Saber Forum

I'm a first time buyer, and I'm about to place an order for a CG Manticore with green A/V and AB FoC (so excited!)... The standard blade length is 36", and I am not sure if that would be too long for me (I'm only 5'4"). Should I have them cut it down to 32"? What is a general good rule of thumb for blade length here?

Thanks!

As a fellow 5'4"-er, 5'5"-er...

A 32" blade is very comfortable. I have a 36" blade as well, and it can be a bit too long sometimes, though I can work with it. But a 32" works really well for our relative body height.

Thanks! I'll probably have them cut it down to 32" then, I want to be able to wield it comfortably.

I will say, also make sure to measure the size of your hilt. Bigger hilts or deeper hilts might need a different sized blade. But yeah, no problem.

Yeah, bear in mind, some hilts (like the Archon) take the blade in more deeply than other hilts.  A 32" on an Archon will be shorter than an average hilt.

What about the Manticore? I read it was 11" (I think 12" with the High Profile pommel), I can't imagine it eating up too much of the blade

Well how deep is the emitter itself? Down to the LED? Measure that, and that's how much of your blade will be eaten up.

I'm not really sure how deep the emitter is, I have yet to order it (I want to make sure my delivery questions are answered first-- I think they are back in tomorrow or the next day). 32" will probably be fine. Out of curiosity, would I be able to request some length like 33.5" if I wanted? Or is it just certain sizes?

If you want, look around on here and ask somebody that has a Manticore to measure the emitter depth of theirs. If you're a bit impatient or just don't have time, I'd say go ahead and get the 32 inch blade. If it's too small you can always get another one down the line (like a grab-bag blade or whatever blade type you like).

Thanks for answering my n00b questions! This is a great forum, I haven't seen a mean comment at all yet

I hope you get it figured out. I'm a bit curious as well, because the Manticore might become a gift to somebody I know one day.

Search "cut blade pipe cutter" or something like that.  I believe people have posted that it's not too hard to cut it to the length you want.  You also have to cut & re-glue the film inside, but read the how-to, then decide if you want to tackle that.  Then you'll have EXACTLY the length you want.

I'll check my Manticore later, if I remember, but it's not especially deep so far as I can tell.

My wife is 5' and can't use a 36" blade comfortably. I'm 6', and actually feel that a 36" blade is a bit long for me - at least indoors! My next purchase is likely to come with a 32" blade. I have 30" blades for my staff, and they work great on that, but just feel a shade too short for single-wielding.

You can ask for a non-standard length, and US will cut it for you - it costs $5 per blade. Otherwise, as jason notes, you can do it yourself with a pipe cutter and the right glue.

Blade length will also depend on your style and what you want to do with it. If you spar a lot, the extra length will be helpful. If you do a lot of spinning, you typically don't want the blade to be longer than your pants inseam since that means it will hit the ground a lot.

I'm only 5'6", and the 36" blade is a bit much, especially indoors. I'm planning on getting a 32" blade for playing with my son indoors, and depending on how it feels, it might become my primary blade.