Kevtun Rapier #3 with 107cm Strong Blade Review - Tony H.

​I won this in a tournament sponsored by Kevtun. Although this is not a sponsored review, the sword was sponsored. I received this sword in 2020, then, lo and behold, the world was on lockdown. I still had lots of time to train and learn with it at home and spar where I could. This was a very popular and well liked sword when I offered it as a loaner for the club when training was back in session. I am currently using the blade on a different set of hardware for doing a different style.

TL:DR It’s a great mid-priced rapier. I highly recommend getting this with a 107cm strong blade (8/10)

Blade:
The default blade behaves very similar to a Hanwei 43” blade. I always recommend paying the extra for the strong blade. As for length, unless you’re an absolute giant, the 107 cm option is much better than 114cm for the purposes of better balance and blade control. This rapier lost a point because opting to get the strong blade is technically extra to the rapier.

Durability:
I noticed there’s some wear on the guard because I suspect it is powdered coated. Maybe it’s done with a chemical treatment. I’m not the expert on that. The pommel stayed mint with some light care. I have abused the blade including doing rapier vs longsword and it has no set or burr on it. I am concerned the rolled tip would break eventually, but lucky rapiers are rubber tipped so this is less concerning for me.

The rest of the review is based on different grips because they play a big role in the experience.

Italian:
You can fit up to a red dragon glove with this guard. The balance is probably where I had some problems with this sword, as I normally prefer a point of balance between 4” to 4.5” from the cross guard. This sword is around 2 lbs and light enough to not feel the difference, but it’s there. The point of balance is about 5.5” which is ideal for those that likes having more blades present. I swapped it out for a small cheap ball pommel (6m threading) and problem solved. It suddenly became one of the nicest handing rapier for under 300 euro (might be more, if they come back). If you’re primarily doing Italian grip and have no plans to learn other grips/styles, might as well get a knuckle and use this rapier as your primary. I would say this rapier lost a point here because it would need a heavier pommel to be optimal for Italian which is more popular. It would be nice to see an offering for ordering with a “heavier” pommel option.

2-finger gripped:
You will need smaller hands and wear very light gloves. I had to change guards to make this grip work. This is currently what I am doing because I’m learning 2-fingered grip.

Spanish:
I would recommend padded rapier gloves (I used Kevlar gloves) over red dragon. I found this the easiest of my rapiers to learn and do Destraza. Because it’s so light, I can hold my sword up or move it around someone’s sword for a long time without having to put it down. With the higher point of balance, it’s easier for me to let the blade do the work of dominating the line. This rapier also has a very low profile pommel and short handle. I feel no interference with my handwork over using other rapiers. I often hear most people would rather have a cup hilt for doing Spanish, but I’d say this is worth the consideration for those that aren’t a fan of cup hilts.

Thibault:
This is the main reason why I as so excited to use this rapier. I can learn and do many different styles because of how minimalist this rapier is. I have the most comfort in doing Thibault with this rapier (see Spanish, for most of the notes are very similar). I am no where near Sean Franklin level with this style, this rapier really helped me learn why and how you move in this style.