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I believe that this question was answered by:

The Landsknechts
The pikeman with his "cut & thrust"
The Spanish with small shield or buckler with a
"cut & thrust" sword.

None of these battle formations, contemporary with the rapier, considered carrying a rapier into battle.

All of the above are valid points, Mr. Wink. I believe you are connecting the "value" of a sword to the excellence. or lack of, in the swords construction. An individual would obtain the best sword possible were his life to depend on it. "Obtain" includes cost, availability and the time needed to ...

I want to thank everyone who participated in this thread. But first, I must apologize: I have been slow to reply. I have been "on call". As an old Professor, I asked my question to stimulate debate. Near retirement, I give myself the privilege of saying: I was very impressed. There is no definitive ...

I would like to thank all who have viewed this topic with special
appreciation to those who have commented.

The economic value of the sword is proven by its long history and use in almost every culture. My question is "why". The relative cost of a sword decreased over time as societies became ...

The Economics of Swords

On the surface a sword appears to be an incredible waste of resources. A spear is better for thrusting using less metal while being much simpler to construct. This is likewise true for an axe for cutting and a dagger for slicing. Each one of these objects can be constructed ...