Hanwei Practical Swept Hilt Rapier

High Carbon Forged Steel Blade

Reenactors, Live Combat & Stage Combat

 SH1099


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2/22/22 Added $1,000 to price until I can get them back in stock so that eBay won’t delete my listing and watchers.


Specifications:

Overall Length: 43.5"
Blade Length: 37"
Weight: 2lb, 3 ozs

Blade Steel: High Carbon 1566* Steel Blade

Button Tipped

Excellent Balance

Flexible blade meets requirements for re-enactors, historical sparring, Rapier/Ren Adria, SCA, etc.


From Paul Chen and Hanwei Forge comes this classic 3-ring swept hilt with S-shaped quillons, a style popular in the 16th century because of the way it protects the hand and wrist, as well as 'trap' and control an opponent's blade, make this effective both defensively and offensively. This was a forerunner to the shorter, lighter rapiers of the 17th & 18th century when schools of fencing were at the height of popularity. 


Historically accurate, based on a piece in the Wallace Collection, and approved for sparring and HEMA competitions. The high-carbon flex-tempered steel blades with diamond shape cross-section closely follow the proportions of the period and are button tipped for safety. These tapered blades provide a superior balance compared to the traditional parallel-sided schlagers, making for a faster sword. This design is sometimes referred to as a schlager, Glockenschlager, or Musketeer blade, also double-edged epee or double-wide epee. 


Extra or replacement blades are available in 37" (SH1099) and 43" (SH1098) lengths.  I included close-up photos so you can see how solid the Ricasso and tang are, no welds. 


MSRP: $265.00... you save ~ 25%


I'm a collector and a weekend warrior, active in my local HEMA group and Renaissance Fairs. I only list what I own and can personally recommend. Item guaranteed authentic, new in box and direct from manufacturer. Please see this note from Sword Manufacturer Guide online; ...it is especially important when buying Paul Chen Hanwei swords online to avoid shopping based on price alone, as many of the sellers who stock them at close to wholesale prices are selling seconds or defective items that should have been inspected and sent back to the factory as per Hanwei’s usual policy with their wholesalers. See my seller ratings and buy with confidence, plus super fast shipping. Any questions please ask, I'm happy to help.


Comments: This is an impressive weapon by any standard -  outstanding quality, highly recommended, deadly in the thrust and delivers devastating cuts because of it's weight. A couple of members of my local Adria group use these and they take a good bit of strength to wield properly, but are imposing weapons, based on slightly heavier military swords, several inches longer than most rapiers used in modern sparring and competitions. See the photo from an actual match and you get some idea how effective these can be on the field. These practical rapiers from Paul Chen and Hanwei Forge will give you a lifetime of use, and at about half the cost of comparable rapiers from forges like Albion and Darkwood Armory. The blade has the required 4" deflection in accordance safety guidelines for sparring in most HEMA groups.


Made by Hanwei Forge | China


Key Features:

  • High-carbon steel blade
  • Excellent balance
  • Button-tipped
  • Approved for HEMA sparring

* 1566 is a high-carbon and manganese spring steel used by Hanwei in many of their differentially hardened Japanese swords and through-hardened medieval swords. This deep hardening steel provides a consistent microstructure ensuring a long life and excellent edge holding in demanding applications. 0.6-0.7C, 0.85-1.15Mn