Never posted reviews, threatened to a few times. Sorry if it's wordy but it's long overdue.
Phantasm Initiate V2(Initiate V2), Archon V2, Consular, Guardian, Dark Initiate V3
New camera, still experimenting. Just a few family pics, enough to motivate me to finally post. More pics to come.
Fully charged Trustfires and fresh AA's.
Phantasm has UEHG, all others have UE.
Phantasm Initiate V2 staff (Currently separated into two Initiate V2 hilts)::
-Consular Green & Guardian Blue
-Guarded silver switches
-Heavy Grade Ultraedge blades/32" cut to 31"
-4 AA batteries
First US purchase, last June, bought the staff with plans to also use it as single blades. I'm 5'7" and the staff is just a little too long for me(personal preference). Separated into two hilts and with 28" of the blade exposed, the sabers are perfect for dao & straight sword forms. I had Deep cut them to match the average length of our practice swords. Overall a little heavier than it looks (due to the UEHG) but great for sparring. The wife and I practice (Kung Fu) at home with these as well as these being our main "whackers"! I actually took them into our school one day and (after class) our head instructor killed the lights in the back practice room and wow'ed us with a few moves... looked cool with an all black uniform and green saber in low lighting, like watching Luke (from EU books/comics)
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HILT: Simple design, works for me. Good size for single hand use, grooves are good for gripping, twirls easily, can JUST use two hands IF you're around 5'7". Accent holes look like a faux LED.
COLOR/BLADE: Guardian Blue and Consular Green are awesome, very bright. True Jedi look. Still haven't tried them with UE, should be even brighter, lazy, lazy, lazy. No fear of breaking the HG blades at all. And Yes, they DO hurt when you get hit.
FEEL: A little blade heavy but VERY solid feel when whacking the hell out of another blade. I don't mind the extra weight since I kinda use these as home practice swords so it just helps build up my endurance/control. As a staff, I'd prefer a little more 'handle' in the middle. I think an Aeon staff with Initiate blades might be perfect for my tastes.
CONDITION: Arrived in excellent shape, a very tiny scratch on one of the hilts, intended to be stunt so no problem.
OVERALL: 8/10
A little plain but for the price the only drawback I can see is not being able to easily upgrade (switch/sound).
Archon V2::
-Sunrider's Destiny
-Green AV switch
-Mid Grade Ultraedge blade/36"
-Obsidian sound/Classic font
-2 14500 Li-ion batteries
Second purchase, @ Dragoncon 2011. May be my favorite overall. Being a Luke ROTJ (Hero & V2) freak, getting this hilt was a no-brainer. I think the all black neck (a'la the ROTJ V2) looks good because the black is 'slimming' and gives the look of the thinner neck. I've grown to really like the pommel altho I had buyer's anxiety at first for NOT getting the Arbiter pommel instead. I'm still not ruling out getting one to swap out but for now I'm happy. I think I justified the non-classic/all silver look with the fact that none of the SW homage hilts are 100% screen accurate, hence why I'm also ok with having non-cannon blade colors. If this was totally screen accurate, you can bet it would be in Consular green but I'm glad it's not because I think Sunrider's Destiny is my favorite color, my wife's too...
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HILT: Yes please. Every time I grab this saber, I get goosebumps, the ribbed section, choke point and pommel make this saber feel 'real' to me. If I had to find a gripe, it maybe feels a little light overall. Works well for one or two handed wielding. Maybe a UEHG would make it feel more substantial...
COLOR: Sunrider's Destiny looks incredible. The Green AV switch compliments this color nicely. For my inner nerd, the green 'confirms' it as a Luke hilt. SRD really lights up a room when fully charged. When Deep handed this to me at DC, it had a Midgrade blade, maybe it was the lighting in the room but I didn't dig it too much. I asked for a UEHG instead but they were out, he had a demo'ed UEMG that he swapped out for me, glad I went with it. I think SRD looks fantastic in UE. I would like to try it again in a 'regular' midgrade to satisfy my completist nature.
FEEL: With the UE, this hardly feels like there's a blade in it, again, an UEHG would probably solve that. Overall probably the most comfortable hilt for my hands.
SOUND: My first Obsidian. Every time I ignite this thing, it takes me back to my hotel room @ DCon. Turning it on and off, over and over. I felt like a kid again. I also picture the Sail Barge scene from ROTJ and the first ignition in the remixed Bespin scene from ESB. Perfect saber ignition sound. Loud and full. The pommel adds a nice reverb without making it quiet or muffled. Sound-wise, this saber falls in between the Guardian and Consular. I would say on The 'classic' font seems to fit this saber perfectly.
