George Silver HATED the Rapier

[@gabem3251]

George Silver truly is the most British fencer by hating everything Italian.

[@tryingtotryistrying]

that salt has lasted through the ages!

[@Rynewulf]

@@tryingtotryistrying hush, and away with thine exotic spices!

[@alessandroguarrera2203]

I thought everyone liked pasta...

[@Rynewulf]

@@alessandroguarrera2203 only since its become commonplace and seen as a renamed British staple rather than foreign. Ie see what we've done to 'spag bol'

[@alessandroguarrera2203]

​@@Rynewulf They have that here, in Australia, too. See "chicken parmie."

[@phenjaws569]

The fact that he opened with calling it the worst weapon and felt that was still too polite is amazing.

[@b.h.abbott-motley2427]

That's not what he actually claimed in his advantages of weapons, however. He technically gave the long rapier the odds over any single-handed sword with a blade under 37-40 inches, which is the majority of single-handed swords that have ever existed: "And if two shall fight with staves or swords, or what weapons soever, the one of them having his weapon longer than the perfect length, and the other shorter than the perfect length, he that has the longer has the vantage, because the shorter can make no true cross in true time."

[@Tigercup9]

"It encourages people to hurt each other, but also does a shit job of hurting people, low skill floor low skill ceiling, literally just buy a dagger lol" fucking magnificent

[@stingerjohnny9951]

That was a perfect modern rendition XD

[@pembertr0n]

“Try 1v1 on the battlefield scrub lmao”

[@barahng]

He's literally doing the .22 meme but for swords 😂

[@blacktootherson]

@@pembertr0n😭

[@torabelladora]

For a man so thoroughly against the rapier, he did but still have- a point.

[@Felinius]

Puns are a foil to me.

[@NoName-lo9ym]

That was a particularly cutting jest 👏

[@zaxmaxlax]

He is poking fun at the rapier.

[@biggiouschinnus7489]

I think Silver's main point wasn't so much the rapier, as the duelling culture that came with it. The Italian/Spanish culture of duelling was notoriously aggressive, bordering on personal recklessness. Fights might be started over something that even contemporaries would consider utterly trivial. If one duellist was appreciably more experienced than the other, then it would be over in seconds. If both were of the same skillset however (as was usually the case), then they'd very often just skewer each other.

[@m0nkEz]

It seemed to me that his gripe was that he sees the two as being one in the same. He disapproves of the duels foremost, but also disapproves of the rapier itself because he considers it inadequate for anything but duelling.

[@Candlemancer]

Essentially that it's a weapon that *exists* only for reckless young men to kill each other with over trivial squabbles. It's not a weapon of war or serious self defense, but of senseless and wasteful violence.

[@fly1ngG0PHER]

He also says that the rapier itself is bad because of the overemphasis on thrusts and the inability to make a “true cross,” i.e. a good bind with an opponent’s blade, because it’s too long and balanced wrong for what he thought the perfect sword should be for a person of a given size. He was very much a man who touted that there was exactly one correct way to fight in any given situation, and that any deviation from that ideal was stupid or clumsy, but I haven’t seen a lot of people that ever take a page from his book in actual sparring, likely because “be perfect” is not really as instructional or achievable for the average person as he makes it out to be.

[@SerTomKatze]

To quote my master who taught me to respect every weapon. Silver was likely wounded by a rapier at some point, pay him no mind.

[@aasdqwwcacfwavdsvwe6013]

Verdadera Destreza is the OPPOSITE of reckless.

[@Swedishmafia101MemeCorporation]

I'm glad to see that public discourse has come so far in the fencing community 💀

[@willharper1326]

A full length video! At least, longer than a short. This has quickly become one of my favorite channels, and I believe Robin has huge potential. It would be great to start seeing more full length videos.

[@daegraith6524]

Seconded.

[@tryingtotryistrying]

I'm unsure. this long format content almost lost me but fortunately i was able to rally halfway through (took an intermission, had to stretch my legs) and finish it. glad I did, but oof yeah at over twice the length of his normal content it was an adjustment to be sure. 😁

[@binbows2258]

@@tryingtotryistrying do you need subway surfers at the bottom?

[@Gongall]

He commented, on a 2 minute long video. 😂people really just hate the marketing huh

[@superrobotmonkeyhyperteamf3194]

In all fairness others did agree with silvers take especially for war. But Silvers manifest certainly is the best equivalent to a modern shitpost. From military authors perspectives the rapier was not good for war since its too long, ineffective against armour and weak in cutting. In defense of the rapier Silver probably saw rapier demonstrations of Saviolo who already had a quite eccentric fencing system. One fencing master also criticises spanish fencing for the same reason saying that in self defense they would need their servants to make the ground even so they could do their fancy steps. Also nice video personally prefer this over shorts.

