WP-005 Federschwert classic

Product detailed description

In the HEMA community, the federschwert is the most widely used type of weapon — employed to study the fencing traditions of Liechtenauer (whose Zettel, a mnemonic text concealing the art within verses, is considered the foundational work of the entire tradition), Talhoffer, Meyer, and other masters, and to test one's skills in a friendly manner at modern HEMA tournaments. In the tournament world, the federschwert plays a role analogous to the Olympic sabre: the most popular discipline with the highest participation.

The Federschwert Classic is designed as a straightforward, functional tournament and training longsword. It was developed in collaboration with the Ukrainian HEMA club GDF.

What fencers say from experience

Members of a Czech HEMA club use these swords primarily for beginners, technique drilling, and light sparring. After more than two years of testing (4–6+ hours per sword per week), they summarize their experience as follows:

What they appreciate:

• lightness and speed of the weapon
• good point control while maintaining flexibility
• minimal vibration into the hands when the pommel is properly tightened
• ease of handling
• price-to-quality ratio

What to watch out for:

• the threaded pommel gradually loosens during intensive training — it needs to be checked and tightened regularly
• the blade flexibility (16–17 kg) meets the requirements of most tournaments, but some events are lowering the limit from 18 to 16 kg — check the rules of your specific event in advance

Club's conclusion: "As a school, we are satisfied with these swords for their price, quality, availability, properties, and longevity — as long as the federschwert is used in appropriate training."

Recommended use

• ✔ Technique drilling
• ✔ Light sparring
• ✔ First personal sword or backup weapon
• ✗ Heavy sparring and some tournaments with strict flexibility limits

How to extend the lifespan — important

The most common cause of damage (aside from misuse) is the tang breaking at the junction with the pommel. This occurs when the fencer overtightens the pommel by hand to compensate for loosening — creating increased stress and vibration at that point, which gradually fatigues the tang.

Solution: Loctite 270 (thread-locking adhesive). We strongly recommend its use to secure the pommel and significantly extend the sword's lifespan.

We stock Loctite 270. If you'd like, we can apply it before dispatch — simply add "pommel locking" to the order notes. The joint can be released by applying heat if needed.

Specifications

These specifications meet the requirements of most HEMA tournaments. Exceptions include events that have already lowered the flexibility limit to 16 kg — we recommend checking the rules of your specific tournament in advance.

We do things a little differently...

All products are sold clean and carefully packed for protection in transit. We store them in clean conditions and check them carefully before shipping. If you are not sure about the size, order more and return the ones that do not fit. All goods in the e-shop are in stock. 

5M is engaged in manufacturing and selling sport fencing equipment. The 5M brand was founded by long-time fencer Jiří Beran Sr. back in 1991. Currently the family business is led by Jiří Beran Jr., Czech fencing multiple times champion and the most successful Czech fencer in recent years. Among the greatest achievements of his career are participation in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, a bronze medal at the 2019 European Championships, and victory at the World Cup 2007 in Buenos Aires. Since the launch of the 5M brand, we have always tried to combine functionality, design, practicality and price based on our many years of professional experience on fencing pistes around the world. We manufacture many 5M products in the Czech Republic or the European Union and package our products mainly in eco-friendly recyclable packaging. The quality of 5M products has never been doubted. They are used by many Czech fencers at all levels from representatives, through hobby fencers to young aspiring fencers. The brand is also quickly gaining a following abroad.