Based on models of 17th century swept-hilt rapiers of Italian ancestry, our Torino Rapier and matching Main Gauche exhibit the classic straight crossguard styling popular in this part of Europe. Available in antiqued(SH2204N), polished(SH2204), and now left-handed polished(SH2204L) versions. All of our rapiers have stainless steel hilts, for reduced maintenance, and high-carbon steel flex-tempered blades. Our three swept-hilt styles (Solingen, Torino, Gustav) are available with hilts in both polished and antiqued finishes. The latter finish, developed by Hanwei, has allowed a museum-quality patina to be applied to stainless steel while the non-corroding properties of the steel are retained. This finish is extremely attractive and gives a very authentic appearance to the piece.

The swept-hilt rapiers and their attendant main gauches have now been redesigned to provide lighter, better balanced pieces than earlier models. The hilts are now of the same size as the museum pieces on which they are based, providing an authentic “feel” in the user’s hand. All of the rapier and main gauche blades shown on Pages 80, 81, 82 and 83 of the catalog are interchangeable with the “Practical” blades (OH2255 - rapier, OH2256 - Main Gauche), which are designed for safety in rapier sparring. This gives the user a wide choice of swept hilt styles for use with both live and “Practical” blades. A replacement live blade is also available (OH2327 - $65).

Made by Hanwei.