[@FriedEdd]

Saviolo, was an ex soldier who fought all over Europe. So sort of knew what worked. He was also used a sword of similar length to Silver. I think Silver was just advertising how his style was better than those Italians in the only way available to him at the time. No youtube back then.

[@superrobotmonkeyhyperteamf3194]

@@FriedEdd been a while since i read him but saviolo was seen as eccentric compared to the rest of italian rapier fencing. Important is also what context the manual was made for. Some authors cleary differentiate between the salle and self defense or battle saying that the fencing in the salle will get you killed in street. Military authors do favour swords like silvers or what sometimes is called german military rapier. Best example would be giganti first treatise is salle fencing "the noble manner" the second one is quite different. Depends a lot on the intention of the manual. Fabris reasons in a similar manner regarding some techniques and weapons. Maybe he mixed up saviolo with the rest of the system or saviolo mostly just showed what people wanted him to show(typical italian fencing).

[@FriedEdd]

Likewise, it has been a while since I read some of the treatise. Saviolo taught a lot of the Italian 16th century cut and thrust style of fencing. Which the end of the 1500s probably was seen as eccentric, because longer rapiers and thrust centric fencing styles had appeared (these were what Silver hated and railed against) But as far as I am aware, (and I am just a practitioner and not historian so I will bow down to someone better read than I). His self defense dualling advice was a simple stance of coda long stretta with stoccatta strikes, using circular offensive and defensive movement. Not linear attacks or evasion. I don't know if I read it in Silver or if I was told it, but I think Silver called Saviolo to dual but he never accepted. Which if they had rival schools in the same city at the same time, I believe it was just damn marketing by him to write how terrible these Italian fencing styles were. Both probably used swords of similar length, but with a difference in swept hilt style if the Mary Rose sword was typical of the English style at the time.

[@FriedEdd]

That meant to say damn good marketing by Silver, not just damn!

[@mackenziebenedict8403]

What swords of the renaissance besides a large two handed sword would be functionally better against armour though? I mean to say that a side sword, dussack, messer, back sword, broadsword or any other kind of singlehanded sword could certainly cut better than a rapier, and would be more blade heavy, but still wouldn’t be able to do anything against armour. Also, Spanish Tercios.

[@pawnshop_ghost]

Anyone who participates in Elden Ring pvp knows how this man feels

[@koishily]

R1 R1 R1 R1 R1

[@criminal_6877]

Can’t forget Bloodhound/Quickstep

[@dylanehooverlibrarian7026]

Sounds like someone has a SKILL ISSUE

[@JamrockHobo]

Or Chivalry

[@stingerjohnny9951]

@@dylanehooverlibrarian7026 Lmao, good one, but I have people actually say that. Unironically saying that is the equivalent of killing someone in COD with martyrdom and then shouting “NOOB!”

[@ricardodemarco3486]

To be fair, the Spanish Verdadera Destreza was developed and taught for gentlemen and “hidalgos” (“h” is mute) to defend themselves hurting and being hurt the less, mostly in duels back in their homeland. The “lower” Vulgar Destreza, though, was not only being used in the streets with cunning tricks but also employed abroad by soldiers at war, with apparently great effect as I remember reading an account of a french or a flemmish fearing the spanish swordsmen and their thrusts with sword and dagger at the same time.

[@Double0Anims]

That's really interesting. "True Dexterity" (literal translation, hope I'm not missing anything) was used by noblemen not to hurt eachother, but "Vulgar Dexterity" was used in "real fights"... Excuse me while I go make fun of the Spaniards!

[@ricardodemarco3486]

@@Double0Anims the Vulgar Destreza was disregarded by nobility as a form of “art”, lower, not dignified, as it relied on dirty tricks like pulling down the opponent’s hat to blind him, or pulling his beard up instead! Also, it was taught by scoundrels in backstreets and alleys, many times tricking youngsters and naive alike asking for way too much money. The Verdadera Destreza, however, was developed as a science, taking in account angles, directions, circumferences, strong and weak points of the blades… therefore, up to the standards of the most exquisite of the upper classes. Due to its complexity, and the change of dynasty and the culture the new royal bloodline carried, it was later displaced by french style fencing, more adapted to a more refined, less prone to duel outbursts (smaller sword, more comfortable to carry and less strength demanding); but while it was popular, a spanish fencer of the Verdadera Destreza was almost unmatched by any other european style, as the ropera sword was longer, heavier and harder to push aside by smaller french swords, and the defensive mindset was less vulnerable to italian feints that intended to lure the enemy to attack and open a window for a counterattack. The sword was held with the arm straight to the enemy, at maximum distance, while keeping an also straight posture, as to keep the legs further from the enemy. The idea was for the spanish fencer to either maintain the defense (french swordsmen would try to push aside the spanish sword like it was another small french sword and attack on the same step, only for the spanish sword to remain in position and the french stabbing himself), find and open side to attack the enemy or bind the enemy’s weak part of his blade with their own’s strong side. It was not an art depending on fleeting whims of inspiration, but a mathematical science by which one could ensure victory backed up on numbers and calculations.

