Rapier Strength

[RapierGent]

Out of curiosity, how much weight could a good quality Rapier withstand? By weight I mean could a rapier withstand a blow from a broadsword

[keropie]

I would suggest asking this question at a different forum (this being more fencing and less rapier fighting), perhaps swordforum international (www.swordforum.com)

[Inquartata]

Back in the days when the SCA was just making the transition to schlager blades for their "rapier" fencing, I did a bout with an epee against a schlager-bladed rapier. At one point, I parried a blow. The epee blade bent about 75 degrees...about 12" from the guard. And it was a good, stiff epee blade, too.

I suspect that most rapier blades would have been similarly insufficient to the task of parrying a riding or sidesword, much less a true broadsword. But then, parrying is done differently with heavy swords like rapiers: not many blocking parries, many more ceding ones...

[Moniteur]

Inq,

There is some discussion of this over at SFI, you might also want to check http://www.salvatorfabris.com, as well.

One of the SFI links http://forums.swordforum.com/showthr...threadid=49949

Best,
Chris

[VELISARIOS]

Yes it can withstand the blow of a broadsword. but this corespont and from the physical building of the two opnents and their strenght.

[Christopher J Umbs]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

I suspect that most rapier blades would have been similarly insufficient to the task of parrying a riding or sidesword, much less a true broadsword. But then, parrying is done differently with heavy swords like rapiers: not many blocking parries, many more ceding ones...

Like Tom Leoni showed, it can parry a longsword (and Tobler can really swing one as well). There's a lot of 'thrusting into the cut" to catch the contact on the forte and to make the contact before the sword before it reaches it's maximum force.

Chris