<Shields favourite Rapier from The Bad Man>

 Piste fencing. Pah!

as long as your rapier looks like one of these, i'm cool.  :)

http://www.thearma.org

ahhh... but can it actually be used?  or is it eye candy?  :)

anyway, just wanted to link that page as it may help with design/inspiration/nifty stuff.

I'm hurt at the decorative suggestion!

She's an E45 tempered springsteel semi-sharp Italian style two ring swept hilt rapier. 32" length blade, 1" width. Custom fit for my height, arm length and grip, hence the extra 2" over normal length.

Despite her being a semi-sharp, I've managed to destroy a few pells with it as well as require an A&E visit when I fluffed one of my first ever attempts at a Sgua Lembrato, resulting in some nasty deep tissue bruising.

She's deflected small, back, long and hangar swords easily, often with a lovely shower of sparks. Not tried to deflect anything on the scale of a Claidheamh Mor yet though, need to work on my tip control a bit more before I attempt something like that.

Apparently, since 1948 the accepted spelling is Claídhamh Mór.

In any case, it's basically a badly sharpened iron bar, so no worries there.

i did not intend insult Chris, i was just making sure we were all on the same page.

seriously though, Clements is a freak with those things.  well, pretty much all European (and British :P) military weapons.  the guy is just plain good.  a scholar and a swordsman.  the interview i did with him was all kinds of fun, and then he had me take up a longsword.  he showed me just how little i knew.  it was awesome.

and he's got no compunction against punching you in the face while swordfighting.  :)  the object is to win, not to make friends.

he's also got some ugly scars from when he slipped while training.  some are self inflicted, others by his training partners.  but most required stitches.  :)

just a really cool guy, and someone that might have some good info for the swordplay in Faith.

No worries, I'm jesting with the hurt aspect.

Fencing is absolutely about winning, the baskets or rings on a Rapier don't do much to protect your hand but make great knuckle dusters!

An honorable fight is one where you win by any means necessary, then return home safely to your family to tell them how honorable the fight was.

Cheers for the correction on the spelling Rich :)

I'd bet my pair of falchions against most rapiers.

Provided, y'know, used by owners and absolutely not involving rules.

i'd like to own some of the blades he had on display.  several of them were a few hundred years old.  but in such amazing condition.  for being "primitive" the metalworkers of the time had amazing skill.

 anyway, back to melee combat discussion (the title after all).  you (we?) are planning to have a fighting style true to your own hearts, right Cael?  this won't be pansy fencing?  you can punch, kick, grapple, stab, slash, trip, disembowel to your heart's content?

To paraphrase Robert A Heinlein 

TANSTAAFF.

There Ain't No Such Thing As A Fair Fight.

Of course, you can pansy around if you must, but...

/shrug