Welcome to SaberForum.com

[Master Bluespike74]

My name is J.J.  I am a 3rd class Brown Belt in Kempo and I am interested in building my own staff for use in weapons competition.  I have seen these used online but not in the area I attend tournaments.  I have been a Star Wars fan my entire life and I wanted to incorporate my two favorite things in life into one.  Any help anyone can give me in this endeavour is greatly appreciated.  This staff will be my present to myself when I achieve 1st Dan.  Thank you.

[Master Artorius Vidnyl]

Well you've come to the right place.  I hold a 3rd degree in TKD so I understand your desire and I think I can help.

You'll want something light (all the hilts are machined aluminum) and not too long.  My recommendation would be to get a SI staff (called either Phantom or a Phantasm) or an initiate staff (Called the same thing with the word Initiate tagged on).  The guys on the forum can tell you about combined hilt lengths as my model is v2 and they now sell v3.

Next issue, dependent on your height you'll want a specific length staff.  6' probably being max.  Because of this I suggest you get mid grade blades.  Probably in the initiate size (24" blades).  Reasoning:

Each initiate blade is 2' long for a total of 4' length.
The combined hilts (if you go standard and not initiate) will be close to if not over 2' long.
Combined total of above is 6'

If you go with initiate hilts you won't have as much manipulatable staff section BUT you can have longer (and thus cooler) looking blades.  You can get 30" or 32" blades.  You can always cut a blade down but you can't make them longer.

Sound is the final issue.  For your purposes you can get sound installed in a single hilt instead of both.  Saves you money but will create a balance issue and if you decide to disconnect the staff and dual wield you won't have sound in both hilts.

Anything else you need to know post it and you'll get an answer.

Cheers.

[Master Bluespike74]

Thank you Master Artorius Vidnyl.  Your information is very helpful. 

[Sheik Godo]

Hi! I'm new to the forums, however I bought my FIRST Ultra Saber a couple years ago... I wanted to test the durability of it before I bought anymore. It was a Dominix (V1) with a Heavy dueling blade. Well... 2 Years later (With HEAVY ABUSE), I finally got a problem from it. The On/Off switch popped out! (LOL it's back in now!) Needless to say, I was sold. I have since purchased 3 Phantom V2s... The family and I could NOT be happier!

My Jedi name is Sheik Godo... Sentinel.
In real life I'm a Gymnastics coach with my fiancee. I also do a Free-running, Parkour, and Tricking clinic.
I've studied many martial arts, but don't practice any. I believe a strong body and mind is the best weapon regardless of martial training...
Also, the best way to handle a confrontation is to prevent it from escalating to the point of violence (Hence my interest in Jedis! LOL)!

I hope to purchase MANY more sabers for some of my students, and make a few friends here who (whom?) share a common interest!   

[Master Artorius Vidnyl]

Hi! I'm new to the forums, however I bought my FIRST Ultra Saber a couple years ago... I wanted to test the durability of it before I bought anymore. It was a Dominix (V1) with a Heavy dueling blade. Well... 2 Years later (With HEAVY ABUSE), I finally got a problem from it. The On/Off switch popped out! (LOL it's back in now!) Needless to say, I was sold. I have since purchased 3 Phantom V2s... The family and I could NOT be happier!

My Jedi name is Sheik Godo... Sentinel.
In real life I'm a Gymnastics coach with my fiancee. I also do a Free-running, Parkour, and Tricking clinic.
I've studied many martial arts, but don't practice any. I believe a strong body and mind is the best weapon regardless of martial training...
Also, the best way to handle a confrontation is to prevent it from escalating to the point of violence (Hence my interest in Jedis! LOL)!

I hope to purchase MANY more sabers for some of my students, and make a few friends here who (whom?) share a common interest!   

Welcome to the Forums!  Always nice to have another person with some physical training (I've cross trained in every martial art I can find for the past 20 years).  Totally agree with you!  Glad you have had such a positive experience and I look forward to reading your thoughts!

Cheers.

[darth tratus]

Hi! I'm new to the forums, however I bought my FIRST Ultra Saber a couple years ago... I wanted to test the durability of it before I bought anymore. It was a Dominix (V1) with a Heavy dueling blade. Well... 2 Years later (With HEAVY ABUSE), I finally got a problem from it. The On/Off switch popped out! (LOL it's back in now!) Needless to say, I was sold. I have since purchased 3 Phantom V2s... The family and I could NOT be happier!

My Jedi name is Sheik Godo... Sentinel.
In real life I'm a Gymnastics coach with my fiancee. I also do a Free-running, Parkour, and Tricking clinic.
I've studied many martial arts, but don't practice any. I believe a strong body and mind is the best weapon regardless of martial training...
Also, the best way to handle a confrontation is to prevent it from escalating to the point of violence (Hence my interest in Jedis! LOL)!

I hope to purchase MANY more sabers for some of my students, and make a few friends here who (whom?) share a common interest!   

