[Gabriele Becattini]

hello, i'm considering to buy a new practice rapier and my choice is between a del tin rapier and a darkwood rapier.
my fencing accademy (FISAS) use del tin practical blades by many years and so i know it well but i'm tempting to buy a darkwood rapier because i like very much scott wilson's works, the problem is that i dont know nothing about the quality of their practical blades. someone could tell me the difference between this two kinds of blades? thank you

[Christopher Gregg]

Gabriele,

I have not handled a Darkwood rapier, but I do own a Del Tin. I think you will find the concensus is that the Del Tin rapiers are a bit too "whippy" in feel, and not really historically accurate to period rapiers. I do believe that Scott's Darkwood blades are closer to period in their performance. I know my A&A German rapier is much stiffer than my Del Tin. Maybe someone else can chime in?

[James Holczer]

I have two Darkwood blades and I’ve been using one of them extensively for the past 2 years. I don’t have any complaints to report. They hold up to heavy use well and seem to be well tempered. They are not overly whippy yet they flex well. The only thing I will say it that most of the Darkwood blades I’ve handled are considerably heavier than the Del-tin FISAS blades but in my opinion they approximate the actual feel of a period rapier more closely. Scott Wilson of Darkwood can also customize a blade somewhat to your needs and specifications if so desired.

Jim Holczer
Student - Umbs School of Fence / Martinez Academy of Arms