[@MasoTrumoi]

@@ricardodemarco3486 someone's a fanboy. It sounds like you're repeating the justifications that Verdada Destreza practitioners gave for why one must learn their styles but not critically examining the actual language and listed reasons. It's very easy to say you don't need tricks to fight when you're a rich man who can pay for private lessons and bodyguards. Honour is often simply a class identifier, not actually morally superior, as honour can compel a duel or cruel action as much as it can prevent one. There is something to learn from all styles. And just because Destreza practitioners said they were the objective best doesn't make it so. That being said it still very much interests me and I practice it myself.

[@maddraugr4667]

​@@MasoTrumoi Everyone said that Spaniards were the best swordsmen at the time, french, inglish, italian, german the turks knew damn well the letality of verdadera destreza. They were feared and for good reason, and their word is worth more than yours, you who did not see it and live in that time and just disregard the history and say wathever.

[@behelitruler9191]

@@MasoTrumoi There is a reason Spanish masters had chapters about countering Italian techniques, but Italian masters did not write about counter Spanish ones... because some masters survived fighting the techniques of others... and some did not engage in those duels or didn't survive them.

[@The_Custos]

The (rare) cavalry that used rapiers and found them sufficient: "... What a prick."

[@cesare_1302]

*Koncerz users has entered the chat*

[@The_Custos]

@@cesare_1302 exactly. Them, the rapier users, and cavalry that used the estoc would disagree with Silver.

[@WynnofThule]

@@The_Custos The estoc is a thrusting swords on the longer side, sure, but particularly for the estoc they're hardly rapiers I'd say. The estoc was definitely the classic longsword's sister and more or less was used similarly but with more stabby. The koncerz is closer though; while in form it's quite different it did occasionally have protection that enabled the rapier's signature finger over grip.

[@mackenziebenedict8403]

the spanish bilbao sword is probably the best example

[@MasoTrumoi]

Sounds like someone stabbed him one singular time and he's held onto it his entire life and made it his identity as a fencer.

[@thatguyinthecorner4648]

You stab a man ONCE and he makes it his whole personality these days

[@Ethan13371]

I don’t know how I stumbled onto the Weapon Roast fandom, but I’m quite pleasantly surprised to have done so.

[@26ClownFace]

I hope we get to see more long form videos from you. Always a pleasure to watch.

[@nicholasthompson6152]

This man's distain was so great that hundreds of years later it's been made viewable via digital screens

[@datdabdoe1417]

George Silver was the First man to criticize a martial art by saying "THAT WONT WORK IN DA STREETZ!"

[@pablo_giustiniani]

"Working on the streets" was literally the whole point of this weapon lmao

[@behelitruler9191]

his argument was. "that weapon is only for the streets". his was a weapon of WAR. it's essentially like someone with semi-auto rifle trash talking their friend who only shoots pistols

[@oreip8707]

On an unrelated note. As an Italian, the way you pronounced "dritta" is impeccable.

[@latveria1024]

1:49 The fudd "stopping power" meme predates center fire cartridge pistols by centuries.

[@jackmcfarlane7173]

I mean basically his critique comes down to, "this weapon is so specialized you could hardly use it in any situation aside from a duel. Even then it limits you to one strategy--poke em to death--and that strategy fails sometimes."

[@abnergonzalez3496]

Is funny cus why in hell would you use any weapon outside a duel, lmao

[@jackmcfarlane7173]

@@abnergonzalez3496 war?

[@goblinrat6119]

@@abnergonzalez3496 war, sudden assault on the street, suddenly assaulting someone on the street, a riot situation, bodyguard duties, home defense against unknown assailants, being an unknown assailant, deterrent/threat... The list is pretty damn long.

