Is rapier good for combat?
Rapiers were not well suited for battlefield combat. They were not particularly strong swords, the blade is thin and can not cut through armor as a longsword or flamberge can. Their thin and small stature made them inadequate for blocking blows from most larger weapons, like maces or axes.
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Were rapiers used in war?

Noticeably, there were some “war rapiers” that feature a relatively wide blade mounted on a typical rapier hilt during this era. These hybrid swords were used in the military or even in battlefield. Gustav II Adolf’s carried a sword that was used in the Thirty Years’ War and is a typical example of the “war rapier”.
What is the point of a rapier?
At the end of the Middle Ages, weapons began to be used not only on the battlefield, but for civilian use as well. The rapier became the essential self-defense weapon of the “Renaissance man.” This project explores the evolution and manufacture of the rapier through history.
Is a rapier a defensive weapon?
Rapiers could be used against other styles of swords, both as defensive and offensive weapons, and in the right hands they could be effective against armor.

Can rapier beat Katana?
If both opponents are of equal skill Rapier beats Katana 7/10. [Generally a rapierist would not wear armor as the rapier was a civilian weapon–not a war sword like the longsword etc.
Can a rapier penetrate armor?
Certain very sharp swords designed for cutting could make it through gambeson and other ‘soft’ armour (Falchions/Messers), others like the rapier could penetrate a reasonable thickness due to their very sharp and fine points, but they were certainly most effective against unarmoured targets. Mail armour was even more …
Can a rapier beat a longsword?
A rapier is faster, but longsword techniques are designed to cut through the line of attack, mitigating this advantage. The rapier will lose badly in any kind of bind or parry situation, limiting its ability to retaliate and make trades.
Can a rapier pierce armor?
They were large, heavy, stiff, two-handed blades specifically designed to puncture or beat on plate armor. They were not handled like rapiers but are directly related to the use of Medieval swords held by the blade (what was called at the “half-sword”).
Do rapiers break easily?
Yet, a rapier blade is by no means fragile nor vulnerable to being easily broken or cut by other swords (though its slender tip might on occasion snap).
Can a rapier cut through bone?
“True” rapiers, for all intents and purposes, lack the capacity to cut. Yes, it is still technically possible to cut with one, but the ability to cleave into bone or cause serious soft tissue damage like you could with a medieval sword or cut and thrust sword just isn’t there.
Can a rapier cut bone?
Can a katana cut through a rapier?
Although occasionally argued by some, I do not believe for an instant that the rapier would be “cut” or broken by a katana. Although katanas were (more or less) capable of cutting through metal, slicing an adversary’s very sword, especially one as agile as a rapier, is improbable at best.