Based on models of 17th century swept-hilt rapiers of Italian ancestry, our Torino Rapier exhibits the classic straight crossguard styling popular in this part of Europe. The Hanwei rapier by Paul Chen features classical lines, with a high-carbon steel flex-tempered blade, a stainless steel hilt (for reduced maintenance) with "blade catcher" quillons and a twisted-wire grip. The hilt is of the same size as the original, providing an authentic “feel” in the user’s hand and weight and balance also match originals. The blade is interchangeable with our “Practical” blade (OH2255) which is designed for safety in rapier sparring. Also, you can replace the original blade (OH2327).