PAIR OF WEAPONS

RAPIER the rapier is a lighter, slimmer and longer variant of the military sword.

The blade is ground, with a central rib, it has a rhombic section and it is used for stabbing. This thin blade is fullered along one third of its length. In the 16 th century the hand protection was formed with a system of the protective bars ( clamping the basket), later with the bell basket. The handle is bound with wire and ends with the head of either round,angular or elongated shape.

In the North Europe the rapier as a weapon was used approximately till the half of the17 th century, in Spain til the 18 th century. This duelling weapon was often complimented with a left- handed dagger.

LEFT-HANDED DAGGER - with a shell is a pair weapon to an aristocratic rapier.When fencing the dagger in combination with a rapier was held in left hand in a thumb position and it was used to parry the weapon of the opponent, while the attack was performed by the rapier.

This dagger has a broad blade with a medial rib. The quillon is bent towards the blade tip and there is a shielding guard on the outer side in the shape of a shell.

Left-handed dagger is made to be a pair with a rapier. They both have a congruent shape and decoration. The weapons were mostly used in the south and central Europe at the turn point of the 16 -17th centuries.

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