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Statistics on 98 Rapiers from 1530 to 1700

In an attempt to further enlighten the rapier community as to what constitutes a period rapier I offer the following statistics. Note that a Practice Schlager with a reasonable rig and 40-45 inches of blade matches a period rapier in all but width and a few ounces of weight. Otto.

98 Rapiers from 1530 to 1700
Location
 
Year
Length(in.)
Blade(in.)
Weight (oz.)
Width(in.)
Degan?
Germany
1530
52.2500
44.5000
No
Germany*
1540
46.5000
36.0000
No
Germany
1555
48.2500
42.7500
43.0000
1.1250
No
Germany
1585
49.5000
43.2500
1.0000
No
Germany*
1590
45.2500
39.5000
50.0000
1.2500
No
Germany*
1610
45.0000
39.0000
0.8750
No
Germany*
1630
46.2500
40.5000
1.3750
No
Germany*
1630
40.2500
34.2500
1.0000
No
Germany*
1630
50.5000
44.7500
0.7500
No
Germany*
1640
46.5000
41.0000
0.5000
No
Germany*
1640
49.2500
43.5000
0.7500
No
Germany*
1660
46.5000
41.7500
0.6250
No
Dresden
1590
45.6692
39.3700
61.7288
No
Dresden
1597
45.6692
39.3700
61.7288
No
Germany*
1590
48.4251
41.7322
69.1363
No
Munich
1610
46.4566
40.1574
42.3283
No
Dresden
1590
49.2125
42.7165
58.2014
No
Germany*
1590
49.2125
43.3070
56.4378
No
Germany*
1610
46.8503
39.7637
50.4413
No
Germany*
1600
45.4724
39.7637
45.8557
No
Dresden
1600
46.0629
39.7637
46.2084
No
Germany*
1560
48.8188
42.3228
50.0885
Yes
Germany*
1590
44.8818
38.3858
40.5646
No
Augsburg
1588
47.6377
41.7322
55.0268
No
Dresden
1605
48.4251
42.1259
51.1467
No
Saxony
1600
44.8818
38.5826
34.5681
Yes
Saxony
1600
44.6850
38.5826
35.2736
Yes
Germany
1562
47.2440
41.3385
42.3283
Yes
Germany
1641
44.4881
37.7952
28.2189
Yes
Germany*
1560
48.8188
42.3228
50.0885
No
Munich*
1550
45.2755
39.3700
49.3830
Yes
Germany*
1700
39.7637
33.4645
27.5134
Yes
Solingen
1620
46.0629
47.2440
16.2480
0.9055
Yes
Solingen
1620
47.2440
40.5511
16.6647
0.8661
Yes
Solingen*
1625
46.8503
41.1417
16.5258
0.8661
Yes
Solingen
1600
44.0944
37.5984
15.5537
0.7087
Yes
Dresden
1600
42.7165
34.7243
15.0676
1.4567
Yes
Germany*
1650
52.9527
46.0629
18.6783
1.1417
Yes
Tyrol
1575
56.6928
48.0314
86.4203
No
Spain
1575
47.6377
41.3385
45.8557
Yes
Spain*
1550
49.9999
43.3070
45.1502
No
Spain*
1565
47.2440
41.5354
54.6741
No
Spain*
1560
46.8503
41.1417
51.1467
No
Spain
1575
39.3700
33.8582
37.0373
Yes
Spain
1556
47.8346
41.7322
58.2014
Yes
Spain*
1650
49.0157
41.1417
17.2896
1.1417
No
Toledo
1597
43.3070
36.6141
15.2759
1.1417
Yes
Toledo
1600
44.8818
38.3858
15.8314
0.7480
Yes
Toledo*
1590
52.7558
47.0472
18.6089
0.7480
No
Toledo*
1625
47.8346
41.9291
16.8730
0.7874
Yes
Toledo*
1650
40.1574
33.7401
14.1650
0.7480
Yes
Toledo*
1650
37.0078
30.3149
13.0540
0.9055
Yes
Spain*
1580
50.0000
43.8750
1.1250
No
Spain*
1620
55.8750
50.0000
51.0000
1.1250
No
Spain*
1650
45.0000
40.7500
0.6250
No
Spain*
1660
49.2500
44.5000
32.0000
0.6250
No
Spain*
1660
44.7500
40.2500
0.8750
No
Spain*
1670
43.7500
40.0000
0.7500
No
Italy*
1585
47.6377
41.3385
59.9651
No
Italy*
1590
49.2125
43.3070
45.8557
No
Italy*
1590
49.9999
44.0944
50.7940
No
Milan*
1590
48.0314
41.7322
38.8010
No
Milan
1605
49.2125
42.5196
54.6741
No
Italy*
1580
49.2125
42.5196
43.7393
No
Italy*
1580
38.5826
31.4960
38.8010
No
Italy*
1590
50.3936
43.7007
49.3830
No
Italy*
1580
38.1889
31.4960
35.9791
No
Italy*
1600
44.6850
38.3858
61.7288
No
Italy*
1590
48.2283
40.7480
50.7940
No
Italy*
1575
46.0629
40.1574
40.9174
Yes
Italy*
1590
45.4724
39.7637
33.1572
Yes
Milan*
1550
44.4881
38.7795
31.0408
Yes
Milan*
1550
44.4881
38.7795
31.0408
Yes
Italy
1650
44.4881
39.3700
15.6923
0.6299
No
Italy*
1590
51.7716
45.2755
18.2617
0.9055
Yes
Milan*
1590
47.3621
40.5511
16.7063
1.0236
Yes
Italy*
1580
46.0000
40.2500
1.0000
No
Italy*
1590
50.2500
44.7500
1.0000
No
Italy*
1620
60.0000
53.0000
1.1250
No
Italy*
1630
49.2500
43.0000
1.0000
No
Italy*
1630
50.0000
44.2500
0.8750
No
Italy*
1630
51.7500
46.0000
44.0000
0.7500
No
Italy*
1640
58.5000
53.0000
1.0000
No
Italy
1620
55.7500
50.0000
51.0000
1.1250
No
France*
1590
49.9999
43.7007
17.6368
0.9843
Yes
France*
1570
49.9999
44.1731
17.6368
0.9843
Yes
England*
1610
40.0000
33.7500
1.1250
No
England*
1620
43.2500
36.5000
0.8750
No
England*
1630
50.0000
43.0000
0.8750
No
England*
1630
50.2500
43.0000
36.0000
0.7500
No
England*
1660
40.7500
35.0000
0.6250
No
England*
1630
51.2500
45.2500
28.0000
0.7500
No
England*
1630
55.5000
49.7500
0.6250
No
England*
1630
49.0000
42.5000
0.5000
No
England
1635
54.7500
48.0000
0.6250
No
England*
1640
54.5000
48.5000
0.7500
No
England*
1640
48.2500
42.5000
0.6250
No
England*
1700
37.0078
29.9212
15.8731
Yes
Averages
47.4144
41.2586
38.3778
0.8881


* From a German Book Called Prunke-Waffen. The blade in this book are from the Dresden Collection.

All other rapiers are from:

Rapiers
Eric Valentine

Stackpole Books
Cameron and Kelker Streets
Harrisburg, PA 17105

Published in Great Britain, 1968

Charles E. Bonawitz IV
Lord Otto Vustmann
otto@bga.com