If I understand you correctly, you are planning to make a practice rapier, or one that has no real edge or point. It would basically be something that would be used ceremoniously, or during fencing training. If you have no need for edge retention, and want a very flexible blade, why bother using a high carbon steel and heat treating it at all? Why not make it out of mild steel and be done with it? Or you could use spring steel (5160) and give it a soft temper say 600 degrees for two hours.

How long is this going to be anyway? If it's too big to fit in your kitchen oven or HT kiln, you are going to have to get creative to heat treat it at all. Here's a link to a PBS video starring the extraordinary Richard Furrer and his capable assistant (? <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//blink.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' /> ) Kevin Cashen. Worth every minute of the 53 minutes it takes to watch it. Toward the end they heat treat a sword the old fashioned way. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/secrets-viking-sword.html

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If I understand you correctly, you are planning to make a practice rapier, or one that has no real edge or point. It would basically be something that would be used ceremoniously, or during fencing training. If you have no need for edge retention, and want a very flexible blade, why bother using a high carbon steel and heat treating it at all? Why not make it out of mild steel and be done with it? Or you could use spring steel (5160) and give it a soft temper say 600 degrees for two hours.

5160 has a soft brittle range, if I remember correctly it is around 550-600 deg temper. (I am at home and don't have my reference books) you will get a tougher blade by tempering ether below or above that range.

I haven't done a rapier but I have done small swords and several Federschwert and many long swords. I have found that the temper is important but less important than cross section to the flexibility and over all performance of the blade, remember all steels have approximately the same spring Rate, it is just the yield point that changes.

MP

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If I understand you correctly, you are planning to make a practice rapier, or one that has no real edge or point. It would basically be something that would be used ceremoniously, or during fencing training. If you have no need for edge retention, and want a very flexible blade, why bother using a high carbon steel and heat treating it at all? Why not make it out of mild steel and be done with it? Or you could use spring steel (5160) and give it a soft temper say 600 degrees for two hours.

How long is this going to be anyway? If it's too big to fit in your kitchen oven or HT kiln, you are going to have to get creative to heat treat it at all. Here's a link to a PBS video starring the extraordinary Richard Furrer and his capable assistant (? <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//blink.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' /> ) Kevin Cashen. Worth every minute of the 53 minutes it takes to watch it. Toward the end they heat treat a sword the old fashioned way. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/secrets-viking-sword.html

Yes, pretty much. This would actually be pretty small, so more of a "smallsword rapier" if you will. Also, wouldn't mild steel not even be springy and just plain bend?

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Yes, pretty much. This would actually be pretty small, so more of a "smallsword rapier" if you will. Also, wouldn't mild steel not even be springy and just plain bend?

That would depend on how it was used and how much you are flexing the blade. This is a Rapier, not a broadsword, so you shouldn't be whacking anyone's shield with it, right? The mild steel will be springy or not depending on the cross section of the blade (thickness) at the center line. More than anything else, I think the blade geometry will determine it's ability to return to original shape after flexing more than what type of steel you use. When you think about it, most European swords were not high carbon steel until what, about the 18th century or so?