the heavier sword was more than a match for the light rapiers that gentlemen were wearing. Also when we say rapier we have to talk about nationality, period etc because the specifics of rapiers change from place to place. An example of a rapier that is cut and thrust is the sword rapier of the Munich Town Guard of around 1610 as produced by A&A this has all the characteristics of what a rapier is however it is labelled as a sword.
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