Saber Forum

I thought it might be time to talk a bit about some simple modifications that I feel might be in the best interest of anyone who wants a serious working saber: namely grip. Most sabers are nice and shiny, but a good grip can mean the difference between missing a move and landing it, or in the case of dueling, between holding on to your saber, and being disarmed. By way of comparison, let me talk about a few different types of grips.

Wire/electric tape
Wire tape is cheap and easy to find.  It comes in several colors and has better grip than bare metal. A spiral wrap gives the saber grip some texture, but if you want more, you can wrap it once, add some cord in a spiral or o rings, and then wrap it again. The second wrap will stretch over the cord or o ring and create a stationary ridge.

Contact vinyl:
Not as stretchy as wire tape or as versatile. The main benefit of contact paper is that it provides a bit of grip while also looking good. It comes in carbon fiber print, wood grain, and various other styles and wraps flat to the metal. If you want it to stay in place with vigorous use, I recommend securing it with o rings or wire tape.

o-rings
Enough o rings next to each other provides a grip. It will cover the metal in thick rubber that will be ridged. you will need these to be tight or they will slip. You will also want something to secure them at each end unless your saber has ridges that will do this for you. Without end caps, the rings will work off down the blade with use.

Inner tube
Basically the gutted tube from bike tires. Inner tube wrap is very grippie and has a matte black look. It will rub off on your hands and will deteriorate over time like the o rings.

Tennis grip
One of my personal favorites, tennis grip can be picked up at any sporting good store. Most tennis grip is rubber (like an inner tube) but padded underneath. This padding provides give that forms to the hand. Some tennis grip has holes for breath-ability, but this is not needed with sabers unless you like the look.

Leather
sheet, wrapped strip, or wrapped cord, leather is the premium grip of choice for most because it feels great and looks authentic. Leather is comparatively expensive though. For grip, I generally suggest suede when using leather because of the roughness. The bad thing about leather is that it will lose its grip as it deteriorates or picks up oil from your hands. Treated well though, it is one of the best grip options out there. As a note, some premium handlebar wrap is made of leather. For function, this is the route I would go as it is treated and made for easy application and use.

Silicone
Available in tape or dip, silicone is the king of grip. Temperature and water proof, silicone has the grip of those rubberized pencils from the 90s, does not really deteriorate, and comes in several colors (including clear). The tape is pretty expensive (about $1 per foot) but easier to apply than the dip. The tape is self adhesive, the downside is that you have to be careful with the application as once it sticks, you will likely destroy it if you try to un-stick it.

End note
How much grip you want depends on your use. For sparring and spinning, I would go with leather or tennis grip; for flips or contact, rubber or silicone would be a better call (a must for contact especially).

This list is based on my experiences, but feel free to contribute if you have found other materials that work, or ask questions.

O rings are great. Do you know if they have colored ones?


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They do but most hardware stores don't carry them. You can get them online if you look.

I used a suede cord wrap for my grip. It feels good and lets me keep a firm grip, but I didn't rough the finish of the saber beneath, so it starts to unwind a bit after repeated practice.

In this case, I'd recommend using something as a base for chord wraps, like skateboard deck tape or something grippy.

Double sided tape works under cord wrap as well.

I used electrical tape before I wrapped the hilt of my Aeon's with suede.  Since Electrical tape is so stretchy, I reversed the tape (adhesive side up) until it stuck to itself then as I wrapped the tape around the hilt I pulled it tight so that it didn't move.   I wrapped the tape as high as I was going to wrap it with the suede.  Since the tape was black and the suede was black, even though the wrapping wasn't perfect, the silver from the hilt didn't peek through the wrap.  I lastly took some E-6000 glue and glued the ends of the suede together so that it didn't peel off.

(http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah171/rodtinknpete/Sabers/25B3E8C6-6AF6-4584-8619-87599BD32C87_zpsqsf1witj.jpg) (http://s1380.photobucket.com/user/rodtinknpete/media/Sabers/25B3E8C6-6AF6-4584-8619-87599BD32C87_zpsqsf1witj.jpg.html)

Also added the O-rings to give it some grip at the top of the saber. 

One thing to keep in mind about electrical tape is that it will get super gummy a loose from your sweaty hands, leaving you with a sticky mess.

1"+ heat shrink


The Sith send their regards

A little suggestion: theringlord.com has rubber O-rings that are used for stretchy chainmaille projects. They come in all sorts of colours. The red tends to be a dusty, pale brick-red rather than any kind of true red, but the greens, blues, etc. are great!

I absolutely love hockey grip tape. On my Dark Initiate v4 I just wrapped it around the ribbed section and it fells fantastic. On my Dark War Glaive I wrapped some leather cord around the hilt, checked the fit in my hand, then grip taped over that. Feels so much better now. I'm a sucker for hockey grip tape.

I was just looking at their rubber O-rings and they have a new bright red!

Oh hey, that's neat! Too bad the rings aren't in bigger sizes... I hadn't checked in quite a while.

I used KDP's method, and it feels great and doesn't move.  The only difference was I tucked and wrapped the ends of the suede under the wrap to hold it secure. The tension and the tape are holding them in nicely.  I didn't want to risk having glue on my hilt and what that might do.

I'm with you on this. That stuff's like Frank's Red Hot, I put that sh*t on everything!

Anybody tried 3M friction tape? I have a roll from another project, and I'm expecting my first saber (grab bag) soon, and plan on doing custom work. I love the look of this stuff, but I'm not sure it'd stay one super well. I was curious if anyone had used this before, and how the result came out. Also it feels a little sticky on the outside? Can this be washed off, will it wear off with time, or should I just use something else?

(http://i.imgur.com/zG64Ap6.jpg)

I was thinking of using some skateboard tape for a grip surface over a thin 550 cord wrap. Anyone have experience with skateboard tape?

I have seen it done but am not personally a fan of friction tape, skate tape, or hockey tape. I just don't like the feel of the products. For me, silicone or leather (smooth not suede) make the best grips. They are grippie without being sticky.