Rapier

A rapier is a relatively slender, sharply pointed sword, used mainly for thrusting attacks, developed in Europe around the 16th century. more...

Description

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.

The term refers to a variety of blade and hilt forms depending on who is writing and when. It can refer to earlier "spada da 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 calque from the Italian "spada da lato" and is not referred to the slender, long rapier, but only to the early 16th century Italian sword with a broader and shorter blade that is considered its ancestor).

History

The rapier began to develop 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.

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