[@abnergonzalez3496]

@@goblinrat6119 i mean, those are still duels????? Mf complained this was too duel focused when that's when you want a weapon And by duel i mean any kind of scenario where combat is required lmao

[@goblinrat6119]

@@abnergonzalez3496 That's not what a duel is by any definition I know. If your definitiom of duel is "combat occurs", then sure, almost any situation with a weapon is a duel. But this is not how *anyone* uses the term. A duel in pretty much any parlance and terminology imaginable indicates and organized and agreed upon combat between two individuals. It may occur with planning and preparation or in the moment, but in a duel, two people engage each other in a controlled environment, instead of for example a fray of people in a chaotic clash, or a sudden ambush. For fuck's sake, the word come from the Latin words duellum and bellum, literally translating to "a combat/war of two."

[@ethanalspencer7294]

I absolutely love how much of this is pure unadulturated Scrubquotes The 'put one skilled sword user against 10 skilled rapier users' etc line sold it for me

[@SnakebitSTI]

"George Silver, after getting perfected by nothing but pokes in neutral" lol

[@avichaid6021]

To be precise, it is one sword-wielding *man* vs ten rapier-wielding *Italians*.

[@thearachnakid9059]

I'm so happy i made the pilgrimage here from Shad's channel

[@aryafeydakin]

Problem is that most people would call Silver's prefered sword a "rapier" while in reality Silver himself would not even touch a rapier with a 10 foot pole.

[@googleisacruelmistress1910]

Apparently a rapier stole George's girlfriend, killed his parents and overwatered his plants while he was on vacation or something

[@raul_jocson_]

This is a really good point (heh heh) about the rapier regarding the endless debates about the effectiveness of different sword types. It's great for dueling where the objective is to draw first blood, but as a battlefield weapon or even as a straight up killing weapon, it's got issues. You might be able to run someone through with a rapier, but the nature of the wound would allow them to continue to fight. There's a great scene in Rob Roy that illustrates this. No shade on the rapier though. It does what it does really well.

[@pkattk]

His criticisms sounds like all the HEMA people when they shit on olympic fencing. "it's not practical." "It's too far removed from the purpose of swordsmanship." "It's an elaborate game of tag and doesn't take into account the second hit" "It's been turned into a sport."

[@behelitruler9191]

@@pkattk which are all valid critiques. we obviously can't simulate fighting to the death, but the rule systems of the Olympic styles are not interested in the preservation of the fencer, only the scoring of points. so it IS a game. granted, HEMA is also a game, but the swordsmanship is intended to mirror a true fight where failure to preserve your own life will prevent you from scoring points.

[@neutronalchemist3241]

Rapier killed very effectively. At that time (even now, but ESPECIALLY at that time) stabs were MUCH more difficult to treat than cuts. Rob Roy is a movie. IRL people tend to stop fighting after some inches of metal entred into their bodies.

[@Broken_Arrow1775]

As a military historian I am a great fan of your videos, looking forward to seeing more of them

[@looks2880]

Critical historical commentary on weaponry is not something i knew i needed in my life! Quality content sir! Good show!

[@Eiroth]

1:56 That's one hell of a rhetorical question

[@silvergate963]

If he were teaching my history classes on European history of weaponry, everyone would love this man

[@RandomGal111]

After literal years I finally know the correct way to pronounce "Rapier" thank you.

[@Jeffersoniananti-federalist]

The problem with thrusting rather than cutting seems to be the same as the problem with many smaller caliber weapons today; it's too easy to kill without immediately incapacitating, meaning that you are more likely to win the fight by killing your opponent, and still lose it by dying.

[@lazorr3260]

Glad to see a longer video of yours! Love your content, would happily listen to a full hour of your stuff

[@Erick_Bloodaxe]

Going to a school that focuses on English longsword and Silver’s broadsword I am familiar with his disdain. I concur with him. Although having sparred with a basket hilt against a rapier I will say you can disdain a rapier all you like, but don’t underestimate that point!

[@Goshin65]

My first read-thru of PoD was a struggle, but somewhere around the 50% mark I began to get what he was on about. He certainly had a fine understanding of timing and distance. I've only done longsword and saber myself, never sword and buckler vs rapier, but perhaps I'll have a go and see.

[@robinswords]

His vitriol makes it easy to dismiss what he says, but I think he does raise some valid concerns.

[@malachaipruett1980]

This is super cool!! Id love to see more long form content or even short content talking about historical treatises and their authors! Keep it up bro

[@pizzabear9305]

I didn't know about this guy but ever since I discovered what the rapier was used for and how it was used I always thought it was the laziest solution to self defense. "Well if my one handed sword is just like.... really long! Then you can't beat me!" I'm glad George Silver owned them in his book

[@Vulgar_Worlock]

reminds me of medieval discourse when merchants tried introducing dining forks to Northern Europe

[@mechanwhal6590]

Sounds spicy

[@Lo-tf6qt]

I like how this is probably the most polite way of calling rapiers a filthy dex build

[@juhel5531]

This man basically went and did a lowtiergod monologue against the rapier.

