Haft Feder 128 - First impressions & Early review

Transparency note: Haft sent me this pre-production model at no cost, alongside the standard model I did pay for, to test, review, and promote. All opinions here are entirely my own.

Hey all, Julian Schuetze here to go over the Shorty model of the Haft. If you haven’t checked out part 1 please do as that will cover aspects that I’ll avoid repeating here. 

But what I will repeat myself on, is that at the end of the day, a tool for your fencing, and personal preference is the largest factor behind choosing one. Having some random person tell you if they like it or not doesn’t really actually mean all that much as they probably fence differently than you, therefore will value different things. So my goal here is to comment on safety, build quality, characteristics, my opinion as a club owner, and my personal experience using it to give you a good idea as to whether this is something you think is a good fit for you.

Safety

Pretty much everything from the 135 model carries over here so I’ll avoid repeating myself. The one difference is this model flexes at 13kg rather than 14kg, which I find nicer. It’s softer on my training partners and I don’t really feel any floppiness in the blade. 

Build Quality

Everything from the 135 applies here. The main thing worth pointing out is the consistency in ratios between the two models. The distal taper between this and the standard is identical, which is impressive given the difference in blade length. I measured the distal taper at the base, the exact 50% point, and just before the tip swell, and they are identical to the tenth of a millimeter. That kind of consistency gives me a lot of confidence in Haft’s ability to produce a consistently high quality feder.

Characteristics

The Shorty is a genuinely interesting sword and feels like a pretty unique product right now. The handle is shorter than a lot of feders at 30cm, yet the blade is 99cm which is comparable to most standard feders. When I first heard of a "shorty" still being a total of 128.5cm long, I was confused, and when I picked it up and moved it around, I was even more confused. Usually with other makers, a "shorty" is a smaller, lighter version of the standard. This isn't that. This is very much its own intentionally designed product, and once you start fencing with it, it makes a lot of sense and it is actually a lot of fun.

The best way I can describe it: this feder feels like I'm using one of my earlier-period sharp longswords, but without the loss of reach. It holds the center better than pretty much every other feder I own. The shorter handle means less distance to move the pommel to rotate the blade, which makes it feel a bit more agile than the standard. It has that blade-focused feel of an actual sharp. Usually when I handle a feder that's more blade-heavy it also tends to feel sluggish, but that's not the case here. It was also responsive in the grapple; the standard could feel a bit unwieldy one-handed during a standing grapple, while this one felt fine.

Everyone who's tried this feder has liked it quite a bit. Beginners found it good to use, and advanced fencers found it fun and interesting to fence with. A few people who don't normally like shorter handles didn't mind it here, though I haven't had anyone who genuinely hates shorter handles try it, so I can't speak to whether it'll wololo and convert them.

One note on gloves: if you're using older, bulksters like the SPES heavies, it can feel a bit cramped. With most other gloves there's still enough room to do what you need to do. And if you're coming from a very long, reach-maximized feder, you will notice the length difference a bit. That said, the overall length is still relatively competitive with other standard feders on the market, so I wouldn't call it a negative; just something to keep in mind when adjusting to a new tool.

Similar to the 135, I don’t feel like there are any negative aspects of the blade, just things that you may not enjoy as much due to personal preference. The obvious ones are if you really rely on maximal reach, or objectively hate shorter handles, then this may not be the sword for you. 

I also want to touch briefly on the "H" in HEMA with this one. This is more stream of consciousness than a firm statement or anything like that. I mentioned that this handles a lot like an earlier-period sharp, which could be a bonus if your area of study is something like Fiore or earlier KDF. That said, it does depend how much you care about authenticity of proportions on top of handling. I know several people who use a Sigi King Mini specifically because it's more similar to a longsword from Fiore's period, and the length difference obviously impacts tactics considerably (it’s short as hell). To me this feels like more of a 50/50: it handles closer to something from an earlier period, but you're not giving up a significant amount of reach to get there so it’s still competitive. Food for thought.

As a Club Owner and Coach

I recommend this feder, and I think I might recommend it slightly more than the standard because it's a bit more nimble and responsive in bind play. Pretty much everyone who tried both this & the standard preferred this one which I thought was interesting. Some did prefer the Shorty but found more success in the maximal reach of the standard though, so worth keeping in mind. Otherwise pretty much all my thoughts in the previous part apply here.

Personal Opinion

I find this a lot of fun to spar with. I really enjoy its ability to hold the center while still being pretty nimble. It’s a very unique feder and I don’t feel like I really fenced with much that feels like this. Because it’s just fun I will continue to use it when fencing at the club. 

Personally, I still think I prefer snappiness gained from a lighter blade with a lower PoB, even at the cost of being less effective at working out of the center. It lets me be a bit faster and hit my training partners with a little less force. But that's 15 years of me becoming very picky, and that's not to say this feder feels like a club. I like it enough that I think I'll be using it regularly alongside my Esker for variety.

Hopefully you found this useful, and thanks again to Haft for sending this to me!