Since I havn't seen one yet, I'm gonna post a review of the Shock saber.
I ordered this one during a recent sale when it was on for $99, down from its regular $139. And I can honestly say that at even at full price, it would have been worth every single penny. Now, I didn't get any of the extra bells and whistles like sound or RGB, just a simple guardian blue and ultra-edge blade.
You see, I've been wanting a clan saber for my Shaak Ti costume, and have recieved estimates ranging from $180-300 for a recreation. (The lowest estimate was from a sabersmith who subsequently developed a bad reputation for not delivering) But then Ultra came out with the Shock. Now, the Shock is not a recreation of the movie-used hilt. Although it looks like it was inspired by the design, there's enough differences to keep Uncle George from getting upset. Like the brushed aluminum finish, which I absolutely love, and the grooves machined into the hilt, with their smooth, rounded edges. Also, the pommel is a bit wider than the body of the hilt, serving as a bit of a "hand stop" when wielding it. Aside from the convertech button and the on/off switch, there are no extrenuous greeblies to get your hands caught up on while spinning or duelling. This is an improvement over the clan saber, which had a ton of bits and bobs protruding everywhichway. Now, I do plan at some point to take some gold paint to part of the emitter, to make it better match Shaak Ti's saber. But I can honestly say, that while this is not a clan saber recreation, it certainly makes an acceptable stand-in for anyone desiring that saber style for a costume. I know it will be the saber of choice for my own Shaak Ti outfit, that's for sure!
As for customization, this saber gives you options. The pommel and emitter ends are compatible with the offerings of The Custom Saber Shop, so you can swap them out or augment them with TCSS offerings for a totally unique look. A choke piece between the emitter and hilt, or different pommel might give it added character, as if it didn't have enough already.
I think of all my Ultra sabers, this one definately has the greatest "could have been used in the movies" look and feel.
As for feel, this is a very agile saber with a 36" ultra edge or midgrade blade. Not feather-light, but not heavy either. Between the "hand stop" pommel and the grooves in the hilt, I find it very comfortable to wield. And if you wanted to tweak the balance of this saber- perhaps counterbalancing a heavy grade blade, there's enough space in the pommel to add a little weight- perhaps a small stack of metal washers. (However, this won't work if you opted for sound in your saber, as the holes in the pommel cap let the sound out)
So, to entice (or tease) you, here's a couple of pics:
