Saber Forum

Greetings everyone!

I have a question to ask, which I feel is going to be a very touchy subject, so I'm going to try to handle it delicately and with fairness, so as not to cause any issues or get myself sanctioned.

It's simple enough really, I WANT my first, light-up, sound equipped, good quality lightsaber; but frankly, I'm scared.

I am currently aware of several saber smiths; Ultrasabers (of course!), Saber Forge, Genesis sabers, and a rather hard to locate maker called Makoto? I have, naturally, watched a lot of videos, read a lot of reviews, and from what I've seen, ALL produce products that I'd be happy to have. But here is the fly in the ointment; there ARE one or two reviewers out there who seem to have gone out of their way to discredit at least two of these saber makers; claiming that the "wiring is no good", or the LEDs are poorly mounted, or that "hot glue holds everything together", etc, etc, etc. They are also going as far as to claim of SOME that money gets paid and sabers never arrive! (there's a whole lot more said too, but I'm not about to repeat it!)

So why am I bringing this up? Well, as I said, I'm afraid. I am on a tight budget, and saving up for my first saber as we speak; but the last thing I want to do is part with two or three hundred pounds ($300-450 US!!!) only to discover my prized saber comes "unglued" and breaks in a week, or worse never arrives at all!

I guess I'm looking for recommendations really, either publicly or in private, and to learn what sort of experiences people have had. I'm not looking to slander or adversely affect the reputation of any one, or any company, I just want to be sure that when I spend my cash; I'm gonna get something worth having.

I hope everyone can understand that?

With that said, over to you guys!

A valid concern, Darth_Arkanus. In such a small, specialized niche market, there's bound to be some mudslinging. I own 5 Ultrasabers and I can say that the negative experiences did not apply to my experience in the least. All of my sabers were shipped in 24/48 business hours, or if not, there was a reason for it. (I won the raffle and my order was put on hold for almost a week to accomodate the free loaded saber they were going to ship with it - a week is freaking fast considering the quality of the product). I found this out after receiving my first saber last summer, and I've ignored the negative comments about them after they were proven wrong on many levels. Ultrasabers do not disappoint!

When I had issues with a couple of sabers, Emory returned my emails quickly and courteously, and not one single problem I had remained a problem for very long. The fact is, if there happens to be a problem with something (and there might be regardless of who you choose - these sabers are assembled by human beings), Emory is very easy to deal with and will fix the issue. Nothing in my experience shows anything to the contrary - all issues were solved with a smile.

Take a look at this thread from other Ultrasabers customers. There's good testimony there about how untrue the slander is against them. http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=4039.0 (http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=4039.0) and some good testimony from other Ultrasabers owners.

The funny thing is, no sabersmith out there seems to do a bad job... it's all words and politics in a cut-throat environment. Rise above it and just go for what you really want... the sabers. The politics with sabersmithing is better left between the sabersmiths - all sabersmiths will take care of their own. Don't let bad words poison any of them, including Ultrasabers. It's a much better hobby when you do! Products over politics FTW!

Unfortunately, because this forum is run by Ultrasabers: 1) you will not be guaranteed an fair and balanced discussion, and 2) this topic is going to get locked and deleted because they don't want talk of competing vendors on their boards.

Per your request, I sent you a private message to discuss my personal knowledge.  I concur with E concerning the quality of Ultrasabers as well as the customer service experience of dealing with Emory (Deep on the forums).  

I am an ardent proponent of it is your money, spend as you want on what you want.   Best wishes to you getting the saber you greatly desire.  

Let us know if there are any other questions you need answered (publicly or privately) and we'll be glad to help.  

We have plenty of videos that you can browse to learn more as well.  E is a resident sound font demonstrator and if it involves the color blue, I'm your guy.

Point #2 can actually be said about every forum out there attached to a business.  I can't go on a Toyota forum and begin asking about Honda without the same thing happening. 

Point #1 you can take care of by asking to speak to this person via email or on another forum not run by Ultrasabers. 

Proud user of an Ultrasaber, and not going to switch to any other manufacturer. It has kinks, but none of the intolerable kind. And those other manufacturers have too elaborate hilts, while I value simplicity.

I've got 4 Ultrasabers (see my sig) and haven't had problems with any of them that would make me even consider using another sabersmith.  In fact, I've never even really had a problem, per se.  No matter who makes something, there's always going to be issues pop up.  As they say, "we're only human".  But US has been great about answering my emails quickly and providing the info I need to make decisions. 

Disclaimer: The following is my experience only.

I've used several other smiths sabers, and while they all work, I can't in good conscience say they work any better than US, and a fair portion of them are worse.  I share your concerns about laying out a lot of money for something like this, and hope that the fact I have 4 of them already is testament enough for what you're asking. 

Anything else, just PM me.

Thanks guys, you're fantastic!

I know that this was a gamble, in view of the partisan nature of the location and the polarising nature of the question. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE some of the Ultrasabers designs and feel certain that, my concerns about the rubbish I've heard aside, I will be buying a number of sabers from them. I don't know Emory and have never spoken to him, but my intuition about him from watching his videos is that he's a really laid back, easy going guy and probably very easy to get along with. (after all, with a name like Arkanus, enhanced intuition is my business! hehe)

I will, if I may, message you privately to widen some discussion points. I hope that I may also be able to make some off-forum friendships too, if you deem me worthy of that.

Once again, thank you very much, and to the site admins who will no doubt view this, thank you for allowing the question to be answered so far. I appreciate your rationale and hope that you won't find anything posted here requiring a topic lock.

Always happy to take a PM question about anything! Seriously, the more questions you ask, the more joy you'll get out of hitting checkout if you order a saber. I lurked here for two months before I bought mine, and stuck around afterwards to help those like I was helped. A day doesn't go by where I don't pick up at least one of my sabers and work on stuff. There isn't a soul here who wouldn't help you either! Glad to have you here, and again, good question in your OP.  :)

Oramac,

I'm gonna have a look at the Dark Glave, because I rather fancy a Sith saber with spikes of some type (alla Count Dooku)

If you go with the Dark War Glaive, be sure to get it with the Silver Claws option.  It gives a really cool effect of an orb around the base of the blade.

I'll second both of these.  Very true on both counts. 

Ironic really, cos I rather like the dark claws in this case. I think it's because so much of the rest of that hilt is dark. It's one of the coolest dark sabers Ultrasabers do, the other one being the Overlord, which is in my view screaming out for an Electrum Gold finish to accent things like the emitter housing and grip!

What are your thoughts on the Overlord?

For me personally, in a Sith saber I either want something VERY aggressive looking, like Dooku's claw emitter fitted saber, or something very sleek and opulent; like Sidious' Electrum plated sabers.

In my opinion, the Overlord can go either direction.  I have mounted a War Glaive emitter to the top of my Overlord in the past.  It was very sinister looking and had to be held with two hands. 

As for a Sidious style saber, the Monarch looks very similar but unfortunately it does not come in gold plating. 

Something really cool about the sabers is that every pommel can be swapped with another one that you purchase and if the emitter screws on and off, you can switch it as well. 

Check out my following video around 7:50 to see what I am referring.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCO68tPOH8c#ws (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCO68tPOH8c#ws)

I love everything to do with the Overlord! It's a lighter, two-handed hilt compared to some other sabers, both ends are MHS compatible (which would allow you to swap out both the emitter and the pommel), and if you get quick disconnects with it, you can get other MLS units to change up the colors. It's a thing of beauty on its own, but I am just discovering that it's as versatile as the Archon I bought, just longer and dark. :)

Overlord straight up (with my Bellicose's short groove pommel)
(http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff407/EeRocKK/IMG_0087_zpscbc0a845.jpg) (http://s1234.photobucket.com/user/EeRocKK/media/IMG_0087_zpscbc0a845.jpg.html)

Here is a mod I did with the Overlord over the weekend with my Archon's parts. The "Darkon", if you will. :)
(http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff407/EeRocKK/Saberforum/IMG_0221_zpsc574c6cc.jpg) (http://s1234.photobucket.com/user/EeRocKK/media/Saberforum/IMG_0221_zpsc574c6cc.jpg.html)

