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Author Topic: Phantom Initiate v4 staff rocks!  (Read 1068 times)
Master Medwyn
Resident Master
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Force Alignment: 788
Posts: 1302


Silver Blade of the Distant Earth Knighthood


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« on: June 01, 2017, 07:48:01 PM »

My May the 4th couldn't have been better this year: my dear wife bought me a saber staff as a present! Smiley
I had the choice between this and a pile of classic SW Marvel comic books but after a few cashew nuts and a smoothie I went for the saber and how good decision it was!

A saber staff was a missing entity in my little rack and the May the 4th discount came in perfect time. It was again a quick and courteous service from US, within a week of me pressing the button on the website I got the long cardboard box in hand (of which I'll spare the review now if you don't mind Wink). No matter it was a working day, I stopped working and sneaked out to have a ride with my new acquisition.

This is a Phantom Initiate v4 staff with the following parameters:
- It's a stunt saber so no sound and overall no fancy things: I needed something which can take a punch or two.
- There are two Dark Initiate v4 hilts in the package. I was thinking about what length I needed with regards to the hilts and finally settled with the shorter, Initiate-class to be able to utilize the sabers separately as well as an ideal dual-wield setup.
- I have a secret crush on silver light so I got both sabers in Adegan Silver. It looks magical in contrast with the black hilts and also I can filter them further: now they are Sentinel Yellow which is not less beautiful.
- For the blades I chose 32" Ultraedge Mid-grade blades - the ultraedge amplifies the white and yellow colours pretty nicely
- The powerhouse is again standard with the 4xAAA batteries, and have to say I'm always very happy with the quality of US's pre-installed ones, they last longer than those I use.
- The guarded switches were a big surprise! I'm already in love with this new, slim version of the laching switches while I was prepared to have the taller, more intrusive ones. Again, a big kudos to US!
- Two standard round pommel by default, anyway they sit on the shelf most of the time talking about the old times with a drunken allen key.
- Standard silver coupler - it connects the hilts invisibly. Hope it'll last long!

The best thing in a saber staff is that it can be either a staff or two separate sabers to dual-wield or one single saber to wield while the other joins the allen key on the self as the pommels are away anyway. This is what I considered when I started thinking about the configuration. I ruled out the longer hilts almost immediately because for dual-wielding the Initiate-size is ideal to me. Last year when I was doing the WIND element-form I had a Consular in one of my hands which wasn't really ideal because of the size and because of that there were balance issues too which could have been more optimal. With the two shorter hilts now it all fell into place, swinging them in dual wield is smooth like butter in Dex's cantina.
The other part is the blade and this is where I went for the lighter 32" ones to gain optimal balance on the setup. (I don't see any benefit of the 24" blades but that's probably my lack of knowledge about the subject.) With the shorter hilts the 32" blade length can play all the roles with ideal balance and weight for me.

The full length of the staff is 80 inches (203 cm) which again is just perfect. In my shaolin years I have learned that the staff is best when from the ground it reaches up to the middle of my forearm lifted up and this Phantom setup gives just that. Wielding it is great fun and not different to what I got used to except that I'd better not grab the blades in the heat of the battle with my imaginary opponents. That's a bit of practice and the new habits (hands on the hilt only) comes like rain on Kaminoo.
Dual-wielding it also is a song, it's way more nimble than the sabers I used for the Wind form (and that was with 36" blades), I can't imagine any better setup for that.
The hilts are both anodized black what will give me a good headroom for weathering later when the time comes but so far I managed to keep them pristine without a scratch. Since I have the Aeon/Dominix v4 with windows to maximize the comfort in wielding I had these hilts without windows and it turned out to be a good choice: the choke points are super-easy to grab and the saber is firm in hand.
I had some doubts whether these new and slim switches would let the sabers accidentally switched off when I was holding the line against the second wave of imaginary Tusken raiders attacking me from behind but rest assured, it has never happened, the staff/sabers stay on. And the staff really can take a punch: I can whack it, push it, pull it, zoink it - no problem.

So here I am, a Distant Earth Knight as happy as C-3PO to discover a new language above 6 million, thank you, my dear wife and Ultrasabers!
Instead of pictures I'd put this video here which may be slightly less informative and I apologize but this is how I enjoy the staff!
May the 4th be with you all!

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuWEKdeeogw&amp;t=96s" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuWEKdeeogw&amp;t=96s</a>

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hazard502
Vanguard of the Archon Order
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Force Alignment: 2272
Posts: 4853


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« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2017, 01:18:08 AM »

Lookin good, medwyn! The green screen in your basement makes for a very convincing environment  Wink

A few questions:

What AS LED did you choose - std or Tri?

And you said you have guarded switches, but they are a new lower profile version? Would some pictures be appropriate to show these?

An enjoyable written review and points awarded.
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Customized Flamberge/BR, Customized LostGray/HP or Tri-AS

Master Medwyn
Resident Master
Knight Commander
*****

Force Alignment: 788
Posts: 1302


Silver Blade of the Distant Earth Knighthood


WWW
« Reply #2 on: June 04, 2017, 10:07:10 AM »

Lookin good, medwyn! The green screen in your basement makes for a very convincing environment  Wink

A few questions:

What AS LED did you choose - std or Tri?

And you said you have guarded switches, but they are a new lower profile version? Would some pictures be appropriate to show these?

An enjoyable written review and points awarded.


Hey Haz, it's a standard LED (I don't have any tri-setup yet but willing to try sometimes Smiley)
Here's a pic I just took of the switch - look at that, isn't it nice?

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hazard502
Vanguard of the Archon Order
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 2272
Posts: 4853


[Give Light Side Points!]


« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2017, 03:41:29 PM »

Ah yes the latching AV switch ... such a nice upgrade for stunts!
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Customized Flamberge/BR, Customized LostGray/HP or Tri-AS

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