looking for rapier and main gauche

[Taithalonos]

So I am looking for both a main gauche dagger and a rapier. The problem is I don't want to spend much on them because they won't get used too often.  I would like a rapier with kind of an ornate hand guard.

I also am looking to be able to walk into a store or meet someone and heft the blade before purchase. Also I live near Minneapolis minnesota, so local places would be best.

[Captain Teague]

So you want cheap weapons, locally and that you can handle first.

Pretty tall order, at least to me. We don't have any sword stores around here either, darnit.

Online is fairly accessible to the cheaper types. Even Amazon carries a line of that type.

And I am not sure what you mean by used very little. Do you mean simply worn or are you planning on joining a group/learning actual swordplay. And if that is so, a cheap sword will not work and will likely not even be allowed as those must be combat or stage quality.

Plus, being cheap, you are going to get what you pay for. Meaning for display only and heft will not really matter. Not to mention all Faires that I know of forbid drawing of weaponry whatsoever by no one but cast members, performers or groups with special permissions. No patron ( or playtron as the terminology is today ) should ever draw steel at a Faire for any reason.

Best idea: attend some faires local to you and do some hands on shopping. Most I have been to have vendors of both varieties, show and combat ready. And your patronage helps to keep the Faire alive. 

Just my piece of eight on the matter. There are a great many here with far more experience with steel than I. 

[escherblacksmith]

hmmmm.  yeah, I'd have to agree with lord dragon.  if you want inexpensive, you really should go online.  You used to be able to find stuff at some cutlery shops . . . but I don't think they are around anymore.  Or, since you are near Minneapolis, you can go to one of the meets they have at the State Fairgrounds every year.

like

Weapons Collectors Show & Sale
Dates: March 17, 2012 - March 18, 2012
Location: Warner Coliseum

or

Military Relic Show
Dates: April 21, 2012 - April 22, 2012
Location: Progress Center

but they tend to be limited in the sword dept, I seem to recall there is always someone selling budk stuff or the like.

or you can save up and go to the fine folks at Arms and Armor.  They are local, and their stuff is fantastic, but not even remotely cheap. 

If I think of anywhere else I'll post it.

[Sir Michael Geare]

Lord Dragon and Escher both bring up good points.  Something fairly light with ease in handling will usually not be cheaply priced.  While you will be sacraficing weight and feel for price.  Again, it all depends on the intended use of the blades.  As Escher said, faire's don't allow patron/playtrons to draw steel and depending on the faires in your area may not allow blades to be worn at all. 

All my blades are carbon steel because I use them for swordplay.  They are semi-custom designed so aren't cheap by any standards.  Of course, I do have one or two low-end blades.  A very common blade that might work for your purpose is the Torino or Solingen Rapier made by Hanwei.  They are light-weight for wearing at faire but also usable for swordplay.  A lot of off the rack blades are made of stainless steel so will be dangerous for anything else but a wall hanger.

[Taithalonos]

Thanks for the help.

The rapier would mainly just be used for decoration at the Renaissance Faires, but I will be practicing with the rapier. I would like to be able to do some stage combat/mock fights eventually, but that is going to take some time and practice. I don't really know the difference in metals and which would be best for me.

If I could get some advice on metals, that would be a great help.

And I am going to plan on going to some of the sword shows so I can handle some first.

[Chris B]

As already mentioned above.  You are limited to steel if you intend to use it at all.  Stainless, zinc alloys and other non-steel metals are too brittle and weak for any sort of contact at all once you get into sword lengths.  For instance, I have a stainless steel Iaito that I have used in Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido and others used zinc alloys, but they were only used for solitary slow practice.  Once you got into aggressive movement bokuto were used and steel, higher end blades were used for cutting/tameshigiri.  Any of the carbon steels should be safe as well as damascus or any other true steel.

As also mentioned many times above, there will be considerable trade-off between price, availability of a sword model and quality.  There really is no comparison between higher end blades and lower end blades.  Most my friends are shocked when they pick up some of the swords in my collection and realize how light a good sword really should be.  For instance, my Arms and Armor silvered small sword is near half the weight of a Hanwei or Cold Steel counterpart.  It is much more responsive and quick in its movement and more true to its historical counterpart.

Of course, I understand your constraints too.  Why not buy one blade that has a nicer basket for wearing to fairs that is not very light and then just buy an epee, foil or fencing sabre for practice?  

[BLAKDUKE]

I agree with Chris B.  as I was going to mention that very same thing.  However I was going to offer one step further.  Do both and combine them.  Find a very ornate hilt with a cheap blade, as said there are plenty out there.  Then go on line and get an epee blade from Castello, I think they are in one of the Carolinas.  Take the ornate hilt and apply it to the epee blade.  I have done 5 of these including one with a foil blade.  Scabbards are as easily made form either round or flat curtain rods wrapped in vinyl.  I fenced for a number of years before renne-faires came into being and had to improvise a lot as no one made these items.  

P.S.  You can also try to get a copy of museum replicas catalog, they have some very good and interest stuff that does come on sale sometime.  They are just outside Atlanta and if you could make their sale in May they have outstanding prices on a lot of discontinued item including swords and just plain blades.

P.P.S.  Lastly go to e-bay and do a search on rapier.  Prepare to spend an hour going thru the listings.  you can also customize your search to only a specific price range.  For sure you will find something.