Best Rapier / Sabre (at reasonable price)

Paul Chen makes some fairly decent ones geared towards lefties in the $200ish range. You might want to browse the CAS/Hanwei site.

Thanks for the advice. That Hanwei rapier looks like a nice project sword. (Buy it, self-sharpen)

also have a look at Darkwood Armory...Scott Wilson is highly thought of in the rapier community and makes some grand stuff. I used to own a side-sword made by him...very nice it was.

Too, Armour Class makes one of most beautiful Pappenhiemer rapiers I've seen (blued guard, copper wire wrapped grip).


cheers,


Bill

I own 3 cold steel sabres the Naval Cutlass, Light Cavalry and Napoleon Sabre, they are all fairly heavy and if a rapier faced off against me I would be a pin cushion they are that slow.

Take a CAS Hanwei Percerro Sabre, take out the blade and put a replacement Hanwei Hutton blade in, file an edge and point on and you would have a good handling, light and flexible light sabre which would have the poise and spirit of a rapier with a curved slashing of a sabre, also should accommodate your leftyness

To Alvin - Yeah I think it would stand up okay to cutting if you filed a secondary bevel on it, put lots of sanding, file and patience in to it to make it worth your while .... HELL might even do it myself if I find myself not wanting to persue any more sparring in sabre and give my hutton a purpose, its a light thing though, and while temper is good I wouldnt abuse it heaps.

To gabe123 - Short answer - impulse buy, I figured I had them sussed by the time I ordered them. They are good in every respect, solid, no rattles, balance is good but overall just so heavy for my light wristed style. The sharpness was okay but I've been wrestling with the edges to get them decent. They are worth a discounted price from a vendor NOT CS's retail price. The Light Cavalry Sabre is truely the bigtime cutter of the bunch (shootermike reviewed it), the cutlass is short, solid and frankly my favorite if I had to use it (RicWilly reviewed it), The Napoleon is the looker and its slender profile makes it very multi-purpose in slash and thrust plus its a quick cutter (although a broader handle then I expected) it has dimensions on the handle that allows for a perfectly situation 2/3 thumb held handshake grip but a hammer grip will be plain awkward but hey they were supposed to be held with a degree on finesse (unless on horseback).

The light cav has a simple spartan beauty to it, good form, tip heavy with that hatchet point, but speed isnt a strong point with any of them. Although it tapers quite thin at the tip mine has a faint twist to it from sitting somewhere for ages (I got the leather scabbard I advise the steel one).

If you are still looking try one of the tempered strong blade rapiers.