Slow motion Regenyei vs. Hanwei (Gen 1)

[Ben Floyd]

Here's some video I took showing a Regenyei feder vs. a Gen 1 Hanwei Feder. I took the video to show the capability of the feders, or lack thereof, and to show the capability of the camera. The camera is a GoPro Hero2.

Enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwpj4g2oSfE&feature=youtu.be

The fighters are two guys from my club, Gary and Glenn.

I'm planning on posting some more with other weapons too.

[admin]

Very interesting video, thanks for posting. The Hanwei does indeed look like a wet noodle! Though it also highlights that the chap using it is often moving through the air with the flat leading rather than the edge (partially I think because he often has the wrong foot leading). Sorry, I know this wasn't supposed to be a video to critique technique!

[Motley]

Very interesting video, thanks for posting. The Hanwei does indeed look like a wet noodle! Though it also highlights that the chap using it is often moving through the air with the flat leading rather than the edge (partially I think because he often has the wrong foot leading). Sorry, I know this wasn't supposed to be a video to critique technique!

Seeing it that slow really does highlight technique flaws though doesn't it? It's really hard not to judge when watching it. Makes me want one of those cameras just for that.

[Ben Floyd]

I just bought the camera, but it's already proven very useful as you've noticed. We also taped ourselves to help correct telegraphing problems.

[Ben Floyd]

Here's the normal speed video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07SQTWlzPeA

[Mark Shaw]

I'd like to ask the members here who have seen and/or handled the actual/surviving historical swiss feder, how accurate the first generation Hanwei feder was?

Did Hanwei get the measurements wrong? (I understand that the 2nd generation one is thicker in some aspects due to criticisms of the first gen).

What I'd really like to know was if the swiss original was as thin as the Hanwei generation 1 feder.
If Hanwei got the measurements wrong, then no worries, but if the originals are thin/floppy I wonder if there is a reason...eg maybe its a feature to slow the fencers down? (just flailing about here).

[Hotspur School]

As Matt and Motley said, viewed on a technique and fundamentals level there are a lot of elementary mistakes made by both fencers.

During almost all of the first half of the bout, there were very few attacks made using a step in the triangle. It was extremely linear and, as Matt said, with the wrong foot leading. Attacks were often also made out of measure.

Please take this as constructive criticism - there was some good stuff in the krieg parts of the fight.

Back to the purpose of the video, though. That camera is an extremely handy piece of kit and shows some very interesting characteristics of the blades being used. Nice work!

[Markehed]

I think everyone wants to get a camera like that now. I've fought with a Hanwei before and thought it was a bit wobbly, but I didn't realice it was that bad

[bigdummy]

As Matt and Motley said, viewed on a technique and fundamentals level there are a lot of elementary mistakes made by both fencers.

During almost all of the first half of the bout, there were very few attacks made using a step in the triangle. It was extremely linear and, as Matt said, with the wrong foot leading. Attacks were often also made out of measure.

Please take this as constructive criticism - there was some good stuff in the krieg parts of the fight.

Back to the purpose of the video, though. That camera is an extremely handy piece of kit and shows some very interesting characteristics of the blades being used. Nice work!

Are there any videos available of you fighting with a longsword, for comparison?

BD

[Hotspur School]

As Matt and Motley said, viewed on a technique and fundamentals level there are a lot of elementary mistakes made by both fencers.

During almost all of the first half of the bout, there were very few attacks made using a step in the triangle. It was extremely linear and, as Matt said, with the wrong foot leading. Attacks were often also made out of measure.

Please take this as constructive criticism - there was some good stuff in the krieg parts of the fight.

Back to the purpose of the video, though. That camera is an extremely handy piece of kit and shows some very interesting characteristics of the blades being used. Nice work!

Are there any videos available of you fighting with a longsword, for comparison?

BD

No, not with solo longsword at the mo. I do have a duelling shield video, though, but it's from 2007.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9VG4ClQcJk

I don't post any of my stuff on YT any more because of the sheer number of fuckwits who tend to barrage videos with their shite. I now prefer to let people see what I do in person.

If you want, though, I can put some up for you to comment on, be it constructive criticism or praise.

[Hotspur School]

I'm also teaching messer from the Glasgow Fechtbuch (MS E.1939.65.341) at York next weekend (August 4 and 5) as part of the Fechtschule York seminar, if anyone fancies popping along to critique my ability.

[admin]

I haven't seen the Swiss feders in the flesh, but the original feders I have seen are much more substantial than the Hanwei ones.

[bigdummy]

I'm also teaching messer from the Glasgow Fechtbuch (MS E.1939.65.341) at York next weekend (August 4 and 5) as part of the Fechtschule York seminar, if anyone fancies popping along to critique my ability.

Ah, glad to hear you are going to that event. Cheers.


BD

[Derek Wassom]

The Hanwei feders are nothing close to the ones in the Landesmuseum. Here is an excerpt from my old essay on the ARMA website:

The fourteen-inch long hilt still has its original wood and stitched leather grip (though the leather is naturally deteriorating), and is tight as a drum. The tang has been hot peened through a simple Oakeshott Type T5 (pear shaped) pommel. The pommel is medium sized, having a diameter of 1.75 inches.
The eleven-inch cross is also very simple. It is only a round steel bar with a 0.4 inch diameter, which is swelled enough in the middle to accommodate the blade. It does have a lump of an ecusson to accommodate the thumb for various gripping positions. The grip is a plain, slightly swollen, flattened oval with the dimensions of 1.49 by 1.35 inches at its widest point.
The 37.5-inch long blade is basically a flat rectangular tempered steel bar. In my haste, I neglected to measure the dimensions of its narrowest point so you will have to estimate from the picture.
When measured out to seventeen inches from the cross, the blade is 0.38 inches thick by 0.8 inches wide, thinning out to be 0.1 inches thick by 1 inch wide at thirty-six inches from the cross. At 27.4 inches from the cross is where most of the distal tapering occurs, and it gets considerably whippier, taking only a little pressure to bend it off line. This reflects the ideal striking portion and such flex at this location is something not uncommon even on sharp fighting swords. Although the blade sags slightly under its own weight, it isn't, in my experience, to an extraordinary degree. This is not unusual in some longer swords with a thin diamond or oval cross-section.
The large ricasso is three inches long by 2.85 inches wide and is 0.21 inches thick. It has a strange cross section due the fact that it has two odd, slightly angled fullers, one on each opposite side. They are wider at the top of the ricasso, and grow thinner as they angle towards the center of the cross, finally disappearing about one inch from it. This sword weighs a little over three pounds, and with the balance point being only 1 inch from the cross, makes this a quick and agile sword.
Basic Information:
Code # KZ1030
Total Length - 51.5 inches
POB - 1 inch from cross
COP - 22.5 inches from cross
Weight - 3.12lbs (1.415kg)

[Mark Shaw]

Thanks for the replies Matt and Derek; especially the detailed information on dimensions of an original Derek!
Very helpful as I will not be getting up to the museums in the northern hemisphere anytime soon.