CONDITION: Placed my order/picked up @Dcon. Hilt had one small scratch just above the pommel. 20 years ago, I would let it bother me (being an extreme ocd fanboy/collector/etc), now I didn't even bat an eye knowing I was going to actually USE it once I got home instead of just putting it on a shelf. The booth was so busy and they were cranking out builds non-stop the whole time, it was inevitable that not every single piece of metal was going to survive the weekend unscathed. Blade had a few small marks already and now on occasion I think I feel a slight movement (wrap starting to come loose?), however, I knew it was a blade from the demo table so no harm/no foul.
OVERALL: 9/10
Only complaint I have is getting the batteries out of this hilt is a nightmare. The battery pack seems to get stuck in the threading, resulting in a lot of banging on my bench. I haven't had one easy go of recharging it. I sent an email to Deep and he suggested sanding the sides. I did but to no avail. I think it has something to do with the actual wiring, like it's kinda pushing the pack at an angle against the sides. Like there's too much tension in the wires. My other two Obsidians come right out and the wires seem just a bit looser. I did measure with calipers and the speakers are identical, hence my guess that the wires have something to do with it. If I can't get it to work easier, I may send it in for a check.
That said...
If I could only keep one saber, this would be it. If I hit lotto, I would buy three more, to make Hero, V2 & Ultra's 'Movie Poster' versions with boxes, clamps, appropriate neck/choke/blade colors, etc. Actually, I would buy five if I could get him to make ribbed/v-grooved Obi-Wan versions (new & weathered).
Consular::
-Adegan Silver (quick disconnect)
-Red AV switch
-Mid Grade Ultraedge blade/36"
-Obsidian sound/Classic font
-2 14500 Li-ion batteries
-Nickel plated shroud
Wanted this hilt the moment it was announced. Started to save some money towards it and then the Guardian was announced! What to do? Saved a little more and I got them both to solve that problem!
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HILT: Hilt reminds me of a Japanese katana (in a way). It's a very simple yet elegant design and this hilt surprised me the most with how much nicer it is in person. The nickel shroud adds a touch of class to it. It sticks out from the other hilts from a few feet away. I knew I'd like it but I really like it in person.
COLOR: Adegan Silver was a nice surprise. It's a bright white that does not look like a lit up tube. Liked the AS more than I thought I would. The Red av works with the white but I ordered it to finish the RGB av switch theme and I was originally going to go with Sentinel Yellow so I wanted Yellow/Red (KF colors). I plan on playing with my Lee swatch book and I've already tied the Burnt yellow and Oklahoma yellow filters. I got the AS in quick disconnect so could always order a true Sentinel Yellow from US if I want but so far, I like the Lee's and the AS by itself...
FEEL: Thought the shroud would bother my grip but it doesn't. Obviously, it's not as 'grippy' with the shroud on but it doesn't fly out of my hands either. Feels good at the choked point. Without the shroud, it's a perfect hilt. It may be less aesthetically exciting but it feels like a true weapon. (Don't tell the Archon but this one's growing on me)
SOUND: Again the Classic font. It is interesting how different pommels make the same font sound totally different. The pommel design makes this sound surprisingly load. This is the saber that would actually scare you when it ignites. It shrieks when it starts, sounds like it's ripping though the air and the idle hum is throaty and loud. Aggressive but not too much. Totally fits the AS and the few Yellow LEE filters I've tried. Could leave this with Classic but I would like to hear something else (to try) at this volume.
CONDITION: This hilt arrived with a scratch in the shroud. I opted for the Nickel finish upgrade and it really looks incredible but the scratch kinda bummed me a bit. Again, I plan to use this so I know it will get marks on it but since it's a selectable upgrade finish option, I was surprised that an appearance flaw slipped thru. Eh, things happen. FTR, it wouldn't have bugged me on a standard finish shroud (and no, I haven't lost any sleep over this), I didn't deem it worth calling US about it, just giving full disclosure.
OVERALL: 8/10
So far, this is the 'sleeper' of my sabers. It's not until you really swing/hold/hear this thing in person that you realize how kick-ass it is. I like this saber a lot more than I thought I would. Only downside is 'take shroud off/leave it on'. Shroud on is elegant looking and functional, shroud off is not as visually exciting but makes for a very comfortable grip.
Guardian::
-Dark Violet Amethyst
-Blue AV switch
-Mid Grade Ultraedge blade/36"
-Obsidian sound/Classic font
-2 14500 Li-ion batteries
Pommel. There, I said it. It's where your eyes jump to first, even if you're trying not to. It's just that bad ass.
