My Raven finally arrived!
First impressions, opening the box, were disappointing... because I'd opened the blade end, not the hilt end. >/)<
Once I got rid of the packing peanuts, though, and ripped off the bubble wrap, I finally got to see my new 'saber. It was everything I'd thought it would be and more.
How does it look?Menacing. It's based on Starkiller's Sith Stalker lightsaber, from The Force Unleashed, but US have really outdone themselves with it.
It has the basic black anodising and silver machining, which looks terrific, but it's the details which really make this saber shine.
The blade holder is black with machined silver grooves, is removable and held in place with two screws, and has two more screws to hold the blade itself in place. It's extremely sturdy, and mine came with it rotated so I could get to the blade retention screws without removing the blade holder, saving a
lot of time getting the blade in and out.
The rings on the lower half of the hilt are raised, rather than the machined grooves I've gotten used to. This makes the saber look bulkier without adding much width to the hilt, but also gives your offhand a secure grip when you're two-handing.
The pommel is the Standard Edition vented pommel. It's attractive enough, doesn't get in the way and lets the sound out. Not much more to say, really.
The upper half of the hilt is split into two parts. The area around the switch is fairly plain, but is sized for your main hand to sit pretty comfortably. The emitter, where the claws and blade holder are attached, is a solid section of the hilt itself, not removable. You can take the claws off if you like; I haven't, partly because I love how it looks with them on and partly because I don't have an allen key that fits.
It's worth noting that the edges at the base of the emitter, and the corners where it goes into the black grooves, could use a bevel. They're noticeably sharp, particuarly the corners. Not enough to cut yourself on, but it's not exactly comfortable to run your hand into when spinning or sparring. If you really choke up on the saber and like to grip as close to the blade as you can, you'll definitely notice it more.
I opted for the plain silver AV switch. The light-up switch was tempting, but it would've been obscured by my hand when I'm using it, so I decided against spending the extra cash for something I wouldn't get full use out of. The plain silver looks plenty attractive on the black hilt, anyway.
The AV switches are more comfortable than the guarded switches, as well.
The claws are definitely eye-catching. That is, they look great and draw attention, not that they actually grab your eyeballs. Even though they look like they could.
The quality of the claws is great. They're solid aluminum and come tightly secured to the emitter. Every possible edge is bevelled, which adds to the look and makes it safer to use. The tips are rounded off, so you don't have to worry about accidently damaging your opponent's blade (or your opponent) while dueling or sparring. You should still be careful, though, because a mid-grade blade to the head or thumb still hurts, and I don't imagine anyone would be too happy about taking the broadside of a claw to the hand.
I went with the Standard Edition claws, because I thought the SS Edition claws would be excessively long. Now that I actually have it in my hand, I'm convinced I made the right choice.
Something I didn't realise was just how
big the Raven was, because there aren't many comparisons between it and other sabres. I was expecting something similar to the Dominix or Dark Standard Issue, since they're more-or-less that same length and thickness (ignoring the Dominix' chokepoints, anyway), but the Raven is a
beast. Even without the claws, it's a good couple of inches longer than the DSI or Dominix, but
with the Standard Edition claws it's about 50% longer. It's a hilt-and-a-half.
With the SS Edition claws, it would come close to being twice as long.
The black part of the hilt is the same thickness as the DSI, which makes sense since it can take an MHS pommel, but the grip rings, emitter and included pommel are all thicker than the DSI by a few millimetres.
From the right (and in order of when I got them), we've got the Aeon V3, Dominix V3, Dark Standard Issue and the Raven. Hopefully this gives you an idea of the sheer size of the Raven.
The blade color is Pyrestone Orange with Adegan Silver FOC. I chose that because I love orange sabers, and because I already had a Fire Orange and I didn't want two of the same color. That said, Pyrestone Orange is my new favorite color. While Fire Orange is paler, tending to more of a gold or yellow (I've called it Orange Juice Orange a few times), Pyrestone Orange is a very strong, definite orange (more Fanta than orange juice). It looks more red than orange in photos, but it sits firmly between Fire Orange and Blazing Red IRL.
I've included my Dark Standard Issue in Fire Orange and my Dominix in Blazing Red for comparison. All blades are mid-grade.
How does it handle?Brilliantly. When I first saw how large it was, I was shocked, and assumed it would be heavier than the Dark Standard Issue, the heaviest hilt I'd used. Obviously, I was right. But, as I learned when I picked it up, it doesn't
feel heavier. In fact, it feels more nimble than the DSI. This is due to the design of the hilt. The pommel is large, and all the electronics are stuffed in the back, but the emitter is also quite large, shifting the balance forwards a bit. With the claws on, the balance is right around the switch, and a mid-grade blade moves it to the end of the emitter, up to about the second retention screw.
What this means is that you can swing it around very easily, and you always have full control over it.
The only downside is the length. It's a long hilt, and using it one-handed can be a bit difficult at first. I find my hand running into the sharp edges at the emitter's base more when I'm using it one-hand, as well. I can solve that with a bit of paracord or something wrapped around there, or just by wearing gloves.
The claws don't seem to get in the way at all. I haven't had a chance to duel with it yet, but it seems like they'd be at least somewhat decent at stopping your opponent's blade from cracking down on your thumb when your blades clash.
Again, the length is a bit of a problem with the claws. Hanging it from my belt with Standard Edition claws, it comes down to my knee. The SS Edition would be ridiculous unless you had a horizontal sheath/holster for it.
Alternately, you could leave the blade in and have a loop on your belt to carry it more like an actual sword. That would also save you the trouble of taking the blade out of the hilt and putting it back in if you want a photo while you're out-and-about, like at a con or whatever.
How's the sound?I love the Obsidian v4. When I first hit the switch and heard it, I got shivers up my spine. It's a pretty powerful little thing, and clearer than I'd expected. I went through the installed soundfonts a couple of times before settling on the Episode VI font, but the other default sounds all have their good points. Except Ancient Saber, that just sounds like static and electrical crackling instead of a lightsaber.
