Shortest MHS compatible hilt?

[digiman619]

Hello, all. I'm very new here, and I have a question. I personally really like polearms and was thinking of converting a saber into one. I'm not worried about the haft just yet (I'll probably kitbash something out of PVC pipe until I have the spare funds to get the Pike extensions), but from an aesthetic point of view, I'd want the 'emitter' to be as short as possible, as to avoid it looking like a lightsaber on a stick. What's the shortest blade you guys have that still has the removable pommel bit?

[SirLiftaLot]

I do not know what saber hilt has the shortest emitter, but I don't really think the emitter would make a saberpike look like a lightsaber on a stick. But I am also not entirely sure what you are asking; is it the shortest emitter you want, or the shortest hilt? I'd imagine a longer hilt would be better for a saberpike, as you're already going for a long polearm?

But I have done something similar, making a saberpike using a single lightsaber and extensions. Here is a Sentinel V4 with an actual Pike extension:



Here is the same saber with a PVC extension instead:


And here is the same saber with both the pike extension and the PVC extension:


Of course multiple actual pike extensions would probably make it look like a uniform actual saberpike as opposed to something more improvised, but if you were to use only actual metal pike extensions, I'd hardly think that most designs would look like a "lightsaber on a stick," regardless of the emitter size or design. The saber on just the PVC extension could look like a lightsaber on a stick, but I'd wager that most standard US hilts with US pike extensions would look pretty clean and like it's designed that way, not just like it's thrown together.

[digiman619]

Ooh, that's nice. I was asking for the shortest hilt; I was making an analogy that hilt in comparison to the rest of the haft would be like an emitter is to a standard hilt, but I see how that was confusing. I'm aiming for a saberpike about 5 and a half feet tall, not counting the blade. What did you do for PVC extension, as I actually quite like the hybrid design.

[SirLiftaLot]

Ooh, that's nice. I was asking for the shortest hilt; I was making an analogy that hilt in comparison to the rest of the haft would be like an emitter is to a standard hilt, but I see how that was confusing. I'm aiming for a saberpike about 5 and a half feet tall, not counting the blade. What did you do for PVC extension, as I actually quite like the hybrid design.

Thanks. I see how. I suppose the optimal route would be to get a hilt that would come out to ~5'6" when paired with two pike extensions, and you can make a PVC pipe extension any length you want really, so long as you cut the pipe the proper length.

24" blade is the standard "short" length, although you could buy a 16" blade to replace the 24" blade. Mine is a 24" blade. Figure 24" blade, minus ~2" going into the emitter is 24". a 10" hilt brings the total length to 32", and a 15" pike extension brings it to 47", and another 15" pike extension brings it to 62", or 5'2". Go to a 12" hilt instead of a 10" hilt, and you're up to 5'4", which is pretty close to your 5'6" ideal.

The PVC extension I made was based on the instructions here:

http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=46545.0

If you went with a shorter hilt, then your pike with two extensions would be shorter even. If you didn't want to use actual US metal pike extensions, you could use one length of PVC pipe and make it any length you want to get the overall length to 5'6".

I see some hilts are even a hair over 13" long, which would take you pretty close to 5'6" with two US pike extensions attached and a 24" blade.

As for what design would best match the US Yari extension:


That's largely personal preference, but perhaps the Aeon v4 looks like it has similar design features:

[digiman619]

Thanks a lot for your help. I have a lot of things to consider going forward, though I'll have to wait for the extensions to be back in stock before I do any work on this. I dipped my toe into the water with these sabers with an Initiate V3 and am currently waiting for my Dark Apprentice V5 and Sentinel V4 to arrive before I really get to any modding. I'm more in the "still kinda giddy that I actually have one of these things that my 8 year old self couldn't afford" stage.

[TheCharlax]

I don't know how helpful this will be, but although the Initiate v2 isn't MHS compatible, the saberstaff coupler that it uses does fit nice and snugly into the threaded female end of a 1" PVC adaptor, so it could potentially be combined with a long piece of PVC to make a lightsaber pike.  Don't know how sturdy it may be, though.

[TheCharlax]

Apologies, I just realized I posted the wrong image and for some reason, I am unable to modify the post.  Like I said, the v2 coupler can thread into a 1" pvc adapter.  I cannot say for how it holds up as a pike, though.

[SirLiftaLot]

Apologies, I just realized I posted the wrong image and for some reason, I am unable to modify the post.  Like I said, the v2 coupler can thread into a 1" pvc adapter.  I cannot say for how it holds up as a pike, though.

True. You can shove whatever coupler fits the Sentinel V4 (the same one that the QR coupler works for, which is also the same as the TCSS MHS V1) can be shoved into a PVC coupler after a little bit of sanding the threads and a lot of bit of hammering it into place. With no glue or adhesive, it will get loose and fall out on occasion when it hits stuff, but some super glue or something should fix it right up.

But are you saying that the thread pattern  is actually the same? Or compatible? Because AFAIK only the MHS V1 threads are compatible with US parts. Seeing a common PVC actually have the same thread would be a huge surprise to me.

[TheCharlax]

Unfortunately, the thread pattern is not the same, but they screwed in tight enough for me to cut myself trying to unscrew them, lol.