The Armour Archive

I want to play with an estoc in for SCA rapier... I'm wondering what makers of SCA rapier blades make the longest list legal blades that are usable with schlaguer sort of blades... for the last couple years I've been playing with a super short schlager hilted as a katzbalger, but I think its time for something longer for melee.

Personally, I use the 45" Darkwood bated rapier, as they were the longest I could find. However, at this last Gulf Wars, discussing the subject with Don Simon Morcar, he said that they could produce blades up to 53" on an extemely custom (read bucks) basis.

Gus Trim has been talking on and off about making a reaaaally long rapier blade. Maybe 60"?

Of course, if your persona is an English and later than 1566, you risk having any rapier over 40" broken at the city gate...

Dweezle, I might be wrong but I think the Society Rapier Marshal declared anything over 45 inches to be 'experimental' last Pennsic. Folks were buying these insane long blades, taking them straight to the field and pounding the nards out of each other with them. Check with your local marshal.

That being said, some makers can custom make you something crazy-long. Like Popinj, local to you.

thanks all... I decided to go with one of Darkwood's 45" bated rapier blades - partly because I know the marshals won't look at it too strangely, and because I want to have it hilted up and ready to use by mid April and spring crept up on me way to fast. his service was great, I emailed him last night, and the blade is on it's way to me today

ahh, popinjay's... Adam lives right across town from me and I'll likely be working on the hilt for this blade in his shop. right now only his curved blades are approved for schlager so he also suggested Darkwood.

First time I saw a 45" blade I told the guy he needed a trusting tip on it.

Still useing a 36" blade. I lived throught the arms race and was unaffected by it.

Side sword? Nard pounding? This fencing thing is sounding better and better.

Morgan wrote:Side sword? Nard pounding? This fencing thing is sounding better and better.

I have two swords I use for Cut & Thrust. One is a Darkwood-hilted Del Tin Practice Sidesword blade. 38 inches long, balanced, sweet, GREAT fro hitting people just about EXACTLY as hard as I intend to (very important in whacking folks when the rigid armour is minimized).

The other is a 40 inch Del Tin Bated Rapier blade mounted (with a threaded tang extender) onto a two-handed hilt taken from a cheap Pakastani POS sword. I had thought Cut & Thrust combat had developed a sufficient "pucker-factor" for me until I went up against someone when we were both using two-handed steel swords. ( I heard later there were some armoured combatants watching who just about had large, hairy kittens... )

Oh, and for the record I have been doing armoured combat for nigh on 26 years. Wait, 26 YEARS?! Aw man! I'm getting OOOOOLLLLLLLDDD!

Kevin O'Shaughnessy

I hear ya. I hang out with a lot of Ansteorran dons, particularly ones involved in C&T, and they're like little imps on my shoulders but unfortunately both the angel and the devil are telling me to do it. LOL

I've been using a 36' inch blade since I started fencing and never really felt the need to buy a longer one til the last melee I had fought in. Even though I'm 6' tall and have a hell of a reach already I often came up an inch or two short because everybody else was using 40' (or longer) blades. I wouldn't use the thing outside of one on one combat though.

Kevin O'Shaughnessy wrote:

Morgan wrote:Oh, and for the record I have been doing armoured combat for nigh on 26 years. Wait, 26 YEARS?! Aw man! I'm getting OOOOOLLLLLLLDDD!

Kevin O'Shaughnessy

GETTING OLD. You IS old.

Welcome to the porch. Thats' your rocker, this ones mine.

Guy Dawkins wrote:First time I saw a 45" blade I told the guy he needed a trusting tip on it.

Still useing a 36" blade. I lived throught the arms race and was unaffected by it.

for the last few years I've mostly been using a 28" schlager with a katzbalger sort of hilt on it... I love it for one on one, but it's next to useless in melees... very nice defensive weapon, but if I'm close enough to hit anyone I have a very good chance of having every rapier within range stuck in various parts of me.

I wish we had some sidesword stuff going on up where I am

I enjoy taking dagger against rapier at times.

Alcyoneus wrote:I enjoy taking dagger against rapier at times.

I've done that a few times. It's an enormous amount of fun.