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alright...how about one of those logic-assessment things..

Claymore is to ________ (Scottish Highlanders)
as Scimitar is to ________ (Turkish bandits; same as Shimshir)

(sorry for triple posting....but since no one else is doing anything)

What is a rapier and how is it different than a one-handed longsword?

How long does a knight's training take, from initiate to being knighted?

And a rapier is different because it has a thin blade and is used for thrusting while a one-handed longsword is used for slashing and is not particularly usefull for thrusting. Also, it is very to parry with a rapier, a sidearm such as a dagger or a buckler was used to block blows.

Basically correct. All that was required was "A thin, double-edged sword used for thrusting." On a side note....in earlier times, the rapier was a heavier sword (probably due to a lack of good steel) that was commonly used by those not formally trained in armed combat. In other words, it was a sword of the common man.

A longsword is....ironically...longer than the average rapier by at least 6 inches, and is normally twice as wide. The longsword is what most people think of when they imagine a knight.