The Christus Imperat Rapier

#501471
$349.95

The pierced forward plates of this sword's hilt depict birds among foliage, the slender bars of the guard have an upward loop to catch an opponent’s blade and the heavy pommel allows for a balanced feel. The blade is etched on both sides of the ricasso CHRISTUS IMPERAT.
In stock

OVERVIEW

The flamboyantly formed hilt of this rapier is both beautiful and functional. Its forward plates are pierced and show lavish birds among the foliage, while the bars of the guard are slender both defending the hand and having an upward loop to catch an opponent’s blade. The heavy pommel allows for a more balanced feel for fighting. The blade is etched on both sides of the ricasso with the Latin phrase CHRISTUS IMPERAT which means “Christ Commands.” Made by Windlass Steelcrafts.

SPECIFICATIONS

Attribute nameAttribute value
Blade Material1075 High Carbon Steel
Overall Length48"
Blade Length40-1/2"
Blade Width1"
Blade Thickness3/16"
Weight3lbs
Grip Length3-1/2"
EdgeUnsharpened
SharpeningUnavailable
EngravingUnavailable

REVIEWS

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Laudate Mandata Christi!
This is an excellent sword. It has the terrific trio of being sturdy, deadly, and lovely to look upon. Its dimensions are on par with a longsword. The Christus Imperat Rapier is only 1 inch shorter in blade length and width, and 2 inches shorter in its handle (about 3 inches shorter overall) than my longsword. These impressive measurements themselves are unmatched by many manufacturers, and faithfully accurate and proportionate to historical rapiers and aesthetic beauty. Beauty in general is something this sword does extremely well. Everything about this sword is ornate yet understated and pleasant to look on from every angle. It's perfectly symmetrical which means that I in particular was able to enjoy this rapier since I'm left-handed. Other designs have guards only usable or practical to righties. It's very faithful to its photos, but I've found four important things to note that can only be felt in person:
1: This rapier is HEAVY. This means that it is fully functional and dangerous, as opposed to the bendy, featherweight, and (relatively) safe fencing sticks we see today like in the Olympics. It requires strength, technique and endurance to duel with. But the upside is that even getting a lucky hit with a blunt sword can easily mean a thorough pierce of any target. I'm amazed to think of what it could do sharp and in the right hands. This model lends itself well to cuts too, especially pull cuts.
2: The wire wrapped handle is no joke. I would suggest gloves at all times. It not only makes the sword more responsive, but it saves your hands from being hurt. This thing won't slide out of your hand, but it may bite it!
3: The blade taper. I've gotten used to it now and I like the look, but the pictures shown made me think the end of the blade would be thicker than it was. Honestly it was a bit of an initial shock but the more I use it the less I'm bothered. I think it was the right decision, and it's still reasonably thick.
4: The stiffness. The end is a little whippier than I had hoped. It's solid enough but don't expect it to be as firm as your other swords. In all honesty this is my only rapier, so I don't know the usual stiffness. It holds up well, especially in gloves, but in combat I think it lends itself better to its effortless lethality and vastly superior range than its ability to clash blades. Overall, it's an extremely well-crafted piece and a good purchase. My only gripe is that I back ordered it in April and got it in December.
- Caden, December 17, 2022 | Verified Purchase
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Historic Replica of an actual rapier on display in the tower of London
Great detail and fine craftsmanship in executing the beautiful,  intricate , and functional hilt. Artistic and well made. The writing on the blade is well done and it is the most impressive rapier I own
. Very happy with this historically correct version of a rapier.  Five Stars from me
- Michael, June 28, 2021 | Verified Purchase
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Impressive, Gorgeous Build
I'm really impressed with the aesthetics of this sword. It's a bit heavy, but nicely balanced. With a little work, it took an edge capable of cutting light targets. Fit and finish is very, very good. The blade, while reasonably stiff, does "sag" a bit under it's own weight. My only significant "con" is that the diamond cross sections of the guard create a lot of sharp edges that cut into the fingers, so you will probably want to round them off in key spots and/or wear gloves.
- Michael, June 26, 2021 | Verified Purchase
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Excellent - plausibly the best mass-market rapier.
This is my favorite rapier!  It's very unusual in having a historically-long blade length in a reproduction (they usually foreshorten them), but if you look at the treatises' advice on length, it's just right for my 5'10" body (quillons at the navel with the point on the ground, or end of the fingertips when held with the quillons at opposite shoulder).

The blade is flexible, but not excessively whippy - it supports its own weight when held horizontally, and can thrust through thick cardboard and return to true when flexed moderately.  The balance is very close to the quillons - less than two-inches from them - so the balance is very thrust-oriented and consistent with historical designs.  This wouldn't be a great cutting sword, but it's outstanding in the bind against other weapons and provides a great understanding of how the originals would have been used.

Presentation is outstanding.  The blade engraving is really good, and very accurate to the original.  The quillons and the guard are crafted very nicely - the guard itself is very faithfully reproduced and the grip is excellent.  A great display-piece which sits over my mantle.
- Michael, July 11, 2020 | Verified Purchase
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Gorgeous But Rusts
This is a gorgeous rapier. It's on the heavier side but it is also quite long. The one down side is that after only a month it began to rust just past the guard.
- David, July 10, 2020 | Verified Purchase
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High quality rapier
The workmanship of this sword is outstanding.  Along with the beauty of it.
- Edward, August 19, 2019 | Verified Purchase
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Simple, Yet Elegant.
One of my favorite rapiers. Simple, yet elegant. Light & nimble. My only gripe was that the leather scabbard must have had some moisture in the leather as it caused the blade to begin to ry=uat at the ricasso. I now leave it out of the scabbard.
- John, August 01, 2019 | Verified Purchase
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Very Pretty Sword
This Rapier is very well done, the hilt is amazing looking and tightly constructed. The writing on the blade is nice and clean, the blade itself is a bit flexible but not nearly enough to ruin the sword. The balance is very good and feels great in the hand, finish on the guard is very nice as well.
- Francis, January 17, 2019 | Verified Purchase
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Christus Imperat a beautiful sword
This is a beautiful sword.  The craftsmanship is flawless so far as I could see.  Service by Museum Replicas was also great.
I did not keep the sword because it was just too heavy for me, but I can't complain since the description was accurate about the size and weight.   Museum Replicas was very good about the return.
- Russ, December 31, 2018 | Verified Purchase
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Remarkable and very impressive
This is the very first purchase I have made from museum replicas and I could not be happier. This is a very nice addition to my renaissance outfit and always seems to get noticed. The balance of the whole peice I actually very good. Just slightly more weight on the blade but not very noticeable. Would also be a great wall hanger and I may hang it over my mantel in the den.
- Charles, September 23, 2018 | Verified Purchase
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Outstanding Rapier.
My first purchase from Museum Replicas.  Absolutely beautiful.  Came in time for Christmas thanks to excellent customer service from the company.  Exceeded my expectations.  Beautiful workmanship; styling; feel and balance.  This is the first of many purchases to come.
- Michael, December 28, 2017 | Verified Purchase
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Another beautiful blade
- Michael, October 06, 2017
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A nice rapier, however it is only slightly longer than the Deschaux rapier which is 37".
- Carl, October 05, 2017 | Verified Purchase
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Beautiful workmanship, nice balance, perfectly tempered. This blade is exactly what I'd hoped it would be. Some reviews I've read say the blade is too flimsy. I disagree. It's firm but flexible, exactly the way a working rapier should be. I highly recomend it. I may buy a second one.
- Guest, August 27, 2017 | Verified Purchase
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