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the Attic
The Textbook
of Stage Violence
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Rapiers
The first purely civilian sword, developed during the late
Renaissance as a light weapon which could be worn without discomfort off the
battle field and maneuvered easily by even men of small stature. The Spanish
built a cut and thrust weapon (which did neither well) and termed it the ‘espada
ropera’, or dress sword as opposed to the arming sword. The English
mispronounced the term until it became known as the ‘rapier’. At first merely
variations on existing broadsword hilts, it eventually fully protected the hand.
With wider blades, these hilts were still used in warfare.
NOTE: we outfit the sword hilt with pommel
and grip combinations which are not chosen by hilt style, but rather by the type
of blade on which it is paired. We find that the epee blade is best matched with
a false pommel grip and cap nut for quick light point work, and the schlaeger
blade requires a full steel pommel for better tip control. The pommel and/or
grip on your sword may be different than that shown on these images. All grips
are wood unless otherwise noted, and the fittings are always of steel.
("what kind of blade
do I need?")
blade choices
  212 -
Fleur de Mort:e
by the mid-1600’s the civilian sword started losing some weight as it was being
used to both thrust and parry. This transitional rapier foreshadows the
development of the later smallsword. Another
Swordcrafters
creation available exclusively through
Weapons of Choice,
this sword makes a great addition to your sword collection when you need full
guarded rapiers that can span a large time frame.
Compared with most other dish or cup hilts, the entire guard is one incredibly
strong unit of steel. An excellent all-around rapier.
|
Fior du Mort |
Price |
| epee or demi-epee blade |
$ 128 |
| schlaeger blade |
$ 184 |
| single-hand broadsword |
$ 196 |
   213 - Spanish Cup:e the quintessential
cavalier rapier. Found throughout Europe by the1600’s, especially popular among
soldiers because of the superior hand protection. Steel quillons and aluminum
guard.
| Spanish Cup Rapier |
Price |
|
epee or demi-epee blade |
$ 149 |
| schlaeger blade |
$ 205 |
| single-hand broadsword |
$ 217 |
  
214 - Veronese Cup:e the shallow dish/cup gives
good hand protection, but far lighter than the above Spanish Cup, giving superb
point mobility. Steel quillons and aluminum guard.
|
Veronese Cup |
Price |
|
epee or demi-epee blade |
$ 124 |
| schlaeger blade |
$ 180 |
| single-hand broadsword |
$ 192 |
These next four sword hilts are typical of the rapiers of Shakespeare’s time,
when most civilian swords were merely lighter versions of common broadsword
hilts.
 209 - Granada:e typical of the Spanish preference for guards drooping
towards the point to better trap the opponent’s sword
|
Granada |
Price |
|
epee or demi-epee blade |
$ 131 |
| schlaeger blade |
$ 187 |
| single-hand broadsword |
$ 199 |
152 - Pirulo:e possibly the first true rapier, the guard is purely
broadsword, but reduced to its lightest possibility. This style is still found
in the bullrings of Andalusia.
|
Pirulo |
Price |
|
epee or demi-epee blade |
$ 113 |
|
schlaeger blade |
$ 169 |
|
single-hand broadsword |
$ 181 |
208 - Veneto:e this style was ordered
by the Armoury of the Council of Ten in Venice circa 1470, so is an excellent
choice for Othello, Romeo & Juliet, etc.
|
Veneto |
Price |
|
epee or demi-epee blade |
$ 123 |
| schlaeger blade |
$ 179 |
| single-hand broadsword |
$ 191 |
 
232 - Standard Swept Hilt:e
Perhaps the most popular of the open work hilt styles. Used throughout Europe not only as a
rapier guard but also by soldiers in the field. The complex steel design was meant to
trap an opponent’s blade. Visually striking and very strong.
|
Standard Swept Hilt |
Price |
|
epee or demi-epee blade |
$ 118 |
| briquet cutlass |
$ 202 |
| schlaeger blade |
$ 174 |
| single-hand broadsword |
$ 186 |
 
230 - Gossamer Swept Hilt:e A
user-friendly swept-hilt design? You bet! The full ring base helps keep your
partner’s sword tip from getting tangled during tight point-work.
Designed for us by
Swordcrafters
of San Diego as an alternative to the standard swept hilt above.
Amazingly light and elegant, the tip response
makes this everyone’s favorite as soon as it is held.
|
Gossamer Swept Hilt |
Price |
|
epee or demi-epee blade |
$ 149 |
| schlaeger blade |
$ 205 |
| single-hand broadsword |
$ 217 |
 
215 - Capodimonte:e striking a balance
between the cup hilt and swept hilt styles of large guard rapiers; quite strong
and very responsive.
|
Capodimonte |
Price |
|
epee or demi-epee blade |
$ 138 |
| schlaeger blade |
$ 194 |
| single-hand broadsword |
$ 206 |
|
