Arms & Armor Custom Gustav Vasa Rapier
Original: 16th century
Arms & Armor of Minnesota has been around for quite some time, and here is an excellent example of their older work. I picked up this Gustav Vasa rapier second-hand from a gentleman who said he probably bought it originally in the late 1980s. The most notable aspect of this sword is the amazing piercing on the blade.
This type of sword is one that bridges the cutting sword and the thrusting rapier, often referred to by modern collectors as a
spada da lato, or "side sword". It is based off of one owned originally by King Gustavus Vasa of Sweden. As nice as this sword is, the current version now created by Arms & Armor, minus the piercing, is even nicer. They have improved their grips, which have a much finer wire-wrap and thinner profile. The fine details of the casting are even better executed now. Still, this "vintage" version is quite a fine sword.
This older version also uses bronze lion heads on the guard, while the current version uses steel. In addition to that change, the older version also had the entire guard blackened, unlike the current version which has polished steel on certain parts. I liked the look of the current version, so I carefully applied silver paint to those areas myself.
See our
hands-on review for more details and our
featured article on the authentic Vasa rapier.
Overall length: 42.25"
Weight: 2.75 pounds
Width of guard: 10"
Blade: 35" long; 1.25" wide below ricasso
Ricasso length: 2"
Grip length: 3"
Point of Balance (PoB): 4.25" from guard
Center of Percussion (CoP): ~24" from guard
Maker:
Arms & Armor of Minnesota.
Inspired by an original located in the Swedish Royal Armory, Stockholm (Inventory No. 13502).
This item has been retired from the collection.
Inspired by an original located in the Swedish Royal Armory, Stockholm (Inventory No. 13502).
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