[Ansteorra-rapier] Blade recommendation

[Chris Zakes]

At 09:11 PM 11/20/2010, you wrote:

>I wanted to ask you some questions about Schlager style blades.  I 
>am looking to buy one for my Lord who is a new rapier fighter.
>
>What is the difference between Musketeer, Schlager, and rapier blades.

The Musketeer is a heavy-duty, extra-wide epee. In Ansteorra, it's 
classified as a "light" rapier, along with foils. These days, very 
few people in Ansteorra are using the light blades, so buying one 
means it will probably spend a lot more time sitting in his equipment 
bag than on the field.

Schlagers are heavier and somewhat more sword-shaped than epees, and 
are legal for "heavy" rapier (which is what most people are fighting 
these days.) The problem is that schalgers are typically 36" long, 
while most of the other heavy blades are around 40-42" and, as others 
have said, they don't really handle like a period rapier.

Rapier blades are longer, and actually shaped like period swords, so 
they handle the way they're supposed to. The top of the line is 
Darkwood- (http://www.darkwoodarmory.com/) they're more expensive, 
but you definitely get what you pay for. Someone else mentioned 
Hanwei--they're OK as starter blades, but since they're made in 
China, the blades sometimes have quality control problems. It's worth 
pointing out that Darkwood has an "economy" line using Hanwei blades, 
rather than Darkwood; that might be the best compromise, and if he 
gets really hooked, he can always upgrade the blade later.

         -Tivar Moondragon