The possibilities seem to be endless... and my saber addiction rages on!  ;D

With the Ultrasabers 90-day warranty, combined with their huge selection of affordable sabers (and believe me, these things are EASILY the best bang for your buck out there) makes it a no-brainer as far as who to buy from, if nothing else for your first saber.  I won't bash other sabersmiths, because they do nice work as well, but I stand by the fact that US offers the most affordable battle-ready lightsabers out there.  I duel with them with my fellow Master, Artorius Vidnyl, and we have yet to damage anything apart from knocking the occasional tip off.


I have always loved the Overlord, it's a nice simple design which just gives such a sinister elegance that it tempts me every time I go to the site.  It seems like something a Dark side gentleman like Dooku might use, as opposed to the other clawed options which suggest a more brutal style.  Slap some gold on that hilt and you'd have a freakin AWESOME hilt!

Your concerns are certainly valid - the money spent on even a grab bag or stunt 'sabre is considerable, and not to be thrown about likely.

I've wanted to own something like this since I first happened upon the Parks' site, probably eight or nine years ago. The price has always been prohibitive, and too many of them were little more than more expensive FX 'sabres - not duel worthy, so certainly not worth dropping £300 or more on.

Being in the UK gave me even more pause for thought. The shipping cost is good value considering how far any purchase has to come (and all sabresmiths are, I believe, American-based). Nonetheless, it's still some £30+ from US, and that's one of the cheaper options out there. And if anything goes wrong, it's a lot harder to send back then for someone in Seattle or Memphis or wherever.

For all these reasons, it's taken me this long to take a chance on any company. I chose Ultrasabers in part because of the community - Genesis and Saber Forge don't have forums where you can talk with customers. Now, part of being a part of the US community is recognising that US (reasonably) want to deal with any problems themselves so they're not going to have drawn-out debates on the forum with people who've got significant problems. At the same time, the community has the experience to advice on a lot of minor issues (stuck batteries, for example - get an Obsidian 'sabre and those things are in tight!) which probably saves the US staff a lot of time.

You have to be happy with the choice you make, and I can't say 'pick Ultra', 'pick Parks' or whatever. I took a chance on Ultrasabers because a stunt Aeon was just inside my budget. That I had it in my hands six days later was very impressive. Has my experience been positive? Yes - but then, Ultrasabers have given me two loaded lightsabres in the last month, so I'm naturally biased.

Ultrasabers don't have a monopoly on gorgeous 'sabres, but they do offer a variety uncommon to any other maker I know. Even allowing for the light/dark variants, there's still a lot of different designs out there. I can look at, and admire, other makers' work (there's one hilt out there that I really like), but nothing like the number of hilts I'd take from Ultrasabers if I had the money.

For the price, the looks and the testimonies of other customers, I took a chance on Ultrasabers. For those considerations, the speed of delivery (not to be discounted - take my money and leave me waiting 2-3 months? No.) and my experience of ownership I'm satisfied with that choice, and am happy to recommend the company to others, but the decision is ultimately yours. It's a lot of money, and unless you're sure then it's a big, big gamble.

You seem to be in the UK - have you had a look at the sparring partners map and seen if there's anyone nearby who can let you have a try with theirs? That could help you decide whether or not US are the sabresmiths for you.

How about a Raven with no claws?  Those are fairly sleek as well.  Though I always saw a claw-less Raven as a Jedi saber.

Fantastic! The Overlord is definitely on my "to buy" list. :)

That's fantastic, thank you. I've had some really helpful input and advice here, but it's great to hear from a fellow UK resident, because our position is different than those in the States.

The speed with which Ultrasabers gets the saber to you is definitely awesome. Everyone says how fast they are, and that's great. I am definitely going to get an ultrasaber, the question is which one. I do like the overlord, a LOT! I think you're right about it being a gentleman's saber, and I see my character as a sophisticated Sith, rather than one who is more brutal. hehe

No, I haven't looked at the map, because I didn't know there was one. I'm up in South Yorkshire, so I'll have to see who is near to me.

