Wukusi Steel Federschwert (Short)

I don't have a HEMA club near me and this is my first Feder, so take the following with a grain of salt. I like it a lot. It's slightly more nimble than the longsword I own (Ronin Euro #7), which is good since the longsword has a slightly fatter cross section than it should have. Thus, this feder should approximate a longsword well.

Not much to comment on the blade other than it's not whippy, which is good. The cross guard is intentionally plain and simple, but is quite sturdy at just under 3/8" thick in the center. It does have casting marks, but not too bad. It's simple but effective.

The grip had some odd plastic "hairs" sticking up when I received it, but they wore off pretty quickly. I assume that's leftover from the 3D printing. It's "grippy" enough that it doesn't slip, but doesn't tear up my hands. I'll probably add a proper grip at some point, but this one is utilitarian and works fine.

The pommel is about the right size to sit in someone's closed hand and has a typical cast texture to it. It's quite comfortable to use it for leverage, which I do. Importantly, the tang does extend into the pommel by just under 3/8", so the threaded rod that's welded to the tang isn't the only thing keeping it on straight.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with it. I'm seriously considering ordering the long version when it comes back into stock, so that should tell you something about my opinion.

I was surprised to see that Wukusi made their own swords, and since I liked the helmet so much and I was in the market for a cheap starter sword, I gave it a try. I was initially wary of the "short" moniker, but went with it because the "long" was sold out, and not too much longer in the first place (a little less than 2").

I was surprised. It handles like a dream. I have handed it off to my more senior sparring partners and instructors to check out, and like Richard said in his review, I've gotten a lot of surprised compliments. The blade looks sexy, and is stiffer than you'd expect. I've had it about 2 months now, and my first few sparring sessions brought out a lot of burrs on the edge, which was frustrating. I was breaking out my files a lot in the first few weeks, but it seems to have broken in because I can't remember the last time I had to do it (I still check before and after... safety first). When I compared it to the synthetic pentti I was using, I realized the blade was the same length, just had a shorter handle (affects handling a bit from how close your hands are, particularly in big lobster mitts and for guards like ochs that need wrist flexing). The cross guard is pretty cool, and the pommel feels nice. I was not sure I liked the cast construction of these pieces at first but it has grown on me a lot. I am very curious about the separate cross guards and pommels they sell for it. The handle is 3D printed.... I felt that this was very cheap, and was worried it would be broken easily, but honestly over time it has also grown on me. It has good grip, and my concerns of longevity have diminished (although I have not recieved a very strong strike between my hands on the handle yet, it could still crack possibly). Thinking about wrapping it to give it an extra layer of protection. Once the replacement handles are made available, depending on price, I would probably mark that as a point in its favor to be honest. It is assembled very easily, but it started to come loose a few times because I was afraid of overtightening and cracking the handle. Last time it came loose I put a little extra pepper in my allen wrench turn, a wee bit more than I thought was sufficient, but now it stays snug because of the lock washer. My only true gripe at this point is that the bag it comes in is way too spacious for one sword, and yet is not wide enough to accommodate it when assembled!!! So you have to take it apart each and every time, and then the blade just flops around in there all loose like a single pretzel stick in an empty cheese ball jar. I have a separate case I use that accommodates SEVERAL assembled swords, so it does not impact my life too much, but it is just a whole extra big thing I don't know what to do with, and it would be nice for new fencers if they could assemble it, chuck it in the bag, and roll out, instead of looking for another bag or wearing out the threads from constant reassembly.

PROS:
* Blade similar length to popular synthetic trainers
* Looks Sleek
* Stiff enough to keep your point in the right spot
* Low price point
* Good handling
* Official accessory support

CONS
* Short feder has a short handle, which might make some guards harder, particularly in heavy gloves.
* The supplied bag sucks at being a sword bag
* 3D printed handle could be breaking point, no replacements available for sale just yet
* While nice in some cases, stiffness results in some mighty rude bruises on your partners from thrusts

TL:DR
Nice sword. Surprising quality for price and construction materials. Excellent option for first time steel owners on a budget.

I bought this as a gift for my girlfriend for it's size, price point and availability. The case is fantastic. After 4 months of drills and sparring 3 to 4 times a week the feder still feels great. Initially the handling of the straight cross guard wasn't to my taste but I put the smaller forward swept guard on this and the handling now feels very nice. I was worried that it would be heavy
but it's only 200 grams heavier than a Sigi light but without having to wait months to have it produced. My girlfriend put a hemp wrap on the handle and she loves her feder. I was surprised when she tried our club mates custom light Arms and Armor feder and both our club mate and my girlfriend preferred her Wukusi short. The sword generates lots of curiosity and a lot of surprised positive comments when people look at it and try it out. A very satisfying purchase and gift.

however minus points for the handle