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Author Topic: Review of Christmas Gifts Episode II: Son and Myself  (Read 1906 times)
JapzLapeno
Knight Lieutenant
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Force Alignment: 52
Posts: 228


Enemies strengthen you. Allies weaken.


« on: December 11, 2012, 11:19:50 AM »

I ordered the last Christmas gift saber this past Thursday, my son's Initiate LE V3 in Consular Green, Silver flash, Obsidian sound with a Red AV switch.  I had received money for myself from various family members, so i added a Malice emitter and 40" blade (to make a very Sith saber) and a Dark Violet Amethyst MLS unit and Manticore emitter (to make a 'Lighter' saber), and an Archon pommel for myself.  All the MHS parts and the MLS are for my Blazing Red Consular.  According to FedEx tracking, my order was supposed to arrive on 12/12/12, but instead arrived on 12/10/12 (two days early AGAIN).  I've never had problems with UPS, and my packages have always arrived on time with them, but i'm really liking the FedEx shipping.


Last time the box was a little dented, this time the box is damn near pristine.


The blade was the only thing that wasn't wrapped in something, but because of everything else being thoroughly bubble wrapped, it was well protected in perfect condition.  The saber was wrapped very well in bubble wrap (i was able to pull the tape on the bottom and slide the saber out for inspection and back in for gift wrapping).  The blade plug i ordered with the saber was in the bag with the Ultrasabers business cards and info sheet.  The saber stand was wrapped in a foam sheet.  The MLS unit, Maticore emitter, and Archon pommel were wrapped together in bubble wrap, and the Malice emitter was wrapped in bubble wrap my itself.  Good packing job, the box ended up being smaller than i had expected.


Here are the modular parts.  I like that the MLS shipped with dummy plugs in the connectors to protect them from damage/dust.




You can see some evidence of the machining on the emitter, and the machining texture on the blades isn't uniform.  I point these out only because it's not something i usually see on Ultrasabers products.  However if you look closely at the pictures they have at http://www.ultrasabers.com/product-p/z-emitter-maliceclawed.htm you can see the same machining, so it's not necessarily a flaw.  I just wish the lines on the blades were uniform in direction.  It's nothing that's gonna bother me after a day or so.  The texturing on the silver parts of the blades is awesome though.


This one section of the Archon pommel has some scratches on it (it ends up being the section directly below the AV switch).  This is probably the most disappointing thing from the entire order, and again, it's something so small that it won't bother me for more than a day.  Someone else pointed out some scratches on their saber in a recent review, so i don't know if some things are slipping through the cracks because of the Christmas rush or what, but i haven't seen anything like this on a non-Grab Bag order before.  But as i said, it's not that bad, it's just the first less-than-perfect order i've received from US.




Here's the Initiate LE V3.  I didn't inspect this too closely as it's for a 2 year old.  The sound works, it looks great, it feels pretty similar in weight to my son's current Initiate V2.  I'll have more insight into the saber after Christmas, and i'll probably try to do some video reviews.




Here are some shots of the Malice emitter, 40" blade, and Archon pommel on my Consular.  I was hoping the emitter would line up another 90 degrees clockwise (to where the gold button would be directly above the AV switch), but i was kinda expecting it to end up this way based on the button position of the actual Malice saber.  It still looks pretty badass.  I'm thinking of getting the Guardian pommel for this configuration because without the blade, this hilt feels very barbarian, and i think that pommel will play to that more than the Archon.  So this is sort of a prototype of "Kyoufu" (terror, fear, dread, horror), i'll officially dub it as such when i get the new pommel.  The emitter is so heavy that it more than doubles the weight of the saber so single handing this would be quite a workout.  The emitter and 40" blade weigh more than the saber with the Manticore emitter configuration below.  I think the weight is affecting the sensitivity of the sound board (single handed, i know two-handing affects it because it stabilizes the hilt), so i might need to make adjustments to that.  I also noticed that when dueling (even lightly in the bedroom), the other person feels the weight of this thing on impact.  XD  The balance point is right around the last horizontal line of the emitter before the blade.




