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<blockquote data-quote="Dannyalcatraz" data-source="post: 4338465" data-attributes="member: 19675">In addition to what has been said before, there's the matter that the weapons in question were popular in vastly different eras.Rapiers became the personal melee weapon of choice from the 15th century on- about the time when firearms were beginning to make heavy armor impractical.&nbsp; Without heavy armor to defeat, melee weapons could be smaller, faster and lighter.Which was good, since the intended targets- no longer encased head-to-toe in full armor- were now more mobile and able to dodge blows from heavier weapons.&nbsp; The small, fast thrusting sword replaced the heavier, slower slashing weapons of earlier years.To the original question....I forget the film in which this appeared, but there was a scene in a movie in which the hero was using a rapier or saber was trying to fend off a brute of a foe swinging a 2 hander.&nbsp; His first parry attempt turned his saber into a flat-pointed dinner knife.In reality, its unlikely that a quality weapon would shatter thus.&nbsp; The rapiers and sabers typically have a diamond-shaped cross-section, so they're a lot sturdier than they look.&nbsp; Better thrusting blades with high-quality steel also tended to have quite a bit of flex to them.However, it probably would be severely bent- possibly notched- by parrying a blow by a much larger and heavier blade.For more info, check out Oakeshott's sword typology:<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakeshott_typology" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakeshott_typology</a><a href="http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_spotxviii.html" target="_blank">http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_spotxviii.html</a></blockquote>

[QUOTE="Dannyalcatraz, post: 4338465, member: 19675"] In addition to what has been said before, there's the matter that the weapons in question were popular in vastly different eras. Rapiers became the personal melee weapon of choice from the 15th century on- about the time when firearms were beginning to make heavy armor impractical. Without heavy armor to defeat, melee weapons could be smaller, faster and lighter. Which was good, since the intended targets- no longer encased head-to-toe in full armor- were now more mobile and able to dodge blows from heavier weapons. The small, fast thrusting sword replaced the heavier, slower slashing weapons of earlier years. To the original question.... I forget the film in which this appeared, but there was a scene in a movie in which the hero was using a rapier or saber was trying to fend off a brute of a foe swinging a 2 hander. His first parry attempt turned his saber into a flat-pointed dinner knife. In reality, its unlikely that a quality weapon would shatter thus. The rapiers and sabers typically have a diamond-shaped cross-section, so they're a lot sturdier than they look. Better thrusting blades with high-quality steel also tended to have quite a bit of flex to them. However, it probably would be severely bent- possibly notched- by parrying a blow by a much larger and heavier blade. For more info, check out Oakeshott's sword typology: [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakeshott_typology[/url] [url]http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_spotxviii.html[/url] [/QUOTE]

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