Welcome to the forums!!! It is such great community here. Parkour is very cool. It's something I would like to practice. I'm just good at jumping fences and hopping  over things. I cant do flips or run off walls lol.

[Sheik Godo]

Thanks! I can tell I'm going to spend a LOT of time here. LOL

[Master Rel]

First post!

I have been lurking on the site for most of two weeks, apparently there was a glitch in the approval process and I had to wait a bit.

But the wait was put to good use.

I have been pouring over the threads and posts.

A quick Star Wars and Jedi related summery;

I was first in line for the original in 1977 as a bright eyed 12yr old...been hooked ever since.

I started studying martial arts with Shorin-ryu Matsumura Seito the same year.  I stayed with this style for seven years reaching brown belt...for you of young age, old school karate had white belts, brown belts, and black belts...that's it   

Once I left HS I joined the USMC and started studying Shotokan and USJF Judo...same instructor.  I stayed with both for four years and then the fun began...I switched services to the USCG and moved around every year or so for the next fourteen years.

I studied with any school I could find...the usual suspects and a few exotics like Stone Throw Monkey Kung Fu, Muay Boran, and Qigong...but I ended up focusing on Judo.

While I tested for shodan in Judo and Shotokan it was hard to maintain progression with one organization due to some of the remote locations, so I gave up the belt search years ago...emptied my cup as it were...never looked back.

After 911 I my retirement was cancelled and I was transferred to Homeland Def...Marine Anti-terrorism.  I ended up getting involved with training police style takedowns, cuffing, and control measures.

My work life was primarily in technical (electronics, electrical-mechanical, fabrication, inspections, etc.) fields.

I have apprenticed as a taxidermist and a tailor.

The majority of my recreational pursuits have been in various artistic fields such as sculpting, mold making, and casting.

As such I am looking forward to customizing and/or scratch casting a light saber very soon.  I have a small forge that can handle lighter metals like aluminum, brass, and bronze.

Anyway, that is about it...if you are wondering how to squeeze all that, have a wife (or two), and four kids (17, 18, 20, 26)...well you need a weird brain like mine, too many connections...I rarely sleep more than two hours a day and I have an uncontrollable need to gather information like a squirrel hordes acorns.

I suspect that had I been asked 15yrs ago I would have favored the dark side...now I seek redemption and follow the way of the light side   

I look forward to many interesting conversations.

Raymond

[Vex]

Welcome to the forums!!

[directorcass]

New member here, but not new to sabers. I have had almost all of the MR FX sabers over the years, several converted, a few Ultra stunts, and even built a Graflex with a US V1. I moderated over at FX-Sabers for a while a few years ago. I got out of that and sold off all my sabers except one stunt that was custom machined. My last saber was a converted Hasbro Obi TPM. That was a nice saber and I miss it.

I have been looking to get back into sabers lately and found my way here. I really like the way the forum here is set up. I have a lot of reading to do to catch up on all the latest saber advancements. This FoC feature I'm seeing is very awesome! That makes a saber complete in my book.

I really hope to add the Guardian after the holidays are over to start my back into collecting sabers. A custom saber based on the best saber design, with sound, with FoC, for under $300? Holy crap!

It's a good time to be getting back into sabers. Thanks Ultra!

[Vex]

Welcome to the forum!!

[Darth Severus]

New to the forums just got my first saber on saturday, and early christmas present from my wife who is the greatest. I have a DSI in BR which I hopefully will post a review on tomorrow. Short version it is an amazing product, I read the forums and was impressed by the reviews and the community and after actually holding and looking at the saber, the forums and the videos and pics do not do it justice. For $65 the DSI is one of the bigest bargins you can find for any product. I plan on buying a five sword rack and filling it as quickly as my income allows.

[plo koon]

Hi I'm completely new to sabers I only new building custom sabers and things like this existed until I stumbled upon the site searching for SWTOR (star wars the old republic). I do have a Hasbro FX saber but I'm going to order one off this site just not sure when. I'm a black belt in tae kwon do and a huge star wars fan.

[Sandtracker]

Welcome to the forum!!

[Arcadius]

I've been a member of the forums for close to a month now, and I just realized this thread was here.

Anyway, I am a Sith lord in training named Arcadius (real name = Vincent). I recently (during the Christmas sale) purchased my first saber - a Phantom LE V3 in Pyrestone Orange. Prior to that, I've had two other US sabers - an old PVC (the original standard issue) in AS (died on me about two years ago), and an Omen, also in AS. My Omen is out of commission at the moment, but the problem is likely with the battery pack (it looks like the batteries leaked a bit of acid onto the contacts).

I'm looking forward to eventually sending my Phantom in to get Obsidian added (I already have the Li-ion setup), and am seriously considering another saber when I can afford one. My choices are currently between an Overlord, Consular or Dark Prophecy V3 - I'm leaning toward the Overlord and Consular for their MHS emitters and quick disconnect ability. That one will most likely have sound, and be a Violet Amethyst or Dark Violet Amethyst, possibly with an Arctic Blue or Bane's Heart MLS led that I can switch in if I choose to.