[@Oppetsismiimsitsitc]

George Silver was a Strength main and really hated Dex scrubs.

[@ethanteige]

I love your longer stuff, this was a great watch ❤

[@s.owl9]

From reading the comments, I would say that, according Silver’s criteria, the “perfect” alternative for Rapiers would be Broadswords. They are just as fancy & protective (due to the common addition of basket hilts), but shorter (so easier to carry) and better at cutting (that way duels have a lesser chance of death by either participant, because cuts are often less lethal than thrusts). Also the new way of fighting would ideally alter the psychology of the average civilian wielder to be less reckless (by removing the false sense of security of hiding behind an excessively long blade) and give them a fighting style that better translates to other weapons (like sideswords, longswords, axes, maces, etc)

[@EGRJ]

Rapiers have been real quiet since this dropped.

[@TheGirlInFandomWorld]

A beautiful and eloquent diss track. Truly iconic.

[@ChoppyGaming]

I really enjoyed this man. You never fail to entice and amuse me!

[@TheRexisFern]

Good format! And me thinks if your aim is killing, the sharp edged stick is technically better. But as a light weight threat deterrent, a good choice.

[@Cybele74]

I love it when you make longer videos

[@samduffy1636]

George Silver truly was a man who would have fainted upon the discovery of I33 in excitement

[@xanderfett8423]

a full-length robin swords video? yes please! 😁

[@rileyernst9086]

The way I see I is George Silver is a master of defence, it makes a heap of sense that he abhors a duelling sword, especially since we must remember that at this time the most popular self defence swords in Italy and Spain, are still things like falchions, ciquedeas and cut and thrust swords.

[@shiloh1994]

I just heard a quote about a sword not having enough stopping power. That's it. I've officially heard it all when it comes to weapons.

[@Alex-yz6uw]

This feels like a dwarf dissing puny elf weapons

[@AllenLinnenJr]

I see the roots of the 9mm v. .45 caliber feud right here.

[@davidhartline9172]

Great hat! Did you make it? If you bought it where can I get one?

[@robinswords]

Designs by Kate. They do renaissance faire garb.

[@WBF_III]

Silver has bars, indeed

[@celtibero599]

As an Spanish who practice Destreza, (deep breathing) this is getting personal

[@thechroniclesofthegnostic7107]

People who like Silver's critiques and who also like the climax of the Rob Roy film should check out the late horror and fantasy great Karl Edward Wagner's Conan pastiche, The Road of Kings. The climax there presaged the end of Rob Roy by many years. :)

[@TheTdroid]

I mean, he has a point. If weapon training is supposed to prepare men for war, then the rapier is an awful choice and all those young hotheaded men died for nothing in pointless duels.

[@pleasekillyoursef]

I see, ill keep this in mind next time i march into the battlefield

[@1ronpenguin]

Great video! Thank you!

[@Ammo08]

What is the most likely style of sword carried by Cortez's men and other early Conquistadores who came to the Americas? Great channel by the way.

[@yoshi658]

probably something like a arming sword blade in a cup-hilt rapier handle

[@spookzer16]

I will die for your new logo.

[@VanguardJester]

Ya know, i like rapiers, but as someone who doesn't do a whole lot of hema, i always enjoyed the romanticized version of them. But back when I was in highschool, I knew this doooouuchebag of a self-proclaimed prodigy, who OBSESSED over rapiers. A little freshman who always spoke with as deep and gravely a voice as he possibly could to sound older and more intimidating. He was effectively a European weeb, and would constantly brag about the rapier and how "skilled he was in hema." They loved to talk about how "Pssht, katana-favoritists are so stupid, they think it can cleave other weapons in half. It's clear that rapier's and epee's are the pinnacle of swordplay science." after I got away from the dumbass, I noticed a lot of people talk about rapiers this way/act with that level of "I am superior." likely out of pattern recognition, as it took me a while to be able to enjoy rapiers again without thinking of that douche. If I had to guess, the author of the book encountered something similar. One too many snobs can ruin anyone's enjoyment of anything. Moral of the story: Rapiers are cool, katanas are cool, swords in general are just cool. Stop trying to be better than others and learn to be better than yourself.

[@stuartlaird7341]

Swords and swordplay adapted to technology changes, armour changes and culture changes. In the hands of a master any weapon can quickly be used and adapted. Martial Arts practitioners are quite prone to believe that the one they do is superior, they chose it after all. With the benefit of age, experience and variety one learns that it is skill that is superior and not any particular magical technique. The practical understanding of angles, distance and timing and the reflexes to react to those changes is the superiority. Any given weapon will have some tricks, but they are just tricks and not the one true superior technique.

