Rapier/cut-and-thrust blade stiffness?

[Mick Keller]

How stiff, from side to side, are the blades of rapiers and cut-and-thrust swords supposed to be?

I just took delivery of this sword:


Frankly, I bought it because I think it looks cool. It's called a "broadsword rapier" on the site from where it was purchased; I'm sure that's a misnomer. I've never had a European-type sword before--only Asian swords--so I have no frame of reference.

The blade isn't forged; it's from some kind of sheet metal, a little thinner than my Corona machete blade. When I grip the hilt and quickly jerk the sword from side to side, the blade will "whip" eight to 10 inches from true.

[Jason Taylor]

I'm not an expert on those two types of sword, but I'd say 8-10" for what looks like a side-sword with a complex hilt is too much.

[Stacy Clifford]

A long cutting blade should have a little bit of flex to it if you jerk it hard, but not I wouldn't say more than a couple of inches at most. A short blade needs to be resilient too for the shock of combat, but structurally it should be almost unnoticeable with the same test. Any dedicated thrusting blade with a thick spine like a rapier or tuck should be stiff as an ice pick, but I don't know of anybody making rapiers right now that doesn't use flexible blades.