Hanwei side sword / sword-rapier / cut and thrust sword

(click on above images for larger versions)

Comparison pics: Hanwei sidesword and Kingston Arms sidesword:

The Hanwei side sword - sharp version were discontinued back in 2014 - in 2022 there were a LIMITED amount of them available, but they have once again been discontinued.

(original TherionArms description follows) -

It's a side sword! It's a sword rapier! It's a cut and thrust sword! It's all three swords in one!

Actually, this is all three swords in one - at least, this style of sword has been called by all of those names (and probably many others). Conventional "sword time lines" show evolution in the early 1500's to mid 1600's from the military arming sword to the civilian rapier. Actually, there was quite a lot of overlap and contemporary usage - military swords began gaining more elaborate hilts, blades got longer and thinner, primarily cutting techniques gave way to primarily thrusting techniques; the arming sword became a rapier (which later became small swords and then fencing foils, showing a clear de-evolutionary trend which led from life-and-death battles to playing tag with car antennas (yes, I'm busting on the "classical fencing foil" here).

But I degress - offered here is a wonderful side sword. Very light and fast, sharp, pointy, and a joy to wield. The sword just flows in the hand. Double-edged blade is sharp for it's entire length. The swept hilt guard provides protection for the hand, with a leather wrapped ricasso for fingering. (Stop thinking that way, I'm talking about grip techniques. Um ... nevermind, you know what I mean.) Side swords were often the weapon of choice for Renaissance "rapier and buckler" fighing. Copied from a German original. Complete with leather-covered wooden scabbard. This is an insanely sweet sword.

(The original can be seen in The Wallace Collection, sword A356)

length: 38"
blade: 30"
blade width: 1 3/8 at ricasso
ricasso: 1 3/4"
grip and pommel: 5 7/8"
balance point: 1/2" from guard
guard: 8 1/4"
weight (sword): 2 lb 8.0 oz
weight (sword & scabbard): 2 lb 14.4 oz

Discontinued