[@TheKryptic_artist]

Hey robin, I’ve wanted to ask you this for a while. But do you think you could give your opinion on the master swords design in terms of practicality and stuff like that? You could also possibly cover links sword combat across various Zelda games, you don’t have to, but I’ve always wanted to hear your opinion on stuff like this.

[@robinswords]

It's been covered a lot and pretty thoroughly by other channels, so I haven't taken a stab at it myself.

[@BarsusDraco]

W Silver take. Bro is shitting on all the dex-bleed rapier builds.

[@jackhowe6]

The best part about George is that he promised to teach "young Gentlemen" how to "put the Knee or the Foote in the Coddes". That, people, is a pragmatist.

[@TryinaD]

I see Master Ken has taken notes in Ameri-do-te from Silver, and improved it by restomping the groin!

[@alexharris-ui4ss]

This made me happy🦊

[@Eden_Arcane]

A full length RobinSwords video? It must be Christmas!

[@desmondnel5706]

Finally, a 'long' video!!

[@_claymore]

truly a man of culture and incredibly based.

[@EmonticonGaming]

I can't tear my eyes from the armor and Zwiei in the background. Best helm in my opinion.

[@schibleh531]

Would love to see those other 2 systems you mentioned in the video. Maybe break down the techniques Silver complained about and see if his complaints hold water.

[@thomasdebrionne]

Ah the Rapier...I also never liked it in both use and looks. Loved the video haha

[@cielvague]

Silver was the man, gold is the comment section.

[@edi9892]

I'm definitely no rapier fan either, but I wouldn't want to face one in a duel either! They have longer reach, are very nimble, and unless you're wearing full plate armor, they'll find a way to impale you! Personally, I'm far more confident with a saber, or similar weapons, as I prefer cutting, but getting past a rapier point isn't as easy as just swatting it aside and in confined spaces, they got an advantage, unless you can ambush them or use a corner... They also got excellent hand protection and the cup hilt version is almost like a buckler. On the other hand, curved blades have some advantages over rapiers: 1) you can offend multiple people at once and keep them at bay by flailing. 2) you're unlikely to get stuck. You can pretty much run past someone and cut them and move on. This also applies to on horseback. 3) You can get your point around a shield or parry much more readily. 4) they're usually easier and faster to draw. Also, a lot of them are far more convenient to carry. Even if you fall of your horse and land on them, a D guard is less likely to hurt you than a complex guard... This opens another can of worms: what's the best blade for self-defense? Rapier? As discussed above. Not particularly quick draw friendly and no good against multiple opponents. Saber? IMHO better. Longsword? A very strong guard, a very powerful weapon (even some anti-armor capabilities), but big. Shortsword? You can outdraw your opponent and perhaps even behead him. However, going against longer or heavier weapons is no fun... Dagger? See shortsword, but worse. However, cheap, convenient to carry, and unbeatable in confined spaces. Walking stick club? Fastest to deploy, decent range and capability of less lethal attacks, but also anti-armor. However, it's again less lethal than a blade...

[@mythguard6865]

Personally I think it’s pretty hard to beat a hanger or Langes messer if I had to pick for a more contemporary self defense situation.

[@edi9892]

@@mythguard6865 Contemporary, I'd say walking stick club for legal reasons. Plus, if you can win without killing, you have an easier time with authorities... Without that, I'd say something like a Wakizashi, but with a D ring handguard, so basically a hanger.

[@pluemas]

Scottish baskethilt or similar (schiavona). Quick to draw, extremely protective, strong in the bind, vicious cutters that can still deliver the point, comfortable to carry, have specific features there explicitly to counter thrust orientated swords. There's a reason that they were in use for so long, and why Scottish mercenaries were so feared for their charge. Only downside is it takes a while and a lot of practice to get good at it. Whereas rapier is very quick and easy to pick up (but not master).

[@edi9892]

@@pluemas Schiavona or something like a three bar saber are great weapons, but they're bulky to carry and the hilt can get entangled or keep banging against you when you ride.

[@edi9892]

@@pluemas BTW: I handled a basket hilted sword, an original in the armoury of Graz. I bet it was three pounds! (1500g, or as much some longswords!) The blade was a bit on the slender side, but quite long for an arming sword and yet quite sturdy. The complex hilt was also a bit beefy and clearly meant to take hits from twohanders, spears, and muskets. It will definitely hit and parry with authority, but it will be a bit sluggish and exhausting to use and that despite it being well balanced.

[@postrock12]

The rapier always makes me think of Shakespeare’s Tybalt Capulet, the “Prince of Cats”. Juliet’s cousin.

