Here's an example of why I think the boys at Arms and Armor make the best production rapiers in the business. This is the German rapier and parrying dagger. It's an absolutely outstanding set, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a rapier and has money to spend.

Overall Length: 43.25 inches
Blade Length 37 inches
Point of Balance: 5.5 inches from cross
Center of Percussion: 23.5 inches from cross
Weight: 2.7 lbs
Pommel type: N/A
Cross type N/A
Blade type: N/A

Performance Review:
This rapier is far and away the most agile rapier that I've handled and according to Craig Johnson the most agile that Arms and Armor produces as well. This rapier could actually be used for cutting or movie style fencing if desired. Most rapiers are not balanced for that sort of thing but this one fits the bill very well.

Appearance:
This is a gorgeous piece of work. The detail on the floral motif of the pommel and complex hilt is astounding. The welds of the hilt itself are undetectable. The blade itself was straight without a ripple and the thin fuller was well executed. Aesthetically this is just about as good as a production piece gets.

I wholeheartedly agree. Unless you go custom you won't find a better compound hilt, and the folks at A&A are first class as well.

Russ,
You're making me sigh longingly.

I just contacted A&A about a customized version of the German. It's my favorite aesthetically, but I need modifications for it functionally. I need a quillon on the knuckle side (been using a Bavarian for practice, and while it's FORCING me to make sure my technique is correct, it'd be nice to not have to worry about the blade sliding below the hilt), and I also need it to be a 42" blade. The current, while I have no doubt is an incredibly fast sword, is just WAY too short for me. Craig says it's no problem, but I'm just not sure if currently I can justify the extra cost to modify this sword, or if I should just buy one of their other rapiers that has both the quillon and longer blade. (Of course, there's always the option of just being content with my two Darkwoods, my Hanwei practical rapier, and my A&A Bavarian... to which I reply, "Bah!")

Craig e-mailed me a pic of a digitally altered German rapier that has a quillon on both sides, and all I can say is that I didn't realize it could actually look better.

BTW, Russ, those are some slick looking scabbards you made there.

Hey Bill,

It would be very interesting to see what those mods would do to the performance of the piece. I think in large part that the German is agile because of its shorter length so I wonder if you would be slowing it down by adding that extra length to it. I suppose that they could increase the weight of the pommel to even things out but that introduces a whole other set of variables.

If it's okay with Craig why don't you post that pic? I think it would be interesting to see.

I actually own the Bavarian too, I like the nice simple lines on it, but I have to say that after handling the two if I had a chance to do it over I'd buy the German. Of course it doesn't really matter since eventually I'll own both... ;)

I agree wholeheartedly, their production work is great.

With a bit of luck in a few months I'll get to see what their customer stuff is like too. I have two custom jobs in the work line with A&A. I can't wait to see how they turn out.

I've read your review of the German rapier on your site before, Russ, and it's the only information that I have regarding the handling of the sword. While I have no doubts that I would love the piece as it is, if I were intending to use a shorter, lighter, faster weapon, I'd prefer using a smallsword. For my studies in Salvator Fabris's rapier, the German Rapier is simply too short. Craig said that the pommel would be a problem to modify because it is cast, but to counter the issue of balance they would change the geometry of the blade instead. He said it would actually not only be more cost effective to do this, but it would also work better than a larger pommel.

As for performance, he did say it wouldn't be as quick as the shorter sword, but still well within historical parameters. And in the end, my main goal above all else is to have the sword function like an original, with the sole exception that it would be blunt (for the sake of my training partners, naturally). Moving the sword around in quick, "swashbuckling" motions isn't how the rapier of Fabris is used, rather it's about gaining the angular and geometric advantage against your opponent. Just about everything is in single time, ideally, so there wouldn't be any parry-riposte actions. I don't really see a longer sword as being "slower". It simply would be designed for a different style of fencing, one that a shorter, "faster" blade would be less suited to.

Here's the pic that Craig sent me.

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That's where you start getting out of my league Bill, I really don't know anything about actual rapier usage. Has the Bavarian been an effective rapier for you?

I've never seen that dagger model before. Has it made itself into A&A's catalog of production pieces? Very friggin' nice.

I agree that A&A makes the best production rapiers and compound hilts on the market: Straight up, no doubt about it. I love my pieces from them.

I don't even know Nathan I just assumed it was available now I have to go look... Hmm you are right, I wonder if this customer had it done special. It's really nice regardles..

I've always had ambivalent feelings toward rapiers, and those long blades are part of the reason.

I note, Russ, that your specs show the blade a bit longer than the specs in the A&A catalog, though still short compared to what I've see for German rapiers at this date.

The write-up says that this is based on a specific example. Anyone know if the original also had a short blade?

Craig, are you about?

Hey Scott,

A little of the disconnect may be where they measure the start of the blade from to the tip. They may have started at the guard I started at the end of the quillon block. It is definately shorter then my bavarian and thereform more maneuverable (or at least I suppose that's one of the factors involved). Rapiers aren't my primary love but they are pretty things and I just had to have a couple.

A maker that won't be known for fine hilt-work is K+K Art of the Czech Republic. Got my two rapiers yesterday, and while the patinated one is fine, the "practice rapier" isn't... See my upcoming reviews.

In my experience some of the best reproduction rapiers, especially for use in WMA fencing, come from Darkwood Armory, based out of Panama City Florida and run by Scott Wilson. For those of you not familiar with is works, what Scott does is take one of three types of blades supplied to him by Del Tin (practice, bated and sharp blades) and mounts them to hilts of his own construction. He offers several different styles of hilts, from simple swept hilts to elaborate cup and Pappenheimer hilts, and also does beautiful custom work. The swords have excellent weight, balance (within 1-2 inches of the guard, which makes the sword extremely manueverable despite its length). Several members of our school and of MASHS own Darkwoods, and all of us love them. Here's their website: Darkwood Armory.

Russ,
Any chance you happen to have a pic of the dagger's blade?

Pretty sure i saw and handled one of those up at the Bristol Faire this year which leads me to beleive it is stock. Could be wrong, because I played with so much of the stuff. But I remember a sword like the one pictured on the thread and I remember Craig saying it was the fastest he made.

Hello All

Sorry I have not responded sooner. I have been doing a new catalog and trying to catchup at work so I have been going every minute of late. The German Rapier does have a blade that is shorter than most rapiers. The original is in Solingen.

The dagger is something new. We actually have a couple of them comming out. The one in Russ's Pic is the prototype. The requests for matching daggers for some of our rapiers have ben growing and a customer ordered some matching pieces so we decided to put some of them into production.

Here are a pic of the German Parrying Dagger and the Gustav PD. They will be on the website soon.

Craig

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