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The rapier sword with its original elements (garrison, hilt and pommel) is equipped with such a perfect balance that it makes it much faster in the hand than its dimensions may suggest at first glance. The balance point of these swords is usually about four fingers from the guard.
The rapier sword has three types of fittings: loop, shell and cup, which consecutively provide greater protection to the hand that wields them. A bow garrison is composed of the hawks (the cross, properly speaking), long and generally not very thick, an arch-shaped handguard that protects the knuckles, one or two rings perpendicular to the plane of the blade, and a series of branches that join together all these elements on the obverse or outer area, and on the back or inner area of the garrison.
Not all of these elements must necessarily be present, and for this reason some authors classify this type of garnishes as quarter-loop, half-loop, three-quarter and full-loop, depending on the number of these elements present. This garrison, common between approximately 1550 and 1620, has its origins in the temple garrisons of the late 15th century, and was really effective in stopping cuts, but in some cases the tip of the rival could enter between the different branches and hurt the hand that held the weapon. For this reason, relatively thick leather gloves were usually used when fighting with this type of sword.
As fencing evolved towards greater use of the point, greater protection of the hand became necessary, so metal plates (shells) were frequently added between the rings of the bow lining. Over time these shells were made up of a single piece of bilobed iron or steel sheet, which was joined by a pair of pins to the cross. Thus was born the shell garnish, typically Spanish, practical and resistant, and which would enjoy an extremely long period of popularity.
To further increase the protection of the hand, other garrisons practically contemporary with those made of shells presented not a bilobed sheet, but an authentic hemispherical cap, which in practice took the shape of a bowl or cup, also supported by a pair of pins. This cup, which gives its name to this type of garnish, attached to the hawks and the handguard, offered a maximum level of protection for the hand, while being quite light. Its use spread essentially throughout Spain and Italy, lasting well into the 18th century. It is the classic garnish that would be mentally associated with a wardrobe.
