A rapier is a type of sword originally used in Spain (known as espada ropera, or “dress sword”) and Italy (known as spada da lato a striscia). The name refers to a sword with a straight, slender and sharp pointed double-edged blade that is wielded with one hand. The sword was known for its elegant design and intricate grip and was popular in Western Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries as a symbol of nobility or as a sign of gentlemanly status.
The sword was called espada ropera because it was worn as an accessory to clothing. It served as a fashion item, weapon for duels, self-defense, and sometimes as a military sidearm. The name comes from Spanish and was first mentioned in Coplas de la panadera by Juan de Mena, written between circa 1445 and 1450.
As fencing spread through Western Europe, important sources on rapier fencing emerged in Spain (known as destreza, “dexterity”), Italy, and France. The French 18th-century small sword or court sword was a direct continuation of this fencing tradition.
Terminology
The name rapier comes from Spanish and is derived from ropera, which refers to a sword worn with clothing. In English, the word was adopted via the French rapière, around the mid-16th century, and denotes a light, long, pointed and double-edged sword. The French espee rapiere was first mentioned in 1474 and literally means “rasp” or “scraper”.
In Germany, in the 16th century, the word rappier was used to denote a foreign weapon imported from Spain, Italy, and France. According to Du Cange, it might come from the Greek ραπίζειν (rapízein, “to strike”). Adelung noted in 1798 that rappieren could mean both “fencing with rapiers” and “rasping, rubbing”.
The terms used by Spanish, Italian, and French masters during the heyday of this weapon were often simply the word for “sword”: espada, spada, and épée. Specifically for this type of sword, the term espada ropera was used in Spain.
Clements (1997) distinguishes rapiers as thrusting weapons with little cutting power and “cut-and-thrust swords” as swords that could both thrust and cut effectively.
Composition
A rapier is a relatively long sword with a protective grip that guards the hand. Some historical rapiers have a wide blade on a typical rapier grip. The shape can be confusing, as the weapon is sometimes also seen as a type of broad sword (broadsword).
Although the blade can cut to some extent, it is primarily designed for quick and agile thrusting. It can be sharpened completely or only partially, for example from the middle to the tip. A typical rapier weighs about 1 kilogram and has a slender blade of 2.5 centimeters or less in width and more than 104 centimeters long, with a sharp point. Some historical Italian rapiers from the early 17th century are longer than 115 centimeters and can even reach 130 centimeters.
A rapier is generally considered a thrusting weapon with a longer and thinner blade than the side sword, which was used in the same period, mainly for military purposes.
Grip:
Rapiers often have complex hilts that protect the hand. Around the crossguard are rings sometimes covered with metal plates, which later led to the well-known cup hilt. Many hilts have a knuckle guard that covers the hand from the crossguard. The grip is usually made of wood, wrapped with cord, leather or wire. A large, often decorated pommel holds the grip in place and provides balance.
Blade:
The blade is divided by some masters into two, three, four, five, or even nine parts:
Forte (strong part): the part close to the grip.
Debole (weak part): the part with the tip.
Sometimes there is a medio/mezzo/terzo between forte and debole.
Ricasso: the rear part of the blade, usually unsharpened, connecting to the crossguard and gradually transitioning into the sharper part.
Total length:
There was disagreement about the ideal length of a rapier. Some masters, like Thibault, found long blades impractical. The recommended length was often such that the crossing of the sword came to the navel when the tip rested on the ground. Some rapiers even had extendable blades, some of which are still preserved.
History of the rapier
The 16th-century espada ropera was a civilian weapon for self-defense and duels, while earlier rapiers were also used on the battlefield. Throughout the 16th century, more and more new one-handed civilian weapons were developed. In 1570, the Italian master Rocco Bonetti settled in England and advocated for thrusting instead of cutting in duels.
Around 1600, the rapier developed into a primarily thrusting weapon, influenced by the geometric theories of masters like Camillo Agrippa, Ridolfo Capo Ferro, and Vincentio Saviolo. The weapon became immensely popular with the upper class but also had opponents, such as George Silver, who disapproved of its dueling applications.
Rapiers evolved in the 16th and 17th centuries into lighter, shorter, and more portable weapons. As a result, they remained suitable for civilian use and retained an elegant character. Eventually, this development led to the colichemarde and later to the small sword and the épée. Additionally, there were also "war rapiers" with broader blades for military use. The sword of King Gustavus Adolphus during the Thirty Years' War is an example of such a war rapier.
Around 1715, the rapier was largely replaced by the lighter small sword, although the weapon was still used, as evidenced by manuals from Donald McBane (1728), P. J. F. Girard (1736), and Domenico Angelo (1787). Today, the rapier is still used by officers of the Swiss Guard of the Pope.
Use of a Second Weapon Hand
Because rapiers were wielded single-handedly, parrying daggers, bucklers, cloaks, or even second swords were often used for defense. A buckler is a small round shield. Capo Ferro also describes the use of the larger rotella. However, the parrying dagger is considered the most suitable and effective second weapon, alongside the rapier.
The slender blade allows for quick attacks from a somewhat greater distance, and the protective grip can ward off enemy blows. However, the rapier is less effective at very close range or against cutting swords such as a sabre or broadsword. In those cases, a parrying dagger offers extra protection and enables the user to attack nonetheless.
