After a lot of research I finally decided to pick up a saber from Ultra Sabers. For my first saber I went with the Aeon, because for me it was a practical and affordable first saber. I must say that I am very pleased with this saber. It doesn't feel "cheap" in any way, but rugged, very easy to handle, and not to mention beautiful.
The Hilt is really the perfect size. I was actually worried it would be too long, because they look so big in the pictures. I really didn't know what to expect. Once I took the saber out of the box all of my doubts were calmed. The hilt is perfectly sized for two-handed use, yet still more than manageable with one hand. The emitter is a little thicker than the rest of the blade, which for me was a huge PLUS, and was the reason for me purchasing this over the Standard Issue Battle Saber. The thick emitter creates a wonderful natural choke point directly beneath it for my hand to have extra control with during spinning and duels.
The Blade I chose was the UltraEdge Heavy Blade. When I compared this blade to my friend’s ForceFX stock blade the difference was night and day. The UltraEdge Heavy Blade is 100X more sturdy than the regular Force FX blade. The blade has very little wobble, and a lot of backbone. I am completely confident that if I wacked a telephone pole as hard as I could with this blade, that the only thing getting hurt would be my hands. Yes, literally. Having said all of that I must say that the blade is too heavy and therefore makes the saber very front-heavy. I am going to buy the regular UltraEdge because the balance point of this saber with the HeavyGrade is too far forward for proper handling. I will let you know how the UltraEdge compares with the HeavyGrade next week when my order comes in.
The Brightness/Color the color I chose was Violet Amethyst, and it is BEAUTIFUL. The shade is perfect and looks exactly like the shade of purple from the Star Wars movies. The blade is significantly brighter than the ForceFX Anakin blade that my friend has. I would not recommend shining the LED into your eyes with the blade off, because it can't possibly be good for you. It is really bright… Really.
I am very pleased with my purchase. So pleased, in fact, that I just ordered a Collectors Edition Prophecy (UltraEdge MidGrade/Blazing Red) as well as two Initiate blades. I will be reviewing those blades as soon as they arrive. I am excited to duel with my friends; we created a game called Star Wars Capture the Flag that can be played in large groups. Thank you Ultra Sabers for such a great saber! I am recommending your blades to all of my friends!
Here are some pictures of the beautiful Aeon (Violet Amethyst)
***After one week with the Aeon, I feel I should say a few more words about the saber to anyone interested in purchasing this hilt with a Heavy Gade blade.
I have dueled
a lot with this blade over the past week, and the heavy grade blade is definitely strong. However, there seems to be an inner material in the blade that coils, and after being bent again and again has began to make a creeking sound when I swing the saber. Imagine an empty toilet paper roll that you pull, or a slinky. Inside the blade there is a similar structure, however not loose by any means, the coil is very tight and resistant. I am only mentioning this because it makes a slight creaking sound, and because there are a few little areas where the light refracts differently due to this inner coil being weathered from impact. Not very noticeable, but the blades are not indestructable and will wear with use. However, if the blade were several inches shorter, these issues would be minimized.
Also I would highly reccomend protecting your battery pack with electrical tape and some packing peanuts and even some foam between the middle of the hilt and the top of the battery pack if you plan to be doing any extreme dueling. Dropping your hilt could mean needing a new battery pack! I dopped my hilt on the carpet in my house and the top of the battery pack snapped right off.
Having said all of that, keep in mind that my friends and I have been
very rough with these blades in order to truly test their durabilty. I am very pleased with the quality of this saber, and the battery pack issue is easily solved. I have yet to duel against another heavy blade, so keep that in mind, I have only dueled against "weaker" blades. Nevertheless, the blade is extremely durable, even at 36 inches, and I was very impressed that the blade lasted through so much abuse.