All I will say is that there are many sabersmiths out there. Some are great, some are bad. It's generally a very friendly community. The only forum this wouldnt be a toucy subject is the FX-saber forums.
Ultrasabers are not the only high quality sabers out there. But they are the most economically sound sabers out there. They are great quality, and are great for people with a budget.
There are higher quality sabers out there, but they are more expensive because of the amount of work and materials used.
Crystal Focus w/ RICE is the highest quality soundcard you can get out there (it allows you to customize your saber to any colour). Any saber with one of those however, are easily within the +$1,000 range. And generally, they are not sold to the general public (the Crystal Focus I mean). That's why usually a Petit Crouton or Obsidian is the next best thing. Good sound, easier to get, and economically friendly.

I have only ever had one problem with my Prophecy, and it was a simple soldering fix. US is great economic choice that is also reliable. In the sabersmith world, it is kinda bang for buck. The nicer, more custom/detailed sabers are going to be very expensive.

I would say the Igniter is fast becoming the high end sound card to have. I am biased.

Go with your gut, read multiple reviews from many different sources. You can find the answer to your question, it greatly depends on what you're looking for.

Definitely is just a huge personal preference thing. I would have to agree that Igniter is up there seeing as how CF cards are usually just sold to sabersmiths exclusively. Ive got a Petit Crouton myself and set the FoC to be movie accurate at around 65 ms.

But yes, thats what I love about this hobby. So many options, choices, and different things going on. Its very custom friendly, especially for DIYers out there.

I can understand you being a little worried, given what some people have said elsewhere. but after running around and reading stuff on this forum for weeks before buying a saber, and reading what people have said outside this forum, I came to the conclusion that at least most of the slander I read seemed like pointless bashing. I got the impression that if those complaining people had just settled down, been polite and done the right thing by ultrasabers and contacted them first before shooting off, there wouldn't be the need to complain.
sometimes things go wrong, its called human error, and even machines wont get it right everytime. but from what ive read on this forum if for some reason something has gone wrong, if you do right by ultrasabers, they will do right by you. I work in retail, I know that sometimes items will come back faulty, but if a customer is understanding and polite (even if they are a bit frustrated) then im going to be far more likely to go out of my way to help them. and so I try to take that some attitude when im the customer. and the number of happy sounding customers on this forum, who repeatedly go back to ultrasabers, convinced me to spend my money on an ultrasaber with sound.
it took two weeks for my saber to come out (one week travelling time, im in Australia), but there were a lot of people on the forum ordering at the same time, and a bunch of sabers seemed to be sent at the same time (if you use the impatiently waiting thread as an indication), so im sure there was a logical reason for the delay- which you can hardly call a delay when they quote 2-3 weeks anyway! my saber arrived in excellent condition, and im very very happy with the build quality, the brightness and the sound, im very pleased that I went with ultrasabers. my other half was very impressed and was instantly planning what saber to get for himself. ive never had experience with the other manufacturers so I cant comment there, but quite simply ultrasabers seem to me to be good value for money, and they definitely will have a repeat customer in me, with plans to buy at least another three sabers as money allows.

and as a side note, it doesn't bother me that ultrasabers don't like talk about other manufacturers sabers here. this is their forum, its part of their business. its in the rules that we agree to when we sign up and choose to post here. simple really. sure they don't allow "negative discussion", but its not like they stop people from posting if something does go wrong- just be polite, be objective, and don't bash! and give ultrasabers a chance first, contact them first to try and sort out the issue. if something goes wrong with your dvd player do you instantly go on every forum and start banging on about it? or do you contact your supplier/ manufacturer first and try to sort it out? its common sense really. besides, the lack of bashing on this forum is what makes this such an awesome community- ive been on other forums where they are really b!tchy and petty with the arguments and it just gives a horrible atmosphere. here it is friendly, you are allowed to have your differences of opinion and politely express them, and ive just found this to be such a lovely welcoming and friendly forum. and we have ultrasabers to thank for that.

ok, my 2cents done. I had to get that off my chest.