This is the Maticore emitter, DVA MLS, and Archon pommel on the Consular with the regular Mid Grade blade.  I kinda wish they offered this emitter with nickel plating, it would match the nickel plated shroud better.  Kinda makes me want to get a non-nickel plated shroud.  Other than that, i think this configuration works pretty well as my Jedi saber.  I noticed that the blade looks more blue at the emitter and more purple towards the tip.  I popped in the 40" and it was even more obvious.  I wasn't expecting that effect, but i like it.  The balance point for this configuration is around the four horizontal "discs" above the emitter's vents.  Because i'm used to holding the Consular right at the balance point on the emitter, i've noticed my grip naturally covers the vents, though the wide emitter base will probably help me adjust my grip lower.

I didn't realize until i got this order that the blade plugs actually have a metal disc inserted into the plastic tube.  I don't know why i find that so cool, but it is.  I ordered the plug because we had one hilt that didn't have a blade and i didn't want anymore dust getting into it, but since i ordered the 40" blade, that's no longer an issue (doi...).  I'll still be able to use it when i have a saber hanging from the covertec clip, or later if/when US starts offering stands for sale (the stand i got is for my mother's Graflex from the previous order).

I'm very pleased with Ultrasaber's product and service, and i'm very happy with my order.  However, if i were giving a rating on this one, it'd be a 9/10 because of the non-uniform machining on the Malice blades and the scratches on the archon pommel.  That's still pretty good but bothers me as this is the first order i wouldn't give a 10/10.
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"I am Grey. I stand between the candle and the star. We are Grey. We stand between the darkness and the light."


swords4two
Knight Templar
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Force Alignment: 93
Posts: 336

Fear offers the man nothing!


« Reply #1 on: December 11, 2012, 03:14:23 PM »

Have you tryed to take the emitter apart into its two parts?

 
 I was having the line up issue as well but I took it apart and added the mid part to the pommel and it was balanced enough for spinning and lined up real well as such.



it might help:)
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Fear offers the man Nothing.

Maticore, SY Obsidian
Phantasm Initiate CG Obsidian
Overlord AS Obsidian
Overlord AS stunt
Crimson Reaper FO
Malice BR stunt
Dark Monarch VA stunt
Dominix LE GB stunt
Aeon CG stunt

Master Bluespike74
Guardian Prime
Vanguard of the Azure Order
Knight Commander
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Force Alignment: 977
Posts: 4666


As long as there is light, I will be here.


« Reply #2 on: December 11, 2012, 03:33:59 PM »

Very detailed review.  Lots of wonderful pics.  Love how you show the versatility of the Consular to become pretty much anything you want it to be.  Qui Gon would be very proud.

Blue

Points awarded to everyone for the wonderful pictures.
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Guided by the Aing Tii Monks

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Yes, I am a color:  BLUE

JapzLapeno
Knight Lieutenant
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Force Alignment: 52
Posts: 228


Enemies strengthen you. Allies weaken.


« Reply #3 on: December 11, 2012, 11:54:13 PM »

Well gorrammit swords4two, i didn't even know the thing came apart that way.  But darn, it lines up backwards, but not a full 180 degrees backwards, so it's at a kinda weird angle.  I noticed that the whole emitter doesn't line up quite straight with the blade directly over the AV, and i think removing the base of the emitter just throws is off more on my Consular.  Great suggestion though, and i have more options for configurations now, lol.  Point to you.
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"I am Grey. I stand between the candle and the star. We are Grey. We stand between the darkness and the light."


swords4two
Knight Templar
*

Force Alignment: 93
Posts: 336

Fear offers the man nothing!


« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2012, 01:03:49 AM »

Sorry it didnt line up but now your having fun with that extra choke to add here and there i bet:) I love it as a pommel on its own it's super loud with that opening.
Logged

A life half lived is not a life lived at all.
Fear offers the man Nothing.

Maticore, SY Obsidian
Phantasm Initiate CG Obsidian
Overlord AS Obsidian
Overlord AS stunt
Crimson Reaper FO
Malice BR stunt
Dark Monarch VA stunt
Dominix LE GB stunt
Aeon CG stunt

JapzLapeno
Knight Lieutenant
*

Force Alignment: 52
Posts: 228


Enemies strengthen you. Allies weaken.


« Reply #5 on: December 14, 2012, 08:16:44 PM »

Part swapping's been fun.  I noticed that comparing my wife's VA and my DVA that her's is purple at the base and blue-ish at the tip, while mine is blue-ish at the base and purple at the tip.  It's the same colors, just in different places of the blade.
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"I am Grey. I stand between the candle and the star. We are Grey. We stand between the darkness and the light."


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