Saber Forum

Ok, so here's the thing, I'm going to bed right now because I work graveyards. It sucks. Anyways, I wanted to write a first glance review for those still thinking of buying one and because one pic can't do it justice and there's a couple of things that need more explaining than I can give right now laying in bed with my iPad. FIRST NOTE ** Please only post questions until I do the full review tomorrow morning so I can address them.** Ok, so at a glance, buy a heavy grade ultra edge! I wish I had but now seeing it and holding it, I want to talk to Deep about making a 56 inch blade. I will explain that later. Second, if you're going to do all three adegan silver blades buy extra discs or buy several lee filter swatches because the color you get in the main blade will not be the same you get in the cross guard. This is going to require some experimenting on my part at a later date. If you're dead set on it being red or some other single color, get those LEDs because the color will be uniform. Third, buy the 8 inch gross guard blades because you can cut them down to size and will likely need to because the added width of th saber is noticeable. Fourth, think real hard about where you want that covertec because it will likely get in the way of your grip. Lastly, if you want black on it, go with either full black or limited edition because adding black is hard and doesn't look right vs taking it off which on the other side of that coin is if you do it, you can't undo it.

I'm really curious about you reasoning on the 56 inch blade idea. I have thought the 40 would be a little short but now that I have it in seems quite well proportioned.

Alrighty, and now for my full review...The flamberge is amazing and I cannot decide on the name Leviathan or Abeloth. Ok, first the blade, I went with a 40" ultra edge, but I want to up grade to a 56" (estimated) heavy grade. The reasons are three, first the heavy edge will add to the weight and perception of more power. Trust me, when i got it in my hands I instantly knew what the fighting style that should be used for it is. Second, when removing the blade you physically have to grip the blade and twist. I felt uneasy with this because it felt like I might horribly damage the blade. Third, is its resemblance to a great sword, resting on the ground the pommel comes up to here on me and I'm 5'11".
(http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag343/levonfuhr/Mobile%20Uploads/BD3C051B-BEBE-4628-831F-863874FBA033_zpskqntaz0r.jpg~original) (http://s1372.photobucket.com/user/levonfuhr/media/Mobile%20Uploads/BD3C051B-BEBE-4628-831F-863874FBA033_zpskqntaz0r.jpg.html)

When it should really come up to here.
(http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag343/levonfuhr/Mobile%20Uploads/89EB17BB-02CD-4748-B62D-B5F9E7E3F3C7_zpsfxgwys8v.jpg~original) (http://s1372.photobucket.com/user/levonfuhr/media/Mobile%20Uploads/89EB17BB-02CD-4748-B62D-B5F9E7E3F3C7_zpsfxgwys8v.jpg.html)

This kind of blade is not meant for close quarters fighting by any stretch. It's meant to keep your enemy at a distance by an untrained fighter and is meant to slap your opponents blade down then come back up and lop his head off or straight shatter his freakin skull with the pommel. A very raw, powerful, and brutal fighting style as compared to the elegant seven forms of lightsaber combat.

Now more on the quillon (cross guard) blades. Once again, If you're dead set on the blades all being one color forever, get them in that color. If you want versatility in color go Adegan Silver with discs and buy and extra set of discs for each blade. You'll get better reds and blues mostly. now its hard to tell in this picture, but the quillon are actually pink. That's with two red discs each and it is so because of the way the ultra edge material bounces around the light within. I've yet to get lee filters and it will take quite some time until I do so but I'm hoping it might cut down on some of the orangeness of the blades.
(http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag343/levonfuhr/741D3B49-180C-4443-87BE-62CB6E7800E5_zpsc8ob7nfd.jpg~original) (http://s1372.photobucket.com/user/levonfuhr/media/741D3B49-180C-4443-87BE-62CB6E7800E5_zpsc8ob7nfd.jpg.html)

It took 3 red color discs to get it to be really red like this, but only two in the main blade.
(http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag343/levonfuhr/Mobile%20Uploads/3E16DEA5-79EF-46EE-9C2E-CFEFDE455653_zpsjyzvmwza.jpg~original) (http://s1372.photobucket.com/user/levonfuhr/media/Mobile%20Uploads/3E16DEA5-79EF-46EE-9C2E-CFEFDE455653_zpsjyzvmwza.jpg.html)

Next is the length of the quillon, 8" is fine, but in my opinion it's two big to really be comfortable. You're gonna poke yourself with those and it's really gonna hurt, so I'm going to have to cut mine down by about an inch or two on each side. The only complaint I have here is the near the main emitter it looks a little pink, but whatever, this is why if you're dead set on a single color forever, do it.