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HILT: This is frackin' huge. Think two-handed European broadsword huge. I could almost use it as a short staff. The hilt itself could knock down a wall. I like the look and lets face it, other than the Archon/Arbiter, this is possibly the coolest pommel design. The accent holes with the rounded rivets give the look of cool LEDS on the emitter.
COLOR: DVA, FTW. First time igniting this, in a lit room with skylights, I thought I got VA. I was like 'Meh...". After a full charge I lit it up in a closet... hmmm, now we're talking, looked more 'blue' to me. After a few days I really came to see the DVA for all it's purply (purply!?) goodness. I think I was expecting a purple flavored blue but I really dig this and I totally get it now. It IS very hard to describe and photo. I was able to get a good approximation of this color in a few pics. Taking pics of the pommel, the blade looks blueish BUT the pommel itself reflects a purple color, I also got it in the background of a shot of the Guardian Blue blade. I think the camera was tricked into focusing solely on the blue and the tip of the DVA was in the photo and it was the first 'blade' shot of it that didn't look like a crazy/intense blue. I looked into getting a purple av switch but decided that I was going to go with the whole RGB theme with my av's right now, and like the Archon/green, the blue is the proper color for this hilt, giving a slight nod to the original. Besides that, the blue goes well with the DVA, so there. BTW, My Brother described DVA as "Awesome"... and he doesn't throw that word around like I do.
FEEL: Did I mention it was huge? Almost too big for my hands, definitely a two handed saber. Not really a twirling hilt. I see this as a 'smasher' type weapon.
SOUND: Quietest of the three... I think it's the pommel. It definitely adds a noticeable muffling/reverb effect. Sounds 'darker/fuller' than the other two. This saber would be a good candidate for a different font, maybe even Sith(?) if only I wasn't hampered changing it by the Mac.
CONDITION: Flawless... Period. Truly a hilt to just kinda look at and say 'Damn'! Not a scratch on the hilt or blade. Do have to mention the pommel doesn't screw back in 100% but I think an o-ring might fix that problem...
OVERALL: 8/10
I think this is the most formidable looking hilt US offers, claws be damned! (heh.) I could probably scare the whole neighborhood if I ran outside with this thing!
Dark Initiate V3::
-Blazing Red
-Guarded Silver switch
-Mid Grade Ultraedge blade/Initiate
-2 AA batteries
-Pommel for sound
This was Ultrasabers 'Thank You' to me. I cashed in my reward points and ended up paying $11 something for the balance of s/h!!! The above sabers (sans the DCon Archon-immediate points applied) paid for this one. Sooo, since I would probably always get some variation of what I would consider a light/gray saber, why not do the 'freebie' totally different. Let's go Sith offhand. Saber shipped just 2 days after the order was placed.
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HILT: Nice upgrade from the V2. Feels like it could be wielded comfortably with one or both hands. My wife is 5'4" and if I put a regular length blade in this hilt, it works perfectly as a two handed saber for her. Also like that it's MHS compatible and I can add sound/switch in the future.
COLOR: Blazing Red. Sticking with the Sith theme, what goes better with black? Looks great in person. Looks insane in pictures. I'd definitely like to see this in a standard blade. Literally took an extra week/plus to decide on the color. I almost went with Pyrestone Orange. My wife and I were watching a documentary on Hawaii on our new tv, she commented on how cool the lava looked so naturally I steered the conversation to sabers and we were gung-ho for PO at that point. I finally went with BR because I wanted the three primary/movie colors in my single handed/stunt hilts to compliment the EU colors in my larger/loaded hilts. OCD, represent!
FEEL: Top choke works well for single or double hand. Rear choke is perfect for reverse grip.
SOUND: One day... that's why I ordered the pommel made for sound. I'll change the switch too... again, one day.
CONDITION: Nary a scratch. Perfect black hilt.
OVERALL: 8/10
Glad I took a left turn and went against my typical 'likes'. Black hilt, red blade, initiate length. Perfect for short staff, sword, off hand & reverse grip fun. This thing is small enough to make (controlled) practice inside considerably less dangerous too.
(*scoring based on 1-10, 1 being an inflatable tube on a flashlight and 10 being a screen accurate 'thin neck' (but duel-able) Hero/V2 or new/weathered ObiWan)
Only downside IMHO is the lack of Mac friendly font options. I can't even hear what the available fonts sound like let alone change them. I love the classic/default for the Archon but I would like to change the Guardian to Sith sounds and the Consular to something slightly different, maybe TOR?
I plan on picking up another at D*Con booth this year as well, I 'need' an Arctic Blue or Pyrestone blade (maybe both)
