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 history, evolution, and manufacture of the rapier through history. This cut-and-thrust sword was manufactured by artisans who had to develop new methods of crafting metal in order to make the thin, light blade both durable and ductile. To study this process, a rapier was constructed using classical methods. Upon the completion of the replica, its material properties were studied using a surface microscope. The project also included contributing to the WPI - Arms and Armor website.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Fitzgibbon, Mark William
• Daudelin, Andrew James
• Correa, Robert Michael
• Ostrom, Eric Maxwell

Subject

• Culture
• Learning
• Computing

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-101313-104620

Palabra Clave

• Weapons
• History

Advisor

• Thomsen, Tom Hartvig
• Lados, Diana A.

Year

• 2013

Sponsor

• Higgins Armory Museum

Date created

• 2013-10-13

Ubicación

• Worcester

Resource type

• Interactive Qualifying Project

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Última modificación

• 2020-12-31