Rapier

:This article is about the sword. See also Rapier missile.

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A rapier is a relatively slender (blade 2.5 centimetres or less in width), sharply pointed sword with a blade at least 90 centimetres in length, often sporting an elaborate hilt and hand-guard. For most of its period of use, the rapier was double-edged, some later rapiers were single-edged (with a sharply triangular blade) or edgeless. A rapier is capable of both cutting and thrusting attacks, but the thrust is the main attack in all rapier fighting styles.

Related Topics:
Sword - 90 centimetres - Hilt

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The term refers to a variety of blade and hilt forms depending on who is writing and when. It can refer to earlier "spada di lato" (much like the "espada ropera") through the high rapier period of the 17th century through the smallsword and duelling swords, thus context is important in understanding what is meant by the word. (It should be noted that the term "sidesword", used among some modern historical martial arts reconstructionists, is a 21st century coinage from the Italian "spada di lato" and is not an accurate historical term.)

Related Topics:
Espada ropera - 17th century - Historical martial arts reconstruction

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The rapier began to develop at around 1500 as the Spanish "espada ropera", or "dress sword". The espada ropera was a cut-and-thrust civilian weapon for self-defense and the duel, while earlier weapons were equally at home on the battlefield. Throughout the 16th century, however, a variety of new, single-handed civilian weapons were being developed, including the German "Rappier", another cut-and-thrust weapon used for sportive fencing, as described in Joachim Meyer's fechtbuch of 1570. Nevertheless, the English word "rapier" generally refers to a primarily thrusting weapon, developed by the year 1600 as a result of the geometrical theories of such masters as Camillo Agrippa and Ridolfo Capo Ferro.

Related Topics:
Espada ropera - Self-defense - Duel - Fechtbuch - Camillo Agrippa - Capo Ferro

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The rapier became extremely fashionable throughout Europe with the wealthier classes, but was not without its detractors. Some people, such as George Silver, disapproved of its technical potential and the duelling use to which it was put.

Related Topics:
Europe - George Silver

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While by the year 1700 the rapier had been replaced by the lighter smallsword throughout most of Europe, this weapon is probably the oldest European sword that still has a living tradition; that is, fencing masters exist that can trace their lineage of teachers back to the 18th century and before. Two of the most famous of these current-day masters are Maestro Ramon Martinez and Maestro Andrea Lupo Sinclair. Others have learned from these maestri, and currently Europe and America are experiencing a revivial of historical fencing.

Related Topics:
Smallsword - 18th century - Ramon Martinez - Andrea Lupo Sinclair - Historical fencing

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The rapier is also the sword most often associated with duels of honor depicted in literature,e.g. the final scene in Hamlet, and movies, such as The Three Musketeers. However, such films are often far from authentic, so far as the fighting techniques shown go.

Related Topics:
Duel - Honor - Literature - Hamlet - The Three Musketeers

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For a more detailed explanation of the primary use of the rapier-- dueling-- see European dueling sword.

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