RAPIER (803) MARTO of Spain
The decline of armor and the rise of the musket was simultaneous, and some would say a necessary precursor, for the rise of the rapier. The rapier depended almost entirely on the thrust for use, and would have been useless against an armored opponent. The almost wholesale abandonment of armor allowed for the rise of a sword devoted to thrusting. The rapier, although carried as a secondary weapon by almost all soldiery, was almost never used as a primary weapon throughout this period. Blades generally originated in Toledo or Solingen but were hilted by regional smiths, resulting in many different hilt styles and finishes.

The beautiful sweeping hilt design of this original Marto 803 Rapier is plated in mirror polished silver and protects a genuine leather wrapped handle and silver pommel. The Rapier 803 features the famous Toledo 440 Stainless Steel Tempered forged blade. The dual edged blade is factory dull and is mirror polished thus virtually maintenance free as it will not rust and requires minimal care. The Rapier measures 44 inches overall and finds its point of balance at about 4 1/4 inches from the guard.

Although this product features a blade of high quality, strength, and temper, this item is not recommended, intended nor manufactured for battle and is thus classified as a decorative piece.