Now onto the hilt. Just look at it. Until you hold one, it's really not the same as my Prophecy or the Sentinel I bought for a friend. I have slightly less that average size hands, so for me it really gives it more of a sense of power, but I am by no means struggling to grip it. The length of the hilt is really nice. Not to short to be disappointed with, and not to long to struggle with. I went with a full black finish, because I can't decide if I want a limited edition look, or if I want to go more with a canon look with what we have so far in the trailer. I'm waiting on trailer #2 that will come out on The Avengers: Age of Ultron to fully decide more. The pommel is really the only thing I don't love about the hilt. Yes, it has a classic great sword look, but I would really prefer a more canon looking one, but thats because I'm in the middle of making my Kylo Ren costume for Denver Comic Con. I may say screw it and do it for Starfest here in Colorado and skip the helmet until DCC because damn I love this saber and want to show it off. I also with the piece that holds all three blades in place had a uniform thickness as compared with the rest of the hilt, but I understand why it can't
(http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag343/levonfuhr/Mobile%20Uploads/9C8F8773-D6C6-4671-A2C8-1C361494BA45_zpspsomcpkd.jpg~original) (http://s1372.photobucket.com/user/levonfuhr/media/Mobile%20Uploads/9C8F8773-D6C6-4671-A2C8-1C361494BA45_zpspsomcpkd.jpg.html)

Now, for gripping it. I grip it right here with a close choke because its the most comfortable and logical place to do so. Only thing I need to do is figure out what firehand10k means when he says you can rotate the quillon to about any angle so that its parallel with the front of my body. However, its also comfortable to choke up to the quillon and widen the choke to the pommel for a more bushido fighting style. You can also curve a finger over the quillon like firehand10k says as well, but this is more suited to larger hands than mine. On a kind of side note. the button placement is prefect for my pinky and I'm really glad I decided to put the covertec on the opposite side because flipped around, it really gets in the way.
(http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag343/levonfuhr/Mobile%20Uploads/990580B7-B0AE-4317-A6B1-1DFA786E53A5_zps0loxgumz.jpg~original) (http://s1372.photobucket.com/user/levonfuhr/media/Mobile%20Uploads/990580B7-B0AE-4317-A6B1-1DFA786E53A5_zps0loxgumz.jpg.html)

Next is the innards. OMG the sound is amazing and I wish I got it on my Prophecy, but it has more of a function as a flash light for me. The sound module is kinda hard to get out, but that's probably a good thing considering it doesn't rattle a whole lot. I can't wait to pull that ignition sound from the trailer, clean it up, and make it my ignition sound and modify some existing sounds to get it close to what the actual hums, idle, and clashes would be like. unfortunately the LED modules are a little loose but I can fix that, and when you unscrew the main blade, the wires are pushed up into that piece that holds the blades in place. Just to give my self some piece of mind, I'm going to throw some gaff tape in the to hold that stuff down. I'm not going to try and take a picture of it, because I just don't want to deal with that, so have this nice dark picture of the flamberge to look at until the next part of my review. Also, always, always, ALWAYS go with a lithium ion setup so you can upgrade your sabers and so you don't spend ridiculous amounts on new batteries.
(http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag343/levonfuhr/Mobile%20Uploads/3AE0A288-9B9A-4BFC-A47C-D763701705BA_zpswxleftlh.jpg~original) (http://s1372.photobucket.com/user/levonfuhr/media/Mobile%20Uploads/3AE0A288-9B9A-4BFC-A47C-D763701705BA_zpswxleftlh.jpg.html)

