The small sword is considered to be a descendant of the "transition rapier", which itself evolved from the rapier due to the demand for a lighter sword better suited to parrying. The shape of a colichemarde blade features a wide forte (often with several fullers), which then tapered drastically toward the point after the fullers ended. The blade cross section was hexagonal or diamond shaped. This configuration combines good parrying characteristics with good thrusting characteristics. Its lighter weight and superior balance compared to the rapier allowed faster and more accurate movement of the blade, allowing the fencer to place a more precise thrust on their adversary.