Posted: 05 April 2023 | Last modified: 01 February 2024 | Expires: 30 December 2025
When looking for an economy longsword trainer, VB comes to mind, as they’re more commonly available than feders from other brands. It’s hard to make sense of all the offerings though, especially when looking for a feder that’s considered universally sparring safe. Things get even more complicated when looking for a replacement blade, as I did, in order to swap out the blade of my Indoor Trainer.
So, I scoured the listings at Purpleheart, and came up with the below chart. All specs were taken directly from the respective listings, to include the flex descriptions (e.g. “medium”). I don’t know why there’s a discrepancy between some listings, such as with the Fiore sword vs blade only. (Perhaps the replacement blades are a different version than what the complete sword uses?)
In the chart, I didn’t include a VB feder if it only differed from another one in the chart due to pommel shape.
For the sake of comparison, the Regenyei Short Medium (considered a tournament staple), has an OAL of 49”, a blade length of 37.29”, and a medium flex rating of 25-28.6 lbs.
| Model | OAL | Blade | Flex | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tournament Feder, Strong | 51.25” | 38.68” | 30-43 lbs. | $289, spatulated |
| Tournament Blade, Strong | 51.25” | 38.68” | 30-43 lbs | $189, spatulated, works with plastic core grip |
| Tournament Feder, Medium | 51.5” | 38.5” | 25-30 lbs | $289, spatulated |
| Tournament Blade, Medium | 51.25” | 38.68” | 29-39 lbs | $189, spatulated; unclear why dimensions are different, grip type |
| Techniques Longsword | 47.25” | 35.5” | 28 lbs | $220, for “moderate training to controlled sparring”, more like a blunt, rolled |
| Fiore Tournament Feder, Rev A | 48” | 34.75” | 30 lbs (“medium”) | $279, spatulated |
| Fiore Tournament Blade only | N/A | 36” | 40 lbs | $179, spatulated, works with plastic core grip; unclear why less flex |
| Techniques Longsword w/Schilt | 49.75” | 36.5” | 31 lbs | $235, rolled |
| Italian 16th Century V3 | 50.625” | 38” | 35 lbs (“medium”) | $305, spatulated |
| Italian 16th Blade Only | N/A | 38” | 32 lbs | $199, V3, works with wooden grip |
| Meyer Feathersword | 51.5” | 39” | 13-18 lbs (“light medium”) | $289, spatulated, lighter w/less blade presence, not for tournaments |
| Meyer Feathersword Blade Only | N/A | Presumed 39” | Presumed 13-18 lbs | $189, none |
| Tournament Feder, 46" | 46” | 34.75” | 26 lbs (“moderate”) | $279, rolled |
| Tournament Feder, 48" | 48” | 34.67” | 30 lbs (“moderate”) | $279, spatulated |
| 48” Blade Only, Rev A. | N/A | 34.67” | 30 lbs (listing incorrect) | $169, spatulated |
VBs have generally been stiffer than the Regenyeis, but there are now a couple options that come close to the Regenyei medium. If we assume a “strong” flex (i.e. less flexible) rating starts at about 30 lbs (the Regenyei strong, generally considered too inflexible for tournaments, has a rating of 29.7 - 33 lbs), then the VB options that would universally pass muster for tournament use are the newer 46” Tournament Feder (a bit short), or the Medium Tournament Feder (a bit longer).
Surprisingly, the Techniques Longsword passes the flex test, but its blade mass (due to it being more of a blunt) may make hews with it hit too hard.
The next best option if you want something longer than 46” but shorter than 51” is to go with the 48” Tournament Feder which just hits that 30 lbs flex mark.
In order to repurpose my indoor trainer for tournament use, I’m limited to using replacement blades that fit the VB plastic grip. That leaves me with either the full-length medium tournament blade, or the shorter 48” blade, with the latter being a more optimal length for me. Alternately, I could get a shorter blade for drilling or experimentation, but overall the options aren’t too compelling.