Comparison time! Katana, love it. Good weight, good grip, versatile in fighting style. Thin blade long sword: Good weight, versatile grip, meant for fast but not elaborate fighting. Flamberge: Heavier than the rest, but not too heavy to wield, Versatile grip, powerful brutal fighting style. Prophecy: light weight, semi versatile grip, meant for elegant, elaborate, or strong fighting style. I can't pick a favorite, but I'd have to put lightsabers above the others because come on... their freaking lightsaber. (BTW, this is far from the extent of my armory. And yes, I know I need new batteries in that prophecy because now that I see it that's pathetic.)
(http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag343/levonfuhr/Mobile%20Uploads/7BB7CD80-4DC7-439D-A810-4E25F4C39548_zpsxn2scmey.jpg~original) (http://s1372.photobucket.com/user/levonfuhr/media/Mobile%20Uploads/7BB7CD80-4DC7-439D-A810-4E25F4C39548_zpsxn2scmey.jpg.html)

Also, I will do picture requests provided they are reasonable.

Great detailed review.  Point for you.  Would like to see the opposite side of Flamberge and particularly where the covertec wheel is positioned.  True red is a difficult color to get with plastic discs or gel filters.  Light filtration becomes dull and murky which for this saber might have a nice sithy effect.  :)

Nice to see what mine will look like, thanks
for the review! Dark point for you

That's a large beast you have there, very nice looking!  Glad to see the new saber shipping out!

This is an awesome review.

Good point on the 56 inch blade.

Any chance we can see some video?

i agree with the longer blade, and it has been one of my ideas as well for some time now.  i emailed Emory about 6 months ago asking about longer blades, and he said that the longest they can do is the 40 inch.  i have had plans for a greatsaber for some time now, and i decided the flamberge would be the one.  my ideas include getting a 16 inch blade, trimming down both blades to the foil lining, gluing them together, and either adding another layer of Polycarbonate or rubber hose to the outside to protect the blade and help hold it together.

There's a place here in CO called PlastiCare near where I work where I've gotten stuff before that works well for blades, but my question is what is that foil stuff called and where do I get it?

This place has Thick or thin walled tubing in longer lengths. Take a look.
http://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/Raw-Materials/Plastics/Plastic-Round-Tubes?navid=12101801#navid=12101801+4288193713+4288230144 (http://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/Raw-Materials/Plastics/Plastic-Round-Tubes?navid=12101801#navid=12101801+4288193713+4288230144)
Don

maybe email emory and ask if you sent in a custom blade if he could install the reflective wrap for you?

What I meant by turning it was that if you loosen the 4 setscrews around the collar you can rotate that and remove the tape that holds the wires up the inside you can rotate the entire head to change the alignment of the switch then lock the setscrews back down.

The polycarbonate tubes are not the hard part of a longer blade. The diffusion film only comes in rolls up to 40". The rolls are longer than 40" though and it could probably be rolled sideways to the original rolling. This may prove difficult to do without creasing it and creating bright spots. I think it is probably the wrap part that keep US from making longer blades

i figure rolling it sideways will work but i'll use a dowl to help roll it and keep it smooth. but now i'm having an idea about using clear red blades with contact paper i want to be able to test it first though.

I've seen that done with clear blades with colored diffusion film. Makes them keep their color in sunlight. the only problem with the sideways roll may be that there will only be 40 inches to roll in but the current blades use about 60 inches rolled length. I don't know if it will diffuse enough shorter or if you can add a partial second sheet without making a visible line. I do know that you will suffer some dimming through the middle because the focus of the led lenses isn't designed for that much length.

Just did a bunch of internet scouring and yeah that's totally more doable and cheaper.

Ok, update time! I got a 6 foot piece of awesomeness and I'm going to go back to try and get a 6 foot piece of red awesomeness to make blades out of. I think a red acrylic blade would look awesome for going to cons and also not cut down the brightness of the silver LED as much as the color discs. I also put the Black Star sound font on the lightsaber because that hum is wicked awesome. Today I'm going to try and make ignition sounds and deactivation sounds by pulling audio from the trailer and see if I cant make an idle hum out of the half second between blade ignitions from the trailer and play with some of the sensitivity settings and try to get a good force push sound in there.

Update time 2. I'm quickly realizing I want the thing to just be blazing red, and not have the ability to switch colors since this lightsaber has a very clear purpose and the blade I tried to make just is not working. So I emailed Emory to see what switching the LED would cost.

im super interested about seeing if the awesomeness of the 6 foot blade works out.  if so i want details, because we share an interest here.