[@jaymystery-i3k]

That sucks, the rapier is the only sword I have but am looking at that 82 WW1 saber you reviewed, that looks really nice, do they make affordable functional repros? I imagine an original is over $1000 in todays market.

[@realginosaurus718]

I love this keep doing stuff like this pls

[@RijaMo]

... I actually agree. Why teach people to use weapons that will be entirely useless in war?

[@stroodlepup]

this is the old school equivalent of a salty take on youtube haha

[@Melitulf]

He might have been referring to the smallsword

[@StefanBRM]

The main reason why Silver didn't like the Rapier was actually the amount that the Italians were charging. While the British were charging around 5-10 shillings, the Italians were charging around 100 pounds, which is equal to the amount of 32 000 dollars today. In a way he was actually a patriot :)

[@mechanwhal6590]

Thirty two thousand dollars for a long piece of metal?

[@StefanBRM]

@@mechanwhal6590 Not for the long piece of metal, for the classes xD.

[@hermitcard4494]

Aahh, despite centuries, the toxicity is still felt. Well done George.

[@jaxirraywhisper741]

The 16th century case of " u mad bro lol?"

[@BCYoshi]

Dude literally wrote a reddit rant and I love it

[@wildrangeringreen]

TBH, nothing he said was untrue of the way the Italian schools fence in actual practicality (after Camillo Agrippa). Even today, go to any rapier v. rapier tourney or sparring session and most of the exchanges end in doubles (and most of the ones that don't would still leave the offended party able to stab the "winner" in short order)... it's not a sound method of defense. As much as I love Spanish Destreza, his detracting observation about it are even somewhat valid, once the point is turned (with a "rapier", less so with a more typical, "perfect", sword (essentially an arming sword with a more complex hilt) of the day), you're scrambling to get off-line and your sword between you and the opposing blade before you get skewered, and much of it has to do with the length of the swords commonly used in those systems (which continued to increase as people tried to hit the other guy 1 second or inch before they, themselves are stabbed). I know he liked the basket hilt, but many of his concerns about protection is resolved either by the buckler (which he advocates for) or by not sticking your hand out there to be hit... The way he describes how to determine the ideal length for practical a one-handed sword is pretty on point, in my experience, if it's much longer, you have issues drawing it, wearing it, and moving it around to control when and how you bind; and if it's much shorter, and you are not fully utilizing your stature (although, there is a practical place for hangers). over all, "Paradoxes of Defense", especially when coupled with the philosophical aspects of La Destreza Verdadera, and Joachim Meyer's notes about all good one handed swords being essentially the same, with only minor variations stemming from certain unique attributes of each design, is a worthy read. Cuts through a lot of the romanticization of Late 16th century onward Italian and French fencing that has plagued fencing both historically, and in modern HEMA. Often, people focus way too much on the offense part of fencing (which is why the Italian stuff attracts a lot of attention, IMO), and not nearly enough on the defensive part of fencing, which is the more important aspect, by far.

[@NCC_74656]

Is it possible to a longsword cut a rapier in half?

[@josuesepulveda6850]

Very entertaining!

[@cruzaider5339]

Now time to pay someone to make this into a diss track against the Italians

[@Merumya]

sounds like he was a chad and preferred weapons to disembowel and cripple his foes, instead of going *slash slash stabby whine*

[@oscardaley7557]

Hmm. I once had to study an artist in school, known as Michelangelo de la Carravagio. He was known for his role in pioneering the transition between rennaisance and baroque artwork, lighting themes, painting the entire piece in one sitting withiut waiting for the oil paint to dry, and also for being a bit of a rich dick. Accounts describe him throwing a plate of artichokes at a waiter one time, roaming the streets with his hand on his sword looking for a fight, getting into multiple fights with.... Okay my memory is fuzzy on this one, but i believe it was a local pimp who was also his badminton buddy (??) Where he was accused of being attracted to his wife? Yea that sounds about right. He was once admitted to hospital (or at least the 1600's equivalent) with a sword wound in the chest, and im not making this up, he explained that he had fallen on his sword accidentally. Sure. Seems pretty easy to assume his sword here was a rapier-

[@oscardaley7557]

And in fact- maybe there's a valid point here. Rapiers were pretty much marketed to the upper class- easy to carry, great for stabbing peasants and ruffians and showing them what for, you could easily spend as much money as you wanted on intricate hilts and what have you, making them a great status symbol, and of course the marketing that a rapier is much more refined and skill based than all other "crude" weapons. Meaning you would also be wealthy enough to have attended a school for fencing. Probably. But it seems like, for as much as killing power isn't really needed in the self-defence blossfechten of late medieval streets, maybe that's not a great thing. Lotta people being excessively violent, knowing that most people also carry rapiers and thus were less likely to kill you, just give you a real bad day. You have to imagine of all the bullies with rapiers there were, Caravaggio among them, maybe the more arrogant ones would die out if it really were just a little more lethal

