Rapiers

Rapiers feature heavily within the 8th Lord Howard de Walden's collections of arms and armour. Many of these blades display elegance in their simple designs, however, several also exhibit their maker's flair for design, with intricate hilts, etched ricassos and flamboyant blades. In the Early Modern period in European history, rapiers began as amilitary weapon before becoming more of a fashion statement as muskets and rifles became more common in battle. The weapon was similar to broadswords, in that they were double-edged, however, they were optimised for thrusting with their longer and slimmer blades.