Today we take a look at our Gustav Vasa Rapier with a bright finish whereas it is usually offered blued. This was a custom request by a customer that we thought we'd share with you all. Gustav Vasa was the king of Sweden from 1523-1560, and his sword is in the Swedish Royal Armouries. Our replica is a slightly simplified version of this elegant and ornate sword. While referred to as a rapier it might be better described as a complex-hilted sidesword due to the weapons dynamics. It wants to cut at least as much as to thrust, which is fitting for the weapon of a king famed for his military exploits.
Check out the product link here: www.arms-n-armor.com/products/gustav-vasa-rapier
As always, our swords are entirely made by us at our shop in Minneapolis, MN out of 6150 carbon steel, hardened and tempered to 50-52 Rockwell. Our swords and other weapons are made to look, feel, and function just like the historical originals on which they are based.
Nathan Clough, Ph.D. is Vice President of Arms and Armor and a member of the governing board of The Oakeshott Institute. He is a historical martial artist and a former university professor of cultural geography. He has given presentations on historical arms at events including Longpoint and Combatcon, and presented scholarly papers at, among others, The International Congress on Medieval Studies.
Craig Johnson is the Production Manager of Arms and Armor and Secretary of The Oakeshott Institute. He has taught and published on the history of arms, armor and western martial arts for over 30 years. He has lectured at several schools and Universities, WMAW, HEMAC, 4W, and ICMS at Kalamazoo. His experiences include iron smelting, jousting, theatrical combat instruction and choreography, historical research, European martial arts and crafting weapons and armor since 1985