This review concerns the first ever stunt saber I bought: an UltraSaber Dominix v2 with ultraedge heavy blade and Sunrider's Destiny color. Because this was my first ever saber, I also got the batteries installed and the optional wrench.
With shipping, my saber cost me $82.49 -- far less than my original choice (the Arbiter with sound board, ultraedge heavy blade, Sunrider's Destiny color, etc.)
I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what kind of saber I would like, and even went so far as to research blade and hilt lengths before placing my order.
I was very impressed with UltraSabers.com's shipping and delivery speed. I placed my order on Sunday night, chose the least expensive delivery option and received my saber on Tuesday afternoon.
The saber hilt itself is made of anodized aluminum, and appears very durable. I read in certain reviews that the aluminum WILL scratch if dropped on concrete and other hard, rough surfaces -- understandable for something NOT made of diamond or adamantium. It's a bit slippery, due to its smooth finish, but the basic design and the grooves cut into the hilt solve most grip issues.
I love ultrasabers.com's attention to detail. The saber has an additional open screw hole near screw that fastens the blade to the hilt. This additional port allows the colored saber light to shine through, and adds to the hilt's overall aesthetic. The power switch is seated inside a raised collar to prevent accidentally turning the saber on or off, and also functions as an anchor of sorts to add to the hilt's grip.
The hilt and the blade gave the saber a good weight to heft it around, and was pleased to see that it was close to the same weight as my bokken. The hilt length (about 12 inches) and blade length were very proportionate (at least, as far as I am concerned), and works well for my build and stature. I prefer a 13-inch hilt, but the Dominix V2 comes closest to that length as far as I know. The 32" blade seats fairly deeply (about 2-3 inches) inside the hilt, giving it a secure feeling when I heft it around.
Because of my height (I consider myself medium-short@5'8" tall) and my preference/experience with a bokken and
arnis de mano over my experiences in kendo with shinai, I opted for a shorter 32" blade instead of the standard 36" blade. It would have been nice to have the 32" blade as one of the drop-down menu options when ordering, perhaps with a less expensive price to match. As it was, I had to type the special request and pay the price for a regular length 36" blade -- not really a big deal, but this is a critique, so I'm being critical.
I saw and read MANY reviews where the reviewers were quite surprised and/or impressed by the saber blade's brightness. Even then, I was still both surprised and very pleased when my daughter turned it on for the first time.
I was a bit puzzled, however, when I saw that my saber blade color seemed closer to Consular Green (like Luke Skywalker's saber in ROTJ) than the teal/cyan color I paid $5 extra for when I ordered the Sunrider's Destiny option. After some research and an email sent to ultrasabers.com's shipping department, I was told that the batteries that I paid $1.50 extra for are probably too weak/old, and that I needed to put fresh ones in to get the color I wanted and paid for. In the end, this is no big deal and I was pleased with the quick reply I got to help me solve the problem. I ordered a set of rechargeable batteries JUST for my saber to make sure I maintain the right saber color (choosing Sunrider’s Destiny is my salute to Sunrider Base, my local Rebel Legion Chapter).
I originally wanted a saber with sound. I'm actually glad I didn't get one (at least, not this time) because it saved me some money during my learning process. More importantly, I can play around with my saber at night when my wife and daughter are both asleep without waking them up with my saber's sounds.
I recently ordered a second blade, this time with the pointed "flame" tip, to have as a replacement if/when my current blade breaks from constant and heavy usage.
I gave the first saber (pictured above) to a 77-year-old friend who also likes Star Wars, and ordered another SRD Dominix V2 with ultraedge heavy blade (this time with pointed tip) for myself. I’ll edit this post and add the exact measurements when I receive my new saber.
I like this product SO much that I’m ordering a pair of the Dark Initiate versions as well.
