rapier
Sign in to saveA rapier () is a type of sword originally used in Spain (known as '', ) and Italy (known as spada da lato a striscia''). The name designates a sword with a straight, slender and sharply pointed two-edged long blade wielded in one hand. Known for its elegant design and intricate hilt, it was widely popular in Western Europe throughout the 16th and 17th centuries as a symbol of nobility or gentleman status.
Key facts
- Weapon.name
- Rapier/Espada ropera
- Weapon.image
- Rapiere-Morges-kitsch.jpg
- Weapon.image_size
- 200
- Weapon.caption
- Espada ropera, first half of the 17th century
- Weapon.origin
- Spain (espada ropera) and Italy (spada da lato-striscia)
- Weapon.type
- Sword
- Weapon.is_bladed
- yes
- Weapon.design_date
- Around
- Weapon.weight
- Avg.
- Weapon.part_length
- Avg.
- Weapon.width
- Avg. to sharp point
- Weapon.blade_type
- Single- or double-edged, straight blade
- Weapon.hilt_type
- Complex, protective hilt
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
20 sectionsContents
- Terminology
- Description
- Parts of the sword
- Hilt
- Blade
- Overall length
- Off-hand weapons
- History
- Historical schools of rapier fencing
- Italy
- Spain
- The Netherlands
- France
- England
- Germany
- The classical fencing tradition
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
A rapier () is a type of sword originally used in Spain (known as '', ) and Italy (known as spada da lato a striscia''). The name designates a sword with a straight, slender and sharply pointed two-edged long blade wielded in one hand. Known for its elegant design and intricate hilt, it was widely popular in Western Europe throughout the 16th and 17th centuries as a symbol of nobility or gentleman status.
As fencing spread throughout Western Europe, important sources for rapier fencing arose in Spain, known under the term ("dexterity"), in Italy and France. The French small sword or court sword of the 18th century was a direct continuation of this tradition of fencing.