Tell me what you think of it
Item Name:   Flamberge with Sound (Emerald) Pre-Order
Item Price:   $638.00
Options:
Hilt Finish:LE Finish
Main Blade LED Color:Blazing Red for Emerald
Left Blade LED Color:Adegan Silver + Color Discs
Right Blade LED Color:Arctic Blue
Left/Right Blade Channel:Channel 4 (Dedicated to AV Switch) [Recommended
Main Blade Type:40" Ultraedge Heavy Grade
Left Blade Type:8" Ultraedge Heavy Grade
Right Blade Type:8" Ultraedge Heavy Grade
Emerald Driver Configuration:4 Channel Emerald Driver - RGBW LED
Flash on Clash:Flash Dark Violet Amethyst for Emerald
Pulse Mode:Pulse to Emerald Green
Battery Configuration:Li-Ion Setup for Emerald (Batteries & VP1 Charger Included)
Recharge Port:Recharge Port + 1.2A Fast Charger
Sound:Yes, Obsidian USB Sound w/ Yellow Illuminated AV Switch
AV Switch Channel:Channel 4 (Dedicated to AV Switch) [Recommended
Blade Tip:POINTED TIPS ON ALL BLADES
Include Retention Screw Wrench:Sure!
Include Blade Plug:Yes
Include MINI USB Cable:Yes
Include Covertec Clip:Yes!
Install Covertec Wheel:Yes. Specify location in comments ($10 install + $4 covertec) (colour silver)
Btw does anyone have ideas for where Covertec wheel should go

Death, why the choice of one adegan silver crossguard and one arctic blue?

Death, seems very American.

Ren, if you know exactly what kind of contact paper is used and where I can get it, that would be great because i spent about 30 bucks trying to make one that didn't work out.

sent you a message

any luck on your project?  I am eager to see how it turned out, and how a larger blade will look

I'm still working on it. Right now I have to split my time between three costumes and this.

(http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag343/levonfuhr/Mobile%20Uploads/7C85FDD2-D6E1-4102-BA8D-8288EB27FCC1_zpsrutwiuja.jpg~original) (http://s1372.photobucket.com/user/levonfuhr/media/Mobile%20Uploads/7C85FDD2-D6E1-4102-BA8D-8288EB27FCC1_zpsrutwiuja.jpg.html)
(http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag343/levonfuhr/Mobile%20Uploads/07DC2A13-FE4E-471C-843A-96B3ECAAA12A_zpsisydp4tt.jpg~original) (http://s1372.photobucket.com/user/levonfuhr/media/Mobile%20Uploads/07DC2A13-FE4E-471C-843A-96B3ECAAA12A_zpsisydp4tt.jpg.html)

Ok, so this is for Ren Kobar. I finally got the extended blade done for my Flamberge. First off, no I didn't take pictures to compare the old blade to the new one, but the new blade is 6 inches longer. Second I learned something in making this blade, there is a reason for using polycarbonate. Its softer. I found this out when securing the blades because I cracked two of them because I used acrylic for these but I have some polycarbonate on the way, but the instructions are the same. I did not take pictures of the process because I am crushed for time right now between making three costumes and editing a film for a con in three weeks.

MATERIALS
1. Polycarbonate tubing. This is pretty standard for all US blades and I found by comparing my 40" US midgrade ultraedge to the one I made. but you need the thick stuff because at the length I wanted, the blade would bend more if it were thinner. This obviously makes it heavier, but it's stronger and you can feel the power behind it. You can buy some here, and if amazon doesn't have it now, they might soon and you at least have the measurements you need.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OMJ4VU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OMJ4VU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

2. Clear cellophane roll. It usually comes in 40" wide, but 25' long. You can buy it at Michaels or Hobby Lobby in their cards and gift wrapping section. It costs less than $5. DO NOT get the pearlescent kind. It doesn't reflect better and it cuts the brightness insanely. You can try getting some clear colored stuff, but I've had no luck with it.

3. Dowl rod. Get one as straight as possible, and about half the inner diameter of the tubing you're using. This will have multiple functions and you definitely want it. It will not be as long as your blade, but that won't matter.

