Custom training rapiers compared to originals

Today we take a look at two high-end custom training rapiers that we've just completed and compare them to three original rapiers in the collection of The Oakeshott Institute.  These are not your common bargain basement trainer.   Rather, we make them as true to original rapiers as we can, but with a flexible blade that we hand grind to have handling properties as close as possible to a sharp blade while still preserving the life of your training partners ;-). 

Custom training rapiers, showing inner guards

Custom training rapiers, showing outer guards

In the above photos, the top rapier features the hilt from our Italian Three Ring Rapier with a training blade.  The other is a custom hilt featuring a pierced plate similar to that on our Musketeer Rapier.  Any of our rapiers can be made with a training blade.  Check out the full selection here.  We also do fully custom work, enquire here.

Nathan Clough, Ph.D. is Vice President of Arms and Armor and a member of the governing board of The Oakeshott Institute. He is a historical martial artist and a former university professor of cultural geography.  He has given presentations on historical arms at events including Longpoint and Combatcon, and presented scholarly papers at, among others, The International Congress on Medieval Studies.

Craig Johnson is the Production Manager of Arms and Armor and Secretary of The Oakeshott Institute. He has taught and published on the history of arms, armor and western martial arts for over 30 years. He has lectured at several schools and Universities, WMAW, HEMAC, 4W, and ICMS at Kalamazoo. His experiences include iron smelting, jousting, theatrical combat instruction and choreography, historical research, European martial arts and crafting weapons and armor since 1985