Rapier

A long, slender thrusting sword favored by gentlemen and officers of the 16th and 17th centuries, including English privateer captains of the Elizabethan era. Its length gave a reach advantage in one-on-one duels but made it less practical in the tight quarters of ship boarding, where shorter blades were often preferred. It gradually gave way to the smallsword and cutlass among seagoing fighters.