Greetings, fellow space travelers!

[BionicDance]

Hiya! My name is Kate, I live in San Diego, and I've been seriously considering joining a local lightsaber club for a while now, and it's time to get serious.
My only thing right now: I don't have a vehicle, and the local club might as well be on the moon if you're a pedestrian. Still, working on solving that. Though if anybody here is close to the downtown area (or better yet, Hillcrest), I'd love to start something more walkable.

Looking at getting my first saber from UltraSabers; gathering the necessary data to make my choice.
There was never any doubt that I'd choose a Graflex hilt; that was a given. I don't know the difference between a Graflex SE and a Graflex CE; I'm hoping someone can explain, cuz the website doesn't make it super-clear.
I like the idea of an orange blade, but I'm not sure how possible that is, and it sounds like the more durable blades don't look so great in that color. My backup preference is blue...though I need to see what the difference is between blue and arctic blue.

You can call me Kate, BionicDance (no space between the two; everybody gets that wrong if I don't make sure they know it early!), Bionic, BD...up to you.

[Lady Revan]

Hello Kate! Welcome to the forum! I get the no vehicle thing. i'm in the same boat with you. Unfortunately I'm not in the San Diego area though, so I don't know specifics about saber club locations. There are lots of California members though, so perhaps one of them will have an answer to your question.

Personally I like the orange. If you want, I can make a video to show the orange in comparison to other colors and the arctic blue compared to guardian blue. I typically use Ultra Edge heavy Grade blades, so those have the most light blocked of any of the Ultrasabers options, so you'll be able to get a good comparison.

I believe the difference is the plating on the two hilts

[Malik Thanewulf]

Hey Kate. Lady R is correct as usual. The SE is a silver finish and the CE is a nickel plated finish. There are plenty of great sabers to pick from. The Pyrestone Orange is a darker shade of orange and is one of my favorites. You may like it. The Guardian Blue is a darker shade of blue, while the Arctic Blue is lighter in color and looks fantastic.

[BionicDance]

Hello Kate! Welcome to the forum!

Thanks!

Personally I like the orange. If you want, I can make a video to show the orange in comparison to other colors and the arctic blue compared to guardian blue.

Appreciate it, and thank you.

Thing is, I've found a lot of videos and photos, and they all look different from each other.
I know how cameras and lights--especially bright lights--don't get along, producing images that don't really look as they would in person, so I'm still no closer to choosing than I was when I started.

I typically use Ultra Edge heavy Grade blades, so those have the most light blocked of any of the Ultrasabers options, so you'll be able to get a good comparison.

Actually, the videos and photos I saw...I'm not sure which blades they used.
Maybe your comparison will help more.

[Lady Revan]

Thanks!
Appreciate it, and thank you.

Thing is, I've found a lot of videos and photos, and they all look different from each other.
I know how cameras and lights--especially bright lights--don't get along, producing images that don't really look as they would in person, so I'm still no closer to choosing than I was when I started.
Actually, the videos and photos I saw...I'm not sure which blades they used.
Maybe your comparison will help more.

I’ll make a video then when I get back from work.

On another note, I just heard an update on a friend trying to start a Saber Guild temple in “Southern San Diego” so that might be something of interest to you. I can keep you updated as I hear news and put you in touch with the person once things are a little more organized on their end (they’re in discussions with the Global Council right now). I know nothing about the geography of San Diego, so I apologize if this does not help at all.


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[Infinit01]

Hello and welcome to the forum, Kate.  The only time that I was in San Diego was when I was stationed there in the mid-2000s but there's a handful of members from California so you should be able to find them.  SE is just standard so you'll have an aluminum hilt and CE is nickel plated so it's up to you which version you like. 

[James Casey]

Welcome to the forum

Blade width doesn't affect the appearance of the blade colour, at least not to any material degree. The difference between standard and ultraedge is significant, and I wouldn't recommend either orange shade for a UE blade; They suit the lighter shades, so for example arctic blue, emerald green and especially sunrider's destiny and adegan silver. For darker shades (red, dark violet, either orange, guardian blue and consular green) I'd recommend the standard midgrade or heavy grade blades.

[BionicDance]

On another note, I just heard an update on a friend trying to start a Saber Guild temple in “Southern San Diego” so that might be something of interest to you. I can keep you updated as I hear news and put you in touch with the person once things are a little more organized on their end (they’re in discussions with the Global Council right now).

I would love that; thank you.

I know nothing about the geography of San Diego, so I apologize if this does not help at all.

Well, if you get the chance, tell them that there is a pedestrian in Hillcrest who wants in; they'll know what that means.

[BionicDance]

SE is just standard so you'll have an aluminum hilt and CE is nickel plated so it's up to you which version you like. 

I honestly don't know what the difference is between the two.

[Cyclops942]

I honestly don't know what the difference is between the two.

Does this help?  Its a pic of the two of them side by side, with the nickel-plated CE on the left, and the aluminum SE on the right.

[BionicDance]

It does help; thank you.

Is the difference 100% aesthetic, or is there a strength trade-off?

[Cyclops942]

It does help; thank you.

Is the difference 100% aesthetic, or is there a strength trade-off?

Speaking from my knowledge of a DIFFERENT hobby, I’m going to say that it’s cosmetic.  Both are coatings over the base aluminum stock.

The aluminum is anodized, meaning that a layer (of pre-determined depth) of the aluminum is deliberately oxidized (we would call this rust if the hilt were iron or steel) to increase resistance to corrosion and wear, and the nickel plating uses a different process to actually coat the aluminum stock (hilt) with a thin layer of nickel, again for the purpose of protecting the relatively soft aluminum underneath from corrosion and wear (abrasion). 

Both processes protect the underlying aluminum, but the anodizing can be clear (giving the silver finish you see here) or colored, like the black, crimson, and azure options you see on the site (MagLite uses anodizing for their flashlights, so you can see there is a HUGE palette of colors possible with this technique, with level II anodizing producing brighter hues, and level III anodizing producing more muted tones (and greater protection).), and the nickel plating looks like, well, nickel. 


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[Therion Jinn]

Welcome to the forum

[Nimbrennil]

I’ll make a video then when I get back from work.

On another note, I just heard an update on a friend trying to start a Saber Guild temple in “Southern San Diego” so that might be something of interest to you. I can keep you updated as I hear news and put you in touch with the person once things are a little more organized on their end (they’re in discussions with the Global Council right now). I know nothing about the geography of San Diego, so I apologize if this does not help at all.


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Can you recommend somewhere in the north Houston area for saber practice?

[Jaymes1980]

Hi Kate, I'm also looking for a club in Manhattan but haven't heard back yet hopefully soon. If it's a stunt saber I would order what ever color you want but pay the extra 15 for tri orange or blue for more LEDs. Welcome to the forum 🙋‍♂️