The other thing to know about a rapier is that they were not developed until the 16th century because steel technology wasn't good enough to produce a steel that could be so flexible that even if you made a thin blade out of it, it wouldn't break or shatter. Because rapiers usually weigh less than 3 pounds but have a blade length like that of a longsword or broadsword, they equaled the reach of any single-handed sword but were lighter, and this advantage caused swords like the above two to phase out.