First rapier

The weapons in the Princess Bride aren't really rapiers per se--they're very short rapier-like swords that are meant to handle like an 18th century smallsword for the swashbuckling action. It's tricky to find something like them without going for a high-priced custom (believe me, I've been trying for years ), but there are some options for things that are CLOSE to them on a budget.

I recently picked up the Windlass "Dread Pirate Roberts" sword that Tyler linked to. Its a fun little piece, but overpriced for the quality in my opinion. It replicates the look and dimensions of the film prop quite well (for some reason the montoya sword couldn't be treated with the same care :?: ) and has a decently comfortable grip and low overall weight. But the blade has no distal taper to speak of and isn't adequately 'lively' in-hand for my tastes, and the guard on mine came with a pronounced rattle that got a bit worse just through dry-handling. Though I'm probably never going to enter into a duel with the thing, it doesn't feel sturdy enough for fighting with the way the hilt shifts around, if you know what I mean. I'm sending mine back because of the faulty guard, but not sure if I'll get a replacement or just trade it in for something else.

Here's the actual prop sword used in the film:



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And here's the Windlass repro I received:


i100.photobucket.com/albums/m7/L ... CF1321.jpg
(Outfit not included. )

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If you're not looking for screen-accuracy, what I see as one of the best options out there is the Hanwei Renaissance Side Sword.
It's almost a hundred dollars cheaper and is just a better piece in most ways:


The dimesions are nearly the same, the blade has a nicer taper of mass, the grip is more attractive and the complex guard pulls in a bit of the flair from Inigo's sword. I think it's a better-looking piece. It would even be more agile in-hand were it not for the weighty hilt fittings. It has a shorter POB because of this, but balance points are overrated if the sword gains weight it doesn't need. As they stand, the swords are similar in handling and responsiveness, but if the side sword had a lighter pommel it would very easily outclass the windlass piece. Both are pretty easy to handle because they are fairly compact, but the Hanwei piece seems more like a proper sword.
Here are the two next to each other for scale:


The one niggling issue I have with the side sword is that the grip core is hollow and the heavy pommel is just a screw-on. This means that the stock sword is not really sturdy enough for cutting, because the shock can easily bend the assembly out of alignment. It's great for swishing around and stabbing things, not good for cutting things, which is admittledly a bit of a shame because the blade and guard are so nice. Some people have done grip and pommel modifications to the sidesword to make the thing sturdier, which is also an option. There also is a "practical" blunt version which seems to at least have a sturdier grip for actual blade impacts, but I cannot comment on it:
www.kultofathena.com/product.asp ... Side+Sword

Hanwei has other rapiers that handle with the same swishy-swashy lightness, but these are all a bit long in the blade for the Princess Bride. Some of the more appropriate looking ones are
The Gustav Rapier
The Solingen Rapier
The Torino Rapier
The Bone Handled Swept Hilt Rapier


As you can see, sub-100 is difficult to find with complex-hilted swords, but these ones are pretty close. There is a shorter stage fighting rapier they have that goes for a bill total, but that (of course) is not a sharp sword and the hilt details are not as crisp as the standard line.
www.kultofathena.com/product.asp ... Inch+Blade

Hope some of that helps!

Wow thank you for the replies! I will be doing extensive research on these now!