4. 150 or 220 grit sand paper.

5. Blade plugs. However many you need. They come with the reflecting disc pre installed on them. http://www.ultrasabers.com/product-p/parts-rtipheavy.htm (http://www.ultrasabers.com/product-p/parts-rtipheavy.htm)

6. Hot glue and gun.

7. CLEAR E-6000.

8. Scissors, and something to cut the polycarbonate with. I used a serrated blade on a leatherman.

9. Sharpie.

10. Tissue paper and a dry cloth.

11. Measuring tape.

12. Time, and lots and lots of patience.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Peel the sticker off your dowel rod and sand off the remnants. Then wipe it down to get the wood dust off.

2. Using the measuring tape, measure how long you want the blade from the emitter. Then find out how much of the blade sits in the hilt and add that to your measurement. Do this for all the blades you're making, in the case of the flamberge, 3.

3. With the sharpie, transfer this to your tube and then cut. It may be best to have someone help you cut if you're using a knife by keeping it against a steady perpendicular surface and rolling it against it.

4. Sand the tubes. First up and down the blade vertically, then around the blade horizontally. This gives the blade that frosted look because I couldn't find frosted polycarbonate, if you can find it more power to you. This takes up the most time and your arms will get tired beyond all belief because you need it to be as uniform as possible and cannot have any transparent areas. Change sand paper often because you'll put melted bits of dust on it and it's hard to get off. Also clean off and burrs from cutting the blade.

5. Wipe down the blade with a dry cloth. NOT WET. A wet cloth will leave water marks that will make the blade look weird when it's lit.

6. Put in the blade plugs, but DO NOT glue them in yet. This is a good point to test out the length of the blade in the hilt and to turn it on just to see how it looks.

7. Get as clear a surface as possible on carpet to lay down the cellophane. This is likely not possible so watch for hairs and dusts later.

8. Using the dowel rod in the tube of cellophane and holding the edge of the cellophane firm but not enough to crease it, roll the cellophane to the side to a length just a little longer than you're blade. When laying down it should look kind of like how the toilet paper roll goes over, not under. This keeps it from rolling back onto itself since the cellophane lays flat this way.

9. Cut the cellophane. You won't be able to see what you're doing because of how near invisible it is.

10. Using the dowel rod placed in the center of the edge of your cellophane roll the cellophane perpendicular to the way you unrolled it earlier. This is difficult since the edges hang off the ends of the dowl. DO NOT try and get it tight with the first wrap around, you will just frustrate yourself and get angry. To make the roll smaller than the inner diameter of your tube keep rolling it against the carpet to make it roll down kind of like rolling paper against a table to make it tight. REMEMBER to watch for hairs and dirt as you roll and clean them as you go.

11. Carefully slide the cellophane into the blade along the floor, then let the dowel fall out. Use your pinky to unroll the cellophane to the edges.

12. Go into a dark room and test the blade. I found that 2 layers of cellophane worked best, but this is to your preference so you may need to repeat steps 8-11.

13. When you have your cellophane to the preferred thickness use your pinky again to tighten the roll and pull it out just a little to cut it and push it back in so none of the cellophane pokes out of the end.

14. With the hot glue gun, secure the cellophane to the blade.

15. Using the edge of your scissors pop the blade plug out.

16. Draw a small bead of E-6000 around the inside edge of the blade.

17. Place the blade plug back in whilst trying to turn it. This will ensure a better seal and more contact for the glue.

18. In the case of the flamberge, mark on the new blade where the bottom of the emitter ring is supposed to be and place it there. If you're working with a normal saber, Just secure it and have fun.

A staggering WOW

That looks amazing

words cannot express my appreciation for the walkthrough.  that you for taking the time to do this for me.  best of luck with the costumes and video, and most importantly, enjoy the con

Thank you, dressing as Luke, Jacen, and Kylo should be fun. Do you think I should repost that in the saber discussion?

I would think a 56 inch blade would be a bit too long, but I see your point about it being a defensive saber.

certainly wouldn't hurt.  maybe post it in the customization thread


its the right size for a greatsword, which is the first thing i thought of when i saw the flamberge