Some More additions, as I realized I hadn't updated this thread in awhile
Modified T'Shalla's Herald for a better look
I cut goatskin into strips that were about 1/4" wide and glued them into place on the hilt with E6000 adhesive.
Due to the size of the goatskin piece, I wound up having to cut 3 strips for each hilt section.
The end result, though a little rough in appearance, is almost exactly what I was looking for.
Here, we have the saberstaff I call "Paladya's Storm."
This is the pair of Initiate V5s with Obsidian Lite sound in Sundrider's Destiny that I received a couple of days ago.
I used Aluminum Black to darken the grip and choke sections.
Then, after some cleanup using steel wool, I sealed them with a matte finish and connected them with an older vented coupler I had
My Bane came in Guardian Blue, and I changed that to Fire Orange with an LED purcahes through Ultrasabers for that purpose.
I also took some sanding screen and roughed up the grip sections