Phantom v3 Review

[Ailowynn]

Just got my new saber for my birthday yesterday, and it is amazing. My only other saber is an FO US Rifter (no longer available for sale on the site) and Im going to compare my new saber to the old one in parts of this review. I love both, but the Phantom is way better. 


Phantom v3, LE, Initiate Ultraedge blades, Guardian Blue, no frills.


::THE BLADES::

The blades are definitely short. About 22" are visible. As single sabers, they are definitely good for dual wielding. As far as brightness goes...they're BRIGHT. Seriously. They completely wash out FO. The Ultraedge blades are also really neat, as they keep the color nice and uniform throughout. Much better than standard midgrade blades.

9.5/10


::THE COLOR::

Guardian Blue is a beautiful color. After hearing that it was more of a Prequel Trilogy color, I got a little nervous, but my worrying was for naught. It is a very royal blue color, and looks...well...blue. It's hard to describe, but it is very bright and a very nice color.

10/10


::THE HILT::

The hilt(s) of this saber are amazing. They look is refined without being too elegant, powerful without being too mammoth. The silver grooves give a unique look and feel to the saber and add to it a good deal of personality that is otherwise lacking. The pommels are very simplistic, and having the coupler being 'invisible' makes the connected saber look as if it really is one hilt, not two.

10/10


::THE HANDLING::

The handling on this saber is superb. The multiple grip points are a huge bonus after being used to the plain old Rifter for so long. I had to break this section down into several sections to cover everything.

----The Choke Points----
I love the choke points on this saber. They give you a secure, comfortable grip and are perfect to gain leverage in a fight or just for spinning around. You can grip on either choke point one handed—I prefer the higher one as it allows for quicker, more precise strikes, whereas my friend prefers the lower choke point, which lends itself to wider and more powerful blows.
Just to be clear, I so not grip only on the choke points. The grooves provide a secure grip anywhere on the saber, and I often use the bottom 4 inches to deliver a powerful blow or the emitter grip for better control.

----The Balance of the Saber----
WITH INITIATE BLADES, the balance point on this saber is at the top edge of the top choke point. I personally like this, as it allows for more control over the saber. (Of course, when coupled together, the balannce is right in the middle).

----Overall Handling (Saber Uncoupled)
Overall, the handling of thus saber is excellent. The blades don't jostle around at all, and the different grips lend this saber to a variety of different styles. Gripping near the top or with both hands on the choke point, this saber  moves extremely quickly and with great precision- perfect for Makashi. Gripping closer to the bottom allows for slightly slower, wider, and more powerful strikes suited for Form V. All in all, the saber handles very well.


----Overall Handling (Saberstaff)----
As a staff, the handling is also superb. You can use the choke points to rotate the blade quickly and find a secure grip. The Initiate blades are great for me. The entire staff measures about 68"— just under six feet tall. With the shorter blades, the staff is quick and easy to handle, especially for those who don't have any traing with a staff (Like me! I spent a good five minutes twirling without whacking myself, and didn't hit myself at all during my first duel with it!). If you think you want Initiate blades, go for them. If you're on the fence, ask yourself how tall you are, how much staff training you have, and how much space you have available if you want to duel with it. If you want the longer blades, then by all means go for them.


Handling: 10/10


::OVERALL::

I love this saber. To you, the reader who is interested enough in this review to rea the entire thing without seeing any pictures (will try to post soon, no guarantees), BUY THIS SABER. IT IS AMAZING. YOU WILL NOT BE DISSAPOINTED.

Even though the saber might not *technically* be perfect, I can not give this saber anything less than a 10/10.



Thanks for reading

--Ailowynn 
   

[Master Artorius Vidnyl]

That is probably the single most detailed review I have ever read! Glad you are so happy. Enjoy your new saber!

Cheers.

[Zren Tobas]

Nice. Hope to see pics up soon. =]

[Ailowynn]

That is probably the single most detailed review I have ever read! Glad you are so happy. Enjoy your new saber!

Cheers.

Thanks. I was just trying to put out all the info that I had wanted before I bought it so that anyone with the same questions could find answers.

Nice. Hope to see pics up soon. =]

I'll try, but again no guarantees I might not be able to get the pics uploaded for a while.

[Waxman]

Good review.

Actually, after pondering my most recent purchase of the Phantasm Initiate V3, and your review of the Phantom V3, I kind of wish I had purchased a Phantom or Phantasm V3 instead.

Of course, that's only because the Phantom and Phantasm V3's make good Single-Sabers along with good Saber Staff's, as opposed to the Initiate's which in my opinion, is better suited as a Staff or Dual Saber.

This can be corrected, however, if one purchases a heavier pommel other than the "hole-in-the-bottom" pommel and/or purchases an extra 36' blade as opposed to the 32', mainly to correct the balance and hand-grip issue, for the Initiate's.

Then again, there seems to be a steep trade-off between the two.  While the Phantom's or Phantasm's make good Single-Sabers, having a 32' blade seems pretty ideal should one want to trade between Single and Staff.
However, with the Initiate's, having a 32' blade is really awesome with a Saber Staff, but feels quite puny as a Single Saber, hence why purchasing a 36' blade would probably be better.

Eh, in the end, one's mileage may vary.
Regardless, I really enjoyed your detailed review and I think I know what I will get next time.

Oh yeah, I really want to see some photos of your Phantom V3 with your Guardian Blue.  I'm sure it looks absolutely fantastic.

[Ailowynn]

I took some pics, but am having trouble uploading them Will try again in a bit.

[Kham-Ryn Kurios]

It warms the cockles of my heart to know that more and more people are getting shorter blades.

Point for your awesome review.

[Ailowynn]

It warms the cockles of my heart to know that more and more people are getting shorter blades.

Point for your awesome review.

Size matters not. Judge my saber by it's size, do you? (lol )

Thanks for the point!

[Kham-Ryn Kurios]

Size matters not. Judge my saber by it's size, do you? (lol )

Thanks for the point!

Exactly!

You're welcome.

-------------------------------------

You probably already said it but are you opting for, Staff or Dual Wielding?

[Ailowynn]

For the most part, I'm going to wield it as a staff, but I'm also going to be doing a good bit of dual wielding. To be honest, it's much easier (for me) to use a staff than two sabers

[srams]

So you say that only aprox 22" is exposed? So then are the sabers together longer than each blade...

[srams]

I could use some helpful advice here, I really like the new V3 phantom/phantasm staves, (in SY of course) but I'm not very tall, 5'6". I'd like the 32" or 36" blades as single sabers but as a staff Im afraid it'd be too long! And Im not a huge fan of the initiate versions. HELP!

[Kham-Ryn Kurios]

I could use some helpful advice here, I really like the new V3 phantom/phantasm staves, (in SY of course) but I'm not very tall, 5'6". I'd like the 32" or 36" blades as single sabers but as a staff Im afraid it'd be too long! And Im not a huge fan of the initiate versions. HELP!

It really depends on how you plan on using it but opting for the 32" is a safe bet, i'm 5'7" and refer to use initiates for both staff and dual wielding.

[srams]

hmm.. yeah I think primarily I would dual weild but on occation combine them to make a staff, thanks for the input.

[SOTJ]

hmm.. yeah I think primarily I would dual weild but on occation combine them to make a staff, thanks for the input.

I'm tall (for a woman - 5'10"), and I would have a tough time controlling two 36" blades, and I wouldn't even bother to try 36" blades in a staff. 32" blades would probably be best for both purposes.

Anyways, nice review Ailowynn! I'm sure it will help out many potential buyers.