Epee vs. Rapier

Epeenoun

(fencing) A sharp-pointed dueling sword with a bell-shaped guard, used (with the end blunted) in sport fencing.

Epeenoun

a fencing sword similar to a foil but with a heavier blade

Rapiernoun

A slender, straight, sharply pointed sword (double-edged, single-edged or edgeless).

Rapieradjective

Extremely sharp.

Rapieradjective

Cutting smarts or keen wit.

Rapiernoun

A straight sword, with a narrow and finely pointed blade, used only for thrusting.

Rapiernoun

a straight sword with a narrow blade and two edges

Rapier

A rapier () or espada ropera is a type of sword with a slender and sharply-pointed two-edged blade that was popular in Western Europe, both for civilian use (dueling and self-defense) and as a military side arm, throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. Important sources for rapier fencing include the Italian Bolognese group, with early representatives such as Antonio Manciolino and Achille Marozzo publishing in the 1530s, and reaching the peak of its popularity with writers of the early 1600s (Salvator Fabris, Ridolfo Capo Ferro).