[@oscardaley7557]

Alright details! Caravaggio really is uh, wild. Killed someone and fled, painted a bunch, is described as "after a fortnight's work he will swagger about for a month or two with a sword at his side and a servant following him, from one ball-court to the next, ever ready to engage in a fight or an argument, so that it is most awkward to get along with him." Clubbed a noble over the head and was sued, severely injured another- the pimp! Its said that they got into a duel over a tennis-like game, or maybe gambling, or maybe because carravagio kept using one of the guys prostitutes as a model. He was sued for not paying rent then went and threw rocks at his landlady's Window, wild stuff. As for the pump duel, he was then sentenced to murder, and warrants put out for his beheading! He fled Rome, and when he was finally pardoned for being a rich Italian painter dude, he came back, got sick on the boat and died as soon as he got ashore. Wild!

[@chillypepperjr]

Homie is the "9mm doesnt have enough STOPPIN POWR to be worth carrying, thats why I use the lords calibre, this baby*holds up rusty 1911* won 2 world wars" of medievil swords lol, someone shouldve asked him if he minded terribly if they could stab him with one to prove his point lmao, someone grab a time machine

[@sethmcbride8490]

I laughed more than I thought I would

[@darkenblade986]

bro spitting nothing but facts

[@loganwolfram4216]

It's a bit like saying "rifles are useful for hunting or war but what good is a handgun? It's mostly just used by criminals" which is not entirely true, but mostly true.

[@bensteinhauser784]

Why did he hate it so much? Clearly he gives a few reasons but considering the level and frequency of the insults it's likely there's another reason that its effectiveness as a weapon. Is it because it's Italian? Also, I am trying to get into HEMA and was wondering if you could do an equipment overview/equipment you recommend?

[@eduardomartin-martinez2158]

I dare say it’s because the rapier is originally Spanish (not Italian, common misconception). Became soon popular in the whole of Europe but the “espada ropera” is originally Spanish

[@adam-k]

Because rapier was the new shiny thing the kids played with and he was old fashioned.

[@PhtFd]

Rapier is originally a Spanish weapon, but the reason could also be the fact, that he regarded the weapon as weak, due to the width of the blade and its reliance on thrusts rather than cuts, which the sword that he uses was more focused on. Just a thought that I had.

[@robinswords]

Nationalistic pride aside, he has a few mechanical issues with it / the common approaches to it. He thinks they're too long and inadequate in the cut. He spends a fair bit of ink bemoaning too much length in a weapon in general as he finds them too tangly - difficult to disengage with. The popular form at the time was insufficiently protective in the hilt by his reasoning - which means that you cannot take the guards that he prefers safely. He argued for the equal value of the thrust and cut and turns his nose up at eschewing the cut for the thrust. He generally thinks the methodology to using rapiers to be the peddlings of quacks.

[@bensteinhauser784]

​@@robinswordsThank you for the clarification!

[@anonymousbosch9265]

As much as I don’t like the thought of being spitted by a rapier I agree that I like a more warlike weapon when it comes to sword preference

[@jasonuerkvitz3756]

I wonder if he secretly trained with a rapier...just in case.

[@jonwander1186]

Not so secret. He challenged some of the big name rapier masters at the time with a variety of weapons, rapier included. They didn't take him up on the offer. That indicates something considering he was a gentleman and duelling culture was so big to the italians.

[@sorensouthard927]

Actually good points you know. Dueling is kinda bad, but it's much worse when it results in quick, mutual and untimely deaths. Thrusts I've heard are much more deadly on average than slashing weapons in duels.

[@badart3204]

They are more deadly but they don’t have the same stopping power as a slash so the man won’t die for a while and the fight will continue. The stab being superior to the cut is more of a knife thing than a sword thing though

[@robinswords]

Being Silver's contention. Poking a man full of holes so he can die later doesn't help much when he's trying to kill you now.

[@Candlemancer]

@@robinswords yeah, a decent cut to the arm (probably) won't kill a man but will likely end the fight when he finds he can no longer hold his sword properly. Thrusts, especially with such narrow blades, are more lethal but don't end the fight as immediately so it's far more common for both fighters to die of their wounds after the duel

[@headhunter1945]

In which we discover an ancient boomer whine

[@douglasknupp4574]

Do more longer videos, Robin

[@Lowlandlord]

Love it!