[Craig Shira]

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Hello!

I am interested in learning the German rapier tradition, but I do not own a rapier. Asking a German fencing teacher which manufacturers he preferred, he recommended Arms & Armor and Darkwood Armoury, the two sword smiths I was already considering. Of the Arms & Armor pieces, he was fond of the Gustav Vasa, Milanese, and the 2-Ring rapiers for Joachim Meyer's fencing school.

I have read great things on this site about the Gustav Vasa, the Milanese rapier, and the 2-Ring. Each one seems exquisite in their craftsmanship. Of those three, the most appealing is the Gustav Vasa.

The Gustav Vasa rapier looks incredible and I am interested in purchasing it with a nail blunt for training. My concern, the question I ask to you, is if this highly decorative sword will hold up to the rigors a novice will put it through. Is it built to be knocked around?

(Craig)

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[Bill Grandy]

Hi Craig,
You have fantastic taste. That's one of my favorite rapiers. The handling of the piece is quite nice, and it should do quite nicely for Meyer's "rappir", though you are right to wonder about damaging the fittings. The blueing will definately get scratched. I'm not sure if there will be any problems with the Medusa heads that are attached to the bars, though I think those should be okay.

If the scratched blueing will bother you, then you may want to consider asking for a polished steel finish.