Assuming I’m not missing a joke or “inside baseball” reference here, why is that? To me, they look the same except for the anodizing, and I would think that the black anodizing would make an imperceptible change in the diameter of the hilt.
To my touch, there is an actual difference in the texture of the surface of an anodized hilt versus a non-anodized one. I'm not sure I can exactly put it into words. The anodized hilts have more texture to them, and at the same time are smoother than the non-anodized hilts. It's the difference between a piece of wood that's been sanded perfectly smooth, and a lacquered piece of wood that's perfectly smooth. They're both smooth, but they feel different. I notice it the most comparing my Liberator and Dark Liberator hilts since it's a one to one comparison.
He's Dark Side oriented -> dark sabers = better
This too is true, although not an absolute. I like my Sentinel LE quite a bit, definitely more than my (plain) Sentinel (as far as aesthetics go). I actually like the "Light" LE's silver/gold more than the "Dark" LE's black/silver. I really wish they would do a black/gold version.
I've also noticed my non-anodized sabers tend to leave my hands dirty after prolonged use. I used to know why, but I don't remember anymore.
Can't believe I haven't chimed in on the Ini V3 yet. IMO, the Ini V3 is the best dueling saber on the US menu. The chokes are perfectly spaced and cut. Its simple ergonomic design feels good in the hand both with a single and two handed grip.
I can agree that I prefer the Initiate v3 over the v4 (same for the Aeon/Dominix, I haven't tried out the v5's yet, but I really don't like the way they look), but I prefer the longer Dominix over the Initiate. I completely agree about the choke points, I just prefer longer hilts, even for one handed use (and the Initiate is way too short for me to use two handed). I'm surprised no one has chimed in with the Prophecy yet. It used to be the "go to" saber for a lot of people for one handed dueling. I don't care for it, but I know a lot of people did.
My Apprentices and Initiate use 32" blades, all the rest of mine are 36". All are Heavy Grade.
Last thought, since the OP mentioned his background is in Filipino martial arts, just the blades, especially 32" or 28" Heavy Grade, with no hilt, are very similar